Must-see attractions in Quetzaltenango

  • Centro Intercultural de Quetzaltenango

    Quetzaltenango

    Quetzaltenango's railroad station, 1km east of the Templo de Minerva along 4a Calle, lay dormant for many years until the city converted it into this…

  • Parque Centro América

    Quetzaltenango

    Most of Xela's sights crowd in and around the broad central plaza. It's a great place for a stroll or to sit and people-watch. It was originally two…

  • Arco Del Sexto Estado

    Quetzaltenango

    This monumental arch that greets all visitors on the road into Xela commemorates the 1897 Quetzalteca Revolution, a short-lived uprising in the city…

  • Cemetery

    Quetzaltenango

    Quetzaltenango's enormous cemetery is a pleasant and fascinating green space for a walk. To the left of the main entrance, visit the grave of the gypsy…

  • Museo de Historia Natural

    Quetzaltenango

    The natural history museum holds a hodgepodge of Maya artifacts, vintage photos, dried leaves, old coins, marimbas, sports trophies, stuffed mammals and…

  • Templo de Minerva

    Quetzaltenango

    Rising incongruously from an island in the middle of traffic-choked 4a Calle, this temple was erected by dictator Estrada Cabrera to honor the Roman…

  • Cerro el Baúl

    Quetzaltenango

    This wooded hill is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers, for its wonderful views across Xela's broad plain and to the volcanos that fringe it…

  • Museo de Arte

    Quetzaltenango

    An interesting if chaotic collection of some 400 paintings by Guatemala's leading modernists is exhibited here, including works by Efraín Recinos, Jorge…

  • Iglesia El Calvario

    Quetzaltenango

    The church that lends its name to the neighborhood west of the center was built four centuries ago on a rise to avoid Xela's periodic flooding. Check out…

  • Municipalidad

    Quetzaltenango

    The Municipalidad, at the northeastern end of the park, was rebuilt after the 1902 earthquake in the grandiose neoclassical style so favored as a symbol…

  • Museo del Ferrocarril de los Altos

    Quetzaltenango

    This museum covers the ambitious rail project that connected Quetzaltenango to the Pacific coast but operated for just three years, from 1930 to 1933…

  • Cathedral

    Quetzaltenango

    The ornately carved facade of the Iglesia del Espíritu Santo marks the site of the original 1532 construction, which was pulverized by the quakes of 1853…

  • Museo Ixkik'

    Quetzaltenango

    This museum is devoted to Maya weaving, with traditional outfits arranged by region. Director Raquel García is an expert on the symbols and meanings of…

  • Edificio Rivera

    Quetzaltenango

    A neoclassical structure near the northeast corner of Parque Centro América, the Edificio Rivera has been handsomely renovated (complete with fast-food…

  • Monumento a la Marimba

    Quetzaltenango

    The Altiplano's signature instrument is given pride of place at the center of this iconic traffic circle on the east end of town.