Info on Antigua, Guatemala

Hello victorlglass,

In order to maximise the visibility of your post, a new thread has been created on the Guatemala forum

Cheers

Mishna

For a full immersion I would advise you to study Spanish in Quetzaltenango, the second city of Guatemala. There are less tourists here and the locals almost don't speak any English. Most tourists who do come to Quetzaltenango want to learn Spanish and/or volunteer and a lot of them only want to speak Spanish, even with foreigners.

Canche - thank you very much for your suggestion. We now plan a month's immersion in Quetzaltenango during November. I think we'll go to the Pop Wuj Spanish School. I'm hesitant about staying with a local family but think I will - I need a lot of private space but will give it a go since it'll probably enhance my learning. Again, thanks for your suggestion!

Uh oh, got a question about crime in Xela. We plan to go there for spanish immersion, as I stated in previous post. But my wife read the US Department of State information about crime in Guatamala and freaked out. Yes I know one must be prudent and careful when traveling in foreign contries and use one's brain.

I'd appreciate any comments, information, and advice about the extent of crime in Xela specifically affecting tourists there to learn Spanish. Thanks in advance for your help.