Quetzaltenango, Mountain city in southwestern Guatemala.
Located at an elevation of 2,334 meters, Quetzaltenango extends across a mountain valley with temperatures that occasionally drop below freezing during winter months.
The Spanish forces under Pedro de Alvarado arrived in 1524 and defeated the K'iche' Maya, renaming the settlement from Xelajú to Quetzaltenango.
The city maintains strong Maya traditions through its markets, where indigenous vendors sell traditional textiles and local produce in the municipal marketplace.
Numerous Spanish language schools operate in Quetzaltenango, offering intensive courses with private tutors at lower costs than other Central American destinations.
The Santa María volcano eruption of 1902 covered the city in rocks and ash, leading to significant changes in the urban development patterns.
Location: Quetzaltenango Department
Inception: 1524
Elevation above the sea: 2,433 m
Shares border with: Concepción Chiquirichapa, Olintepeque, San Andrés Xecul, Zunil, Almolonga, Cantel, Salcajá
Website: http://inforpressca.com/quetzaltenango
GPS coordinates: 14.83333,-91.51667
Latest update: May 26, 2025 19:50
Guatemala offers Maya ruins, volcanoes and colonial buildings for photographers. The landscape features lakes, rainforests and beaches. Cities display Spanish architecture and indigenous markets.
Guatemala offers diverse settings for photography. Maya temples emerge from rainforests, while lakes mirror volcanoes. Colonial cities display painted facades and cobblestone streets. Nature reserves, thermal springs, and caves add to the photographic range of the country.
Santa María
9.3 km
Takalik Abaj
31.5 km
Santiaguito
11.6 km
Volcán Atitlán
45.1 km
Almolonga
4.1 km
Volcán San Pedro
33.3 km
Volcán Tolimán
42.8 km
Xetulul
28.5 km
Pascual Abaj
44.8 km
Quetzaltenango Municipal Theatre
570 m
Chicabal
15.8 km
Chocolá
25.9 km
Estadio Mario Camposeco
960 m
Cerro Quiac
8.2 km
Holy Spirit Cathedral, Quetzaltenango
391 m
Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
2.8 km
Holy Cross Cathedral, Santa Cruz del Quiché
45.2 km
Chapel of the Conqueress of the Immaculate Conception
8.2 km
Minerva
2.2 km
Santa María Hydroelectric Dam
7.4 km
Avalancha
28.5 km
Pintado Santa Catarina Palopo
42.8 km
Takalik Abaj
31.8 km
House of Justo Rufino Barrios
32.8 km
Chocolá, Suchitepéquez, Iglesia Católica
25.6 km
Canton Las Ruinas de Gumarkaaj
43.7 km
Chichicastenango Market
45.2 km
Mariposario Reserva De Atitlan
38.8 kmReviews
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