Guatemala is a magical place. It has everything you’re looking for in Central America; Maya ruins, gorgeous colonial villages, volcanoes, mountains, peaceful lakes, colorful markets and dense jungle. One of the most fascinating colonial villages of Guatemala is Antigua.
Facts
- Capital: Guatemala City
- Language: Spanish
- Currency: Guatemalan Quetzal (1 € ≅ 8.3 GTQ)
- Population: 16.7 million
- Size: 108.889 km² (2.5 times Holland)
- Daylight saving time: No
- Visas: Not required for most nationalities
- Best time to visit: Nov – April (dry season)
- Visited: 2016 (part of Central America trip)
Antigua
I took a minibus from Honduras to the gorgeous town of Antigua. Everybody who’s heading for Antigua will pass through the capital of Guatemala on their way in and on their way out of Antigua. And ‘passing’ through Guatemala City is not just ‘passing’ through, it can easily take up to a few hours. Guatemala City equals traffic jam madness.
Welcome to Antigua, Guatemala!
Left: Volcanoes around every corner – Right: Cathedral of San José
I arrived late in the evening in Antigua and went directly to my hotel. My hotel, El Viejo Danes, has a central location and free breakfast! First things first, Antigua is not the safest place after dark, so try to avoid walking alone at night. I heard some horrific stories of tourists who were beaten up and robbed. The same counts for the nearby hill which gives fine views over Antigua; you can hook up with the tourist police to escort you up the hill. But besides all this, I had no problems what so ever and met some of the friendliest people here!
I love these colorful chicken buses!
Antigua is all about stunning architecture and majestic volcanoes.
It’s a pleasure to walk around the streets of Antigua, every corner reveals stunning views on the nearby volcanoes. And the combination of gorgeous architecture, cobbled streets, horse carriages, churches, colorful houses and old timers is just magnificent.
Cathedral of San José.
A lovely sunny day in Antigua.
Antigua can feel a bit touristy, but that’s mainly because of the presence of all the big American fast food chains, i.e. Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, etc. But once you get off the main square and mingle through the back alleys you will feel directly the pleasant charm of Antigua.
The iconic yellow colored arch of Antigua.
Street scene of Antigua with a towering volcano in the background.
The centerpiece of Antigua is the yellow colored arch with the clock and a volcano in the back which you will see on every postcard from Antigua. There are some pretty good restaurants around this arch!
Can’t get enough of these volcanoes!
The iconic yellow colored Santa Catalina Arch in Antigua.
If you are feeling energetic you can consider climbing one of the nearby volcanoes! There are numerous agencies who can offer you such trips. I didn’t climb any of them as I was planning to climb a few volcanoes in Nicaragua a week later.
Majestic buildings around Antigua’s main square.
Such a great view.
Another popular thing to do in Antigua is to take a Spanish-language course which can last from a few weeks till a few months. I went to a Spanish-language school 5 years ago in Buenos Aires and I loved every minute of it. It’s a great way to learn a new language and I can really recommend to spend a few weeks at such a school if you’re planning a long trip in Central or South America. I’m still in contact with my class mates and teacher from back in the days in Argentina!
Plenty of colorful houses to be found in Antigua.
Church ruins.
The main square is surrounded with stunning architecture and handicraft stalls. At night there are numerous music bands who will entertain you.
La Merced church and monastery.
Baroque building around Antigua’s main square.
You can’t miss the many chicken buses that roam the streets of Antigua and beyond. Chicken buses are colorful, modified and decorated retired North American school buses. They call it a chicken bus, because you literally sit as a chicken in those buses. They will fill up the bus until there’s no space to sit, stand or hang anymore, which can get quite uncomfortable with the steaming Central American heat!
Heaps of colorful chicken buses!
The best way to enjoy Antigua is to take it slow and take your time to eat, drink and wander around the town. After spending a few days in this gorgeous town it was time to move on, time for El Salvador!
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