Xetulul is a theme park in the Retalhuleu Department of southwestern Guatemala, operated by IRTRA, the Institute for the Recreation of Guatemalan Private Industry Workers. It opened on June 29, 2002, and quickly became one of Central America’s most visited attractions, drawing on IRTRA’s long history of running recreational facilities for the country’s workers and their families.
The park is best known for its unusual layout: nine themed plazas recreate architecture from Guatemala and several European countries, giving visitors scaled versions of landmarks like the Trevi Fountain, the Moulin Rouge, and Tikal’s Temple of the Great Jaguar within a single park. Paired with the neighboring Xocomil water park, which opened in 1997, the two IRTRA properties together draw over one million visitors annually and are widely considered the most popular tourist attraction in Guatemala.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Retalhuleu Department, Guatemala
- Operator: IRTRA
- Opened: June 29, 2002
- Regional Rank: Third-largest amusement park in Latin America
- Annual Visitors: Over 1 million (with sister park Xocomil)
- Themed Areas: Nine plazas, including Chapina, Maya, España, Italia, Francia, and Alemania-Suiza
- Signature Attraction: Avalancha, an 8-inversion Intamin coaster
A Park Built Around the World
Rather than organizing itself around a single theme, Xetulul is arranged into nine plazas, including Plaza Chapina, Pueblo Guatemalteco, Plaza Maya, Plaza España, Plaza Italia, Plaza Francia, Plaza Alemania-Suiza, Pueblo Caribeño, and Pueblo Fantasía, each recreating the architecture and cuisine of a different country or region. Guests can walk from a scaled Trevi Fountain to a Moulin Rouge facade and on to a replica of Tikal’s Temple of the Great Jaguar, all within the same afternoon. The park also houses a double-decker carousel, said to be the only one of its kind in Central America, and the Transcostero, a narrow-gauge train that carries riders around the grounds.
That international, landmark-driven layout is part of what sets Xetulul apart from typical regional parks and helped it grow into the third-largest amusement park in Latin America, trailing only Beto Carrero World in Brazil and Six Flags México.
Thrill Rides at Xetulul
The park’s headline ride is Avalancha, an Intamin steel coaster with eight inversions, including a loop, a cobra roll, a double corkscrew, and a triple heartline roll, reaching speeds of about 54.7 mph. It is one of a small number of coasters worldwide with eight or more inversions and was Latin America’s largest coaster when it opened. Xetulul also offers smaller family coasters, giving the park a ride lineup that spans from mild to genuinely intense within the same grounds.
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Xetulul FAQs
Where is Xetulul located?
Xetulul is located in the Retalhuleu Department in southwestern Guatemala.
When did Xetulul open?
Xetulul opened on June 29, 2002, operated by IRTRA.
How many themed plazas does Xetulul have?
Xetulul is organized into nine themed plazas, including Chapina, Pueblo Guatemalteco, Maya, España, Italia, Francia, Alemania-Suiza, Pueblo Caribeño, and Pueblo Fantasía.
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Photo: Rene T Hernandez Orento / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.