Antigua (Guatemala)
Travel Guide > Central America > Guatemala > Antigua
In this Article
- Introduction
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
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
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
- 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, Guate City, Tikal, 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.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candelaria Antigua Hotel | Avenida Dolores del Cerro No. 5 Antigua Guatemala | Hotel | - |
| Casa Bellona | Calle Coyolar 11 Between Calle de los Pasos and the end of 2a Aveni | Guesthouse | 90 |
| Casa de los Joles | San Pedro el Alto19N 1A, San Pedro las Huertas. | Guesthouse | - |
| El Hostal | 1ra. Avenida Sur No. 8 | Hostel | 85 |
| El Montañes | Calle del Hermano Pedro No. 19-B | Hostel | 88 |
| El Palacio de Dona Beatriz | Las Gravileas Calle de los Duelos | Hotel | 90 |
| Hostel 5 | 4 Ave North # 33 | Hostel | 87 |
| Hotel Casa Noble | 2 Avenida Sur (Calle de Santa Clara) | Hotel | - |
| Hotel Casa Rustica | 6th Ave Norte #8 | Hotel | 93 |
| Jungle Party Hostal | 6a Avenida Norte #20, Entre 3a y 2a calle Poniente | Hostel | 82 |
| Los Encuentros Hotel | 7a Av. North | Hotel | 81 |
| Posada Don Quijote | 1ra. Calle Poniente Antigua Guatemala | Guesthouse | 27 |
| Posada Don Valentino | 5th Calle poniente | Hotel | 77 |
| The Black Cat Inn | 9a Calle Oriente, 5 | Hostel | 78 |
| Un Paseo por la Antigua | Calle de los Duelos Las Gravileas 7 & 8 | Hotel | - |
Mid-Range
Upscale
This is version 5. Last edited at 20:39 on May 19, 09 by Utrecht (+1244). 3 articles link to this page.
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