In the south-west of Guatemala, near the city of Quetzaltenango, or as the locals call it Xela, there are no tourist destinations with a big name. There is hardly a dozen of them in the whole country. However, this fact does not prevent thousands of tourists from all over the world from visiting Guatemalan cities and villages annually. The surroundings of Quetzaltenango also attract curious travelers every day. In addition to the numerous small Indian villages that literally dot the land around the city, there are several hot springs surrounded by picturesque landscapes at the foot of volcanoes.

The natural thermal springs of Fuentes Georginas are not only one of the most visited tourist sites but also a favorite vacation destination for the Guatemalans themselves. Geysers were first discovered by the hired help in 1902. They turned this beautiful creation of nature into public baths and named them Las Aguas Quetzaltecas, which means Quetzaltec waters (after one of the volcanoes). They were later renamed Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs in honor of the wife of Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico y Castañeda. According to other sources, the President named them after himself, since Georgina is one of Jorge's derived names.

As a result of the severe Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and later Hurricane Sten in 2005 and Agatha Storm in 2010, the cascade pools were almost destroyed. They were restored by the Guatemalan environmental organization only recently.

Today, Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs, heated by the Zunil volcano, serves as the entrance to the national nature reserve (a dense tropical bamboo forest with an active volcano). In total, there are 7 pools: five at the top of the mountain, and two at its foot. All pools are under state protection.