central plaza

Like many towns in Central America, there is a central park where all the main buildings are. The cathedral, city hall, museum all face this lovely park. They have a monument and fountains with lots of benches to sit on. Many people sell food around this square.

The vendors were so friendly. People watching was the best activity for me. There were also so many dogs.

Beautiful little square. Well landscaped park surrounded by interesting buildings and a good crowd. Eateries nearby and lots of ATM's. There's even a MacDonalds. Oh Boy!A few souvenir vendors but no hassles. Very European buzz to the whole scene. A must see if you're in town.

Families, fireworks, food and a wonderful time. Xela is the best! The people in this city are the most friendly.

Walk around and you will find Xelas history in each monument and buildings, typical spanish layout with cathedral, theater, finance and government buildings surround the park.

Not really much to see here. People drive like maniacs around the square. We were nearly killed by cars twice. No one respects the cross walks.

Xela is not a popular tourist site with a lively night life. In fact it's dirty and the streets are very dark and little frequented at night. Perhaps with time one might find its charm.

It's a nice plaza to wonder around. The surrounding buildings are lovely. On Sunday's its much less busy.

I'm not one for people watching, but if you are, definitely stop here or read a book. A few people selling things might come around as well as a few drunks or whatever, and if your a younger traveler some people might come and talk to you.

Good place to people watch. Plenty of local activity. Enjoyed watching young people and senior citizens socializing there.

Nothing really special. Surrounded by many cars with lots of exhaust fumes. Not much takes place here unless you like to people watch.

I was pleased to visit this area with friends (who live in Xela). I felt much safer here than I have in other areas of Guatemala. The area also seemed cleaner than most areas.

As a fan of colonial architecture, I was a bit disappointed in Xela's Centro Historico. The square is lively as the day wears on, and it is a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon with a good book. A half hour walk fron central plaze, the Templo La Transfiguracion is about halfway up the hillside and provides a panoramic view the city and away to the surrounding mountains.The are several others viewing points higher up, but a taxi is advisable for reaching them unless you want a significant uphill hike.

If you can successfully cross over the street to reach the Parc Central you're in for a treat. It is a crazy beat up run down town square. A good place to watch people and buy a souvenir. An eclectic mix of different styles of monument and landscape architecture, somewhat in ruins like most of Guatemala.An added bonus: If diesel fumes make you nostalgic for Paris or Rome, you're in for a treat! The fumes in downtown Xela are even better!I loved the circa 1900 cathedral. It is really an exquisite example of Colonial revival architecture. Very delicate stone work, colorful art, good statuary and one of the most beautiful tile floors I have seen in Guatemala.

Where do I begin? This central plaza has all of the requisite buildings that one expects of a central plaza, PLUS. There is a cathedral which was torn down, except for the facade and bell tower and replace by a newer more modern one. I personally would have preferred the old one. There is a municipal "palace" with a beautiful garden atrium. There is a museum with one floor of archaeological effects. There is a 1900's building which reminded me of a train station in Paris because of the arched glass roof and the wrought iron. There are Greek columns, Egyptian columns, a gazebo and a fountain. There is plenty of seating for people watching while drinking a nice cup of Guatemalan coffee from "& cafe" or eating an ice cream from "Pops". What more could one ask of a central plaza. There is also a schedule of entertainment from marimba bands to other local bands.For the more mundane needs of life, there are ATMs located here as are many restaurants serving everything from typical foods to Tex-Mex and everything in between.