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Quetzaltenango

Guatemala

We are frequently asked about the differences concerning studying Spanish in Antigua and Quetzaltenango. We believe that this depends on the interests of the student. If the student is looking for a tourist experience, we recommend Antigua because it is the most touristed city in the country. If the student is looking for language and cultural immersion, Quetzaltenango is the better alternative because there are not as many tourists.

So that the student has a better perspective about the differences between the two cities, below are some comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages of studying in one city over the other.

There is a good comparison of studies in Antigua vs. Quetzaltenango by an ex-student of Casa Xelaju and a school in Antigua. Please check it out at: GoNomad.com.

Antigua		Quetzaltenango (the City)
Population	55,000	145,000
Number of Tourists	6,000-10,000	500-1800
Instruction	one on one	one on one
Teachers’ credentials	High School diploma	university accredited
Number of Students per family	3 - 10	1
Restaurants	more non-Guatemalan restaurants	a wide variety
Nightlife	night clubs, bars, movie theaters	local bars, cafes, movie theaters
Culture influence	Spanish influence in structures and lifestyle	strong indigenous presence, close to villages
Day trips	few nearby towns to travel to in one day	many great day trips available in nearby towns
Volcanoes	very dangerous to climb, robberies	not risky to hike if with guide
Distance to Capital	75 minutes in bus/ no flights	4 hours in bus/ 30 minutes in airplane
Weather	warm and humid days, cool nights	spring time weather, warm days, cool nights and no mosquitoes
Homestay	6 days (Sunday meals not included)	7 days
Daily cultural activities	not located near local markets, few cultural activities	ecological and cultural activities abound, access to various local markets
Volunteer opportunities	very few	more opportunities to work with local projects
Location	little access to highland and coastal cities	direct access to most highland and coastal cities
Political climate	conservative	progressive
Universities	0	6