Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Altiplano's Tour Operator
( 7766-9614;
www.altiplanos.com.gt
;
12a Av 3-35, Zona 1)
Besides hikes and
tours, they offer luggage storage, bike rentals and hotel bookings.
Ícaro Tours
(
7761-4342;
www.icarotours.com
; 6a Calle 14-55, Zona 1)
4505-2470;
www.turismodeoccidente.com
;
7a Calle 15-41)
Reliable private
Turismo de Occidente
(
shuttle service.
WEBSITES
Lonely Planet
(
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/guatemala/western-highlands/quetzaltenango-xela
)
Planning advice,
author recommendations, traveler reviews and insider tips.
Xela Pages
(
www.xelapages.com
)
Packed with information about Xela and nearby attractions,
with a useful discussion forum.
Getting There & Away
BUS
All 2nd-class buses depart from
Terminal Minerva
(7a Calle, Zona 3)
, a dusty, crowded yard in
the west of town, unless otherwise noted.
Leaving or entering town, some buses make a
stop
east of the center at the Rotonda, a
traffic circle on Calz Independencia, marked by the
Monumento a la Marimba
. Getting off
here when you're coming into Xela saves the 10 to 15 minutes it will take your bus to
cross town to Terminal Minerva.
Almolonga
(Q3, 40 minutes, every 15 minutes, 6am to 10pm) Departing from the Shell
station at the corner of 9a Av and 10a Calle, southeast of the central market.
Antigua
Take any bus bound for Guatemala City via the Interamericana and change at
Chimaltenango.
Chichicastenango
(Q25, 2½ hours, every half hour from 5am to 4pm) Or take a bus
heading to Guatemala City and change at Los Encuentros.
Ciudad Tecún Umán (Mexican border)
(Q40, three hours, every 15 minutes until 2pm)
El Carmen/Talismán (Mexican border)
Take a bus to San Marcos (Q10, two hours,
every 30 minutes), then catch another to Malacatán (Q15, two hours) where you can find a
collective taxi (Q5) or microbus to El Carmen (Q4).
Guatemala City
(Q40, four hours, every 15 minutes from 6am to 4pm) First-class com-
panies operating between Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City have their own terminals:
Linea Dorada
(
7767-5198;
www.lineadorada.inf
o; 12 Av & 5 Calle)
Deluxe buses (Q70) at 3:30am
