Quetzaltenango (Xela) is a popular destination in Guatemala for backpackers and travelers who want to improve or immerse themselves in the Spanish language. I spent 4 weeks there in April 2018. These were some of my favorite things to do in Xela. 1. Attend a Spanish School There are a ton of Spanish schools in Xela and many of them offer great activities and/or volunteer work. I attended Sol Latino for 4 weeks. It was a great experience which you can read about here. They offer 1-on-1 lessons and fun activities that allow you to easily explore Xela and the surrounding areas on different forms of transportation. 2. Go to Parque Central If you're staying in Xela any longer than a few days, you will inevitably end up at Parque Central at some point. It's a great place to meet friends or go to one of the surrounding cafes, bars or restaurants. 3. Hike to Cerro El Baúl This is a great way to spend a Sunday morning. You can walk there directly from Parque Central. It’s recommended to go on a Sunday morning as that is when the most people are on the trail (and therefore, the least possibility of running into trouble). It’s a quick little workout where you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the city from above. At the top of Cerro El Baúl are some cement slides and a park. If you’re brave you can slide down them on a cardboard box. The park has some stands selling tortillas and other food, and on a Sunday you can often find families having fiestas in the Continue Reading
My Experience With Sol Latino Spanish School
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! In April 2018, I spent 4 weeks in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala at Sol Latino Spanish School. I was planning to travel in Latin America for a few months so I researched the best place to study Spanish (in terms of quality, price, and environment). I found out that Guatemala was a great place to study Spanish because, for one, their style of speaking is a bit slower and clearer than other regions in Latin America. There were so many rave reviews about Sol Latino on TripAdvisor and other websites that I decided to check them out. Their website was basic and a bit outdated (they list an activities calendar that clearly hasn't been updated), but in my opinion, this was a selling point. You can either stay in a homestay, in their accommodations (Casa Latina) if it is available, or book your own accommodation. I chose the homestay option. The homestay price in the low season is $165 a week for one person, which includes 20 hours of private Spanish lessons a week, a private room in a homestay, AND 3 meals a day. It’s really an amazing deal. They also have deals for couples or friends that want to take classes together to save money. Registering with Sol Latino The whole process of registering with Sol Latino was easy. I had originally tried filling out the Google Form on their website but had never heard Continue Reading
7 Things To Know About Xela, Guatemala
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! In the Western Highlands of Guatemala, 200 kilometers from the capital, there is a city called Quetzaltenango (Xela), with delicious food, friendly people and a moderate climate. Here are 7 things to know about Xela. The official name is Quetzaltenango Xela (pronounced shay-lah) is short for Xelajú, which is the Mayan name for the city. The local football club is Xelajú M.C., in honor of former player and team captain Mario Camposeco who was killed in a plane crash in 1951 (the stadium is named after him as well). It’s a fairly large and busy city Xela is the second-largest city in Guatemala, spread across 127 square kilometers (49 square miles), with approximately 200,000 residents. It’s a decently sized city, with shopping malls, tons of cafes, retail stores, Spanish schools, parks, restaurants, banks, movie theaters, even a Walmart. It is 7600 feet above sea level Xela is around 7600 feet (2330 m) above sea level. For some people, this elevation has no effect, but for me coming from sea level, I had a headache for a few days. I recommend waiting awhile before going on any intense hikes. Weather reports aren’t entirely accurate Rainy season is between May and November. However, since I arrived at the beginning of April, the weather apps constantly showed thunderstorms Continue Reading
Must Have (Free) Smartphone Apps for Travel
In our increasingly connected world, it’s easier to travel now more than ever. Gone are the days of folders with your flight and hotel confirmations printed out, organized, and color-coded. No need for paper maps, travel agents, traveler’s checks, etc. These are my favorite apps for travel (in no particular order): Best Apps For Travel Google Maps Before you leave for your destination, open Google Maps and download offline maps for the regions you will be traveling to. If you’re offline, you won’t be able to use the navigation, but you will still have detailed maps with street names. On iOS 8.3 and above, GPS still functions even while in airplane mode, so you can see exactly where you are on the map. Better than having to whip out that giant paper map in the middle of Barcelona, don’t you think? When you do have wifi or internet, the navigation works great, especially for public transportation(in most cities). Depending on the city, it will show you granular details such as what bus or train number to take, where to wait for it, what time it comes, when the next one is, and even the price. Download: iPhone / Android (pre-installed) Moovit There are some cities, for some reason, where public transport directions are not available in Google Maps. This happened to me in a suburb outside of Barcelona (understandable), but also in Vienna, Austria last summer (July 2017). We took a cab from the Vienna airport just because Google Maps indicated there was no Continue Reading