Xetulul Theme Park facts for kids
| Previously known as Xetulul. | |
view of the Xetulul park in 2003
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| Location |  Retalhuleu Department,  Guatemala |
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| Opened | 29 June 2002 |
| Operated by | IRTRA. |
| Attendance | 1,000,000. |
Xetulul is a super fun theme park located in Guatemala. You can find it in the Retalhuleu Department, which is in the southwest part of the country. It opened its doors in 2002 and quickly became one of the biggest amusement parks in Latin America.
Xetulul is the third largest park in Latin America. Only Beto Carrero World in Brazil and Six Flags México are bigger. Xetulul is also connected to the nearby Xocomil waterpark, which opened in 1997. Together, these two parks welcome over one million visitors every year! This makes them the most popular tourist spots in Guatemala.
The parks are run by a special company called the Institute for the Recreation of Guatemalan Private Industry Workers, or IRTRA. IRTRA also manages other parks, hotels, and restaurants nearby.
Exciting Rides at Xetulul
Xetulul has three awesome roller coasters for you to enjoy. One of the biggest is Avalancha, a steel roller coaster with eight loops and twists! When it first opened, it was the largest roller coaster in Central America.
There's also Choconoy, which is a smaller roller coaster perfect for families. For younger kids, there's Ratón Feliz, a junior roller coaster built in 2014.
Besides roller coasters, Xetulul has the only double-decker carousel in all of Central America. Imagine riding on a carousel with two levels! You can also take a ride on the Transcostero train, which is a special narrow gauge train built by Severn Lamb.
A World of Amazing Buildings
Xetulul is not just about rides; it's also famous for its beautiful buildings. The park has amazing copies of famous landmarks from all over the world. You can see a replica of the Trevi Fountain from Italy, the Moulin Rouge from France, and even the Tikal Temple of the Great Jaguar from Guatemala.
The park is divided into seven different areas, called plazas. Each plaza shows off the architecture style from a different country. You can explore buildings inspired by France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. It's like traveling the world without leaving the park!
The name "Xetulul" comes from the Kʼicheʼ language. It means "under the sapotes," which are a type of fruit tree. There are plans to make Xetulul even bigger in the future, with a new golf course and a convention center.
