Guatemala Guide
The western highlands
14 Avenida
Away from the plaza the city spreads out, a mixture of the old and new. The commercial heart is 14 Avenida, complete with pizza restaurants and neon signs. At the top of 14 Avenida, at its junction with 1 Calle, stands the restored Teatro Municipal, another spectacular Neoclassical edifice. The plaza in front of the theatre is dotted with busts of local artists, including Osmundo Arriola (1886–1958), Guatemala's first poet laureate, and Jesús Castillo, "the re-creator of Maya music" – another bid to assert Quetzaltenango's cultural superiority. On clear days, there's a spectacular perspective of the Volcán Santa María from the steps of the plaza.