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1 Get bilingual Wanting something more than “como estás?” and “dos cervezas por favor”? Apply at one of the many Spanish schools in Quetzaltenango and get quality classes to learn to converse in our beautiful language. You can combine the classes with a stay at a homestay for example, to be immersed in a local family ready to help you with your first steps in Spanish.
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Get hot 2.
“I’m already hot!” we hear you thinking. We are sure you are. Even hotter though, are the Fuentes Georginas. It’s one of the top attractions in Quetzaltenango where you can enjoy a relaxing bath with steamingly warm natural water, the luxury Spa avant-la-lettre. The baths are now used by locals and tourists to escape city life and relieve stress. Forget about your luxury resort and come to this place. You will certainly not be regretting it.
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.3 Get high No, not like that! Xelajú, the indigenous name of Quetzaltenango, doesn’t mean under the ten mountains for nothing! Put on your hiking shoes and go up one of the volcanoes around Quetzaltenango that each offer an impressive view when you reach the summit. Santa María must be our crown jewel with its challenging hike and impressive height. From the summit, you’ll see not less than ten more volcanoes and you’ll see the Santiaguito volcano that is in constant eruption. For the more relaxed people with no intention to climb high up, you can go up to the middle, round the volcano and see Santiaguito from the viewpoint. Do you want to go even higher? A few hours away from Quetzaltenango, in the department of San Marcos, you can climb the Tajumulco Volcano. It’s generally done in two days with a night of camping on the summit. Do bring thick clothes though, it is always freezingly cold on the highest point of Central America.
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4 Get cold at night “Cold?” Yes! Quetzaltenango isn’t a tropic paradise. After a day of nice warming sun, the coldness reaches the city. Life doesn’t stop there, though. Various places around the centre in Quetzaltenango come to life to provide an excellent night out. Enjoy the various bars and restaurants that are located in Pasaje Enríquez, the impressive passage-way located right at the central park. Travelling solo? Don’t worry! You’ll soon be meeting a lot of locals or expats that want to share a Quetzaltecan Cabro beer with you under the impressive Italian architecture of Pasaje Enríquez or in one of the myriad of cosy bars available throughout the city.
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Get immersed 5.
Quetzaltenango isn’t a place to just see, it’s a place to experience! And which is even better, there are lots of possibilities to do so. Climb the volcano Chicabal and see Mayans going through their praying ritual alongside the greenish lagoon in the crater. It’s an easy hike rewarded with a spectacular view over the lagoon. You can also decide to visit the indigenous villages in the department of Xela. They are a lot and all have their charms. Take San Andres Xécul for example with it’s iconic yellow church that is used for the cover of the Lonely Planet. Want something more unique? Why not visit the Mayan temple under the catholic church in Zunil? The church was built above it in the past and now Maya people still go down to practice their religion. Do you feel that everything is going bad for you? Go to the place and ask the people to get rid of all the bad energy in your body.
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6 Get volunteering experience
Do you want to combine Spanish classes with a volunteering experience? Or do you want to put your time in a new project? That’s totally possible in Xela. From animal shelters to health centers, they are all in dire need of new helpers. Let’s be honest, you as well will be helped and it is a great opportunity to get to know yourself.
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Get to see the Quetzal 7 .
The quetzal is more than just a coin! Not far from the city is the refuge for Quetzales, the national bird of Guatemala. It has fled to higher grounds, because of the lack of the trees in the city and now it has its proper refuge. The birds are extremely beautiful with green and red being their primary colours.
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8 Get excercise Tired of the gym? Try and do some real sports. You can go rock climbing close to the city. Even beginners can participate. It’s a whole new experience up one of our volcanoes, cerro quemado. Equipment is generally provided by the tour agency and it provides for a perfect activity.
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Get in love with Vanuschka 9.
You might think Vanushka is a really desperate woman, but we actually mean a woman that is burried in the Quetzaltecan cemetery. It is said that whoever puts flowers at her grave will have a lost relationship fixed. The cemetery isn’t only a place where the heart-broken come, it’s one of the most beautiful cementeries in the world and possesses some amazing colourful graves. If you are really brave, you can go on a necro-tour in which a guide will tell you all about one of the most accessible attractions of Quetzaltenango.
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10 Get your visa renewed Are you staying for a long time in Mexico and you don’t really want to leave? Consider coming for a trip to Quetzaltenango. It’s relatively close to the Mexican border and well connected by shuttles. Quetzaltenango won’t feel like a visa run either, it’s a place well worth seeing because of all the previous points.
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ADRENALINA TOURS QUETZALTENANGO 13 Av. 4-25 Z.1 Inside Pasaje Enriquez
Tel: 7932-5857 / 7761-4509
ADRENALINA TOURS PANAJACHEL Final Calle SANTANDER Tel: 7762-6236
ADRENALINA TOURS ANTIGUA 3 Calle poniente #2-D Antigua, Tel: 7882-4147
WWW.ADRENALINATOURS.COM