Xetulul

Xetulul and Xocomil is an award winning complex of a theme park and water park, respectively, which also includes onsite hotels. They are all a part of a group of 5 recreation areas run by IRTRA . IRTRA was created in the 1960s to provide Guatemalan Government enployeees a low cost option for recreation and entertainment. However, it's open to everyone to take advantage of for a fee.

I had heard some great things about the park. I love the Disney parks so much so I was very anxious to try this version and I finally got to. Here is how it went.

Xetulul is a good 3 hours away from Antigua, Guatemala, where we live. It's a decent road by Gutemalan standards. A good bit of it is 4 lanes (ish) but you still have to watch for pot holes the size of Lake Erie.

We arrived at about 10:30am, paid our 20Q (Q or Quetzal is the local currency - see below for the breakdown and US$ comparison) for parking and were directed to our spot in front of Xocomil. The plan was to visit the Xetulul to ride the roller coaster first and then hit the water park (Xocomil) in the afternoon. So far so good.

My command of Spanish is at about the level of a 2 year old. But maybe not that good. I'm fairly good at faking it by smiling and nodding. I'm sure most people think I'm an absolute lunatic. Maybe they are right.

Entrace for everyday, non governmental folks taller then 1.4 meters, like myself, for each park is 100Q. However you can buy a ticket for both parks for 140Q. We chose this option. These 2 park tickets are good through the next day. However, printed on the back is the caveat that it does not include reentry. Not a problem really. We were in it just for the day and knew we couldn't get everything done.

We finally figured out where the entrance to Xetulul was. You can walk to the end of the Xocomil parking lot and catch a tram. Which is a great time (and leg) saver. We learned this AFTER we walked through the parking garage.

By the way, be sure to buy the tickets at the park you intend to start at. After much hand gesturing, very broken Spanish and Google translating we were told we had to enter Xocomil first. We could come back to Xetulul but not until later. You must exchange your ticket at the second park. So, we trudged back to the water park but took advantage of the tram.

This is a big park, the biggest water park in Guatemala. We spent about 3 hours here and didn't get to half of the slides. The plan is to go back and spend a full day at this park so I'll have another post when we do.

Back to Xetulul!

There is an obvious reference to Disneyland. After you walk through the gates you're greeted with a staute of the man who started IRTRA, Ricardo Castillo Sinibaldi, and a train station (see the first picture in this story). The train makes a trip around the park and it makes a couple of different stops.

There are lockers under the train station. You pay 30Q for the day (20 of which is returned once you give the key back). These are one size fits all but are pretty large. These are the only lockers in the park and if you choose to stow your stuff in them for later, be prepared for the hike back to them from the other side of the park. The park is not laid out in the Disney hub and spoke manner.

If you plan on riding the rides (not sure who wouldn't) you must purchase ride tickets. The ride tickets are 50Q for 12 tickets. There is an option for a bracelet which give you access to all the rides as many times as you can fit into your day. The bracelet is 50Q per peson.

Past the train station is a town square laid out in the typical Parque Central fashion you find in most Guatemalan towns. In fact, you'll see that the buildings are copies of real buildings throughout the country. Each is marked with where the original is located. It makes for a charming setting.

To the right is a family roller coaster and few other rides. What the above map doesn't show is the new Fantasy Land which is a cute area geared to the younger set.

There are also gift shops, drink/snack kiosks, quick serve restaurants and very clean restrooms in this area.

Head back to the main street area of the park and hang a right. You'll see (and you probably already saw it) a large replica of a Mayan Temple.

This signifies the beginning of what I can only describe as the world showcase. You'll find Italy, Spain, France and Germany pavillions here.

The big roller coaster, Avalancha, is located here. It has 8 inversions. We rode it in a slight drizzle which added to the "I'm going to die" feel.

There are some midway games as well. They cost 5Q a game. We had no luck in winning any prizes.

There are also bumper cars. Now before you roll your eyes at bumper cars, let me just say this. This is Central America. There is no extra safety equipment or regulators on these things. These are fast and crazy compared to the watered down versions we get in the United States. I didn't ride but I was reminded of Guatemala City traffic while watching.

Two Story Carousel.

And NO, I did not photshop out all the people. There were very few people there. It seems this is the norm for the theme park from all of the pictures I've seen. I can't say the same for the water park. It looks like it's always packed!

We had lunch in the Trattoria in the Italy pavillion. We were trying to figure out how and where to order and a Waiter came up to us and in perfect English, told to have a seat and he would be over to take our order. I was so relieved after the ticket fiasco. The food was good. I had a bottle of water and the Chicken Parmigiana with mashed potatoes and veg.

Here is a Breakdown of all of our expenses to give you an idea of the value for 2 people.

Parking - 20q ($2.63)

Entrance into both parks (good for 2 days if you can stretch it out) - 140q x 2 - 280q ($36.78)

Locker in Xocomil (all day price) - 15q ($1.97) + 20q ($2.63) deposit that gets returned so I'm not counting it in the total

Locker in Xetulul (all day) - 10q ($1.31) + 20q deposit

Unlimited ride bracelet - 50q x 2 - 100q ($13.13)

Lunch for 2 people with drinks and tips - 165q ($21.67)

16oz Bottle of water - 6q ($.79)

16oz bottle of Ice Tea - 9q ($1.18)

Midway games - 25q ($3.28)

Total? 630q ($82.75) A one day ticket to Disneyland (No parkhopper but unlimited rides and shows) for one adult is $99.

All in all we had a great day. Every one we encountered was friendly and helpful. Even if they didn't speak English. They were all patient enough to work through it with us. What a wonderful day!!

If you have any questions about Xetulul or need help planning your own trip, contact me here.

#photo #themepark #guatemala #latinamerica