Antigua (Guatemala)

Introduction

GUATEMALA - Antigua - center

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Antigua is an amazing Spanish colonial city known for its well preserved Spanish Mudejar influenced Baroque style buildings, ruins and colonial churches. Due to the wealth of cultural importance the town was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1543, Antigua was the third capital of Guatemala and held the title for over 200 years. After a series of devastating earthquakes in the 1770s the Spanish Crown ordered the relocation of the capital, with a population of over 60,000 people, to a safer area. Although many people left some still remained even though today the population of the town is still under 35,000. Antigua is a great place to spend a few days exploring and learning about the early colonial history and culture of Guatemala.

Sights and Activities

Volcanos

Volcanos surrounding Antigua

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Looming on the horizon of Antigua is the ominous shadows of three volcanos. The largest is the Volcán de Agua, which is 3,760 (12,356 ft) metres high and is only 5 kilometres from town at its the closest point. Luckily this volcano has been inactive since the 16th century. This volcano also has been a protected area since 1956 making it a nice wilderness area.

To the west of the city are two other volcanic peaks collective known toegether as La Horqueta. The first mountain is Acatenango, which last erupted in 1972 and is 3,976 metres (13,045 ft) high. The Second is Volcán de Fuego, which is 3,763 metres (12,346 feet) high and is an active stratovolcano. This means that the volcano is constantly erupting at a low level with large eruption being extremely rare.

Religious Sights

View of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz

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• San Hermano Pedro Church
• La Merced Church
• Church and Convent of Capuchins
• Cathedral of San José
• Ruins of old San José
• Church School of Christ
• Church of San Francisco

Other Sights and Activities

• Old Weapons Museum
• The Santa Catalina Arch
• Museum of Santo Domingo
• Museum of the Old Book (El Libro Antiguo)
• The Jade Museum

Events and Festivals

Getting There

By Car

Driving is not generally recommended in Guatemala. The road network is not very well developed and roads are likely to be in less than perfect shape.

By Bus

You can find a mini bus to pretty much everywhere from Antigua. Whether you want to go to the airport, Guatemala City, Tikal, Lago Atitlan, Copan or to the Mexican border, there'll be one.
If you feel adventurous you could also try the chicken busses, the cheapest way to travel around the country. You might need to change bus several times along the way, stop every 5 minutes, share the space with a few too many people and various different animals, but it's certainly an experience.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

External Links