Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Quetzaltenanga or Xela (Mayan) was a last minute choice. Guatemala became a necessary visa run and part of my original planning but the Mayan City of Tikal was the original destination of choice. Unfortunately, this is Central America in August and Tikal resides in the middle of a 90 degree jungle. I just couldn’t pull the trigger. Instead, I opted for Guatemala’s southwestern highlands where the air is thin and temperatures steady in the mid seventies throughout the summer.

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Xela (pronounced Chayla) sits around 7500 feet within a valley along the Sierra Madre range. Although prominent as Guatemala’s second largest, the City receives minimal recognition due to the popularity of Tikal and Antiqua - the country’s Spanish Colonial crown jewel. Lake Atitlan, another popular Guatemalan destination can be visited enroute but very few tourists make the effort to go beyond this point. I stayed for three weeks and rarely crossed paths with anyone who looked like they might be visiting from the US, Canada or Europe. 

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A poor man's Antiqua might be the best way to describe Xela. Nowhere near as pretty but the remnants of its Spanish Colonial past are apparent and notable. Like Antiqua, the old town is awash in color and framed within a matrix of cobblestone that makes it attractive and memorable. Architecturally, the city's most prominet structures are an eclectic blend of Greco Roman, Baroque, Gothic and Spanish Colonial. A little odd as a collective but it's unique and unconventionally attractive.

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Aesthetically, the city is encircled by a series of forested mountains and volcanos with the most prominent, Santa Maria, dominating the landscape at 12,375 feet above sea level. And as one would expect, the coffee grown and served in this part of the world is exceptional. High elevation chill coupled with ample rainfall and complex volcanic soils create the magical beans that produce the perfect brew. If you love coffee, Guatemala is a must visit.