The beautiful city of Antigua is the perfect destination in Guatemala to get acquainted with the Guatemalan culture in a pleasantly busy and pleasant environment. Due to the beautiful old buildings and ruins, the city is even on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There is a very safe and nice feeling. It is busy, in addition to foreign tourists, the Guatemalans themselves also love a visit to the city. Surrounded by a number of enormous volcanoes, the city is located quite high. This means that this city has very pleasant temperatures. In addition to a nice atmosphere and beautiful surroundings, you can also enjoy delicious food.
What to do in and around Antigua
Strolling around the city
You can easily spend a few days wandering around the city. There is so much to see. From old colonial buildings to cathedrals and ruins.
Arco de Santa Catalina
This is the famous yellow arch of Antigua, which you see everywhere. Visit the arch at a quiet time, preferably as early as possible in the morning, if you want to take a nice photo without cars and other tourists in it.
Convento Santa Clara
This beautiful church and monastery with courtyard is the size of an entire city block. After several earthquakes and attempts to rebuild it, part of the building is still intact and part destroyed. Most of the monastery and the church are no longer the original as they were in 1715. Still, it is worth strolling through the building and the courtyard.
Ruinas de La Antigua Cathedral
Behind the cathedral on the central square lies the ruins of the former cathedral. Both parts are still connected, but the ruin was never fully rebuilt. After several earthquakes and attempts to rebuild the old cathedral, they decided to move the capital to Guatemala City and build everything there. The old ruins are still very beautiful and you can get a good idea of what it must have looked like. This is certainly one of the most impressive ruins in Antigua.
Visit the Cerro de La Cruz viewpoint
You can already see the viewpoint from the city. You can walk to the viewpoint from the bottom using the stairs. Within 10 minutes you will be at the top and enjoy the view of Antigua with the Agua volcano in the background. If you are lucky and it is not cloudy. For the best chance of nice and clear weather, go in the morning. If you don't want to walk, you can also have a tuk tuk or Uber take you to the parking lot.
Visit Hobbitenango
There are several mountain and volcano sites in the Antigua area that you can visit, including Hobbitenango. The name says it all: it is a location with places to sleep, restaurants and activities based on the Hobbit. The views from this location are beautiful. You can take nice photos in different places. You can also enjoy delicious food, drink coffee and play games there. The best activity is swinging in a harness with the beautiful views around you. The location feels fairytale-like and is certainly fun as a day trip.
Must do: Climb the Acatenango volcano
A literal and figurative highlight is climbing the Acatenango volcano. This is the most popular activity in the area. The climb takes two days, during which you sleep one night on the Acatenango volcano. It is about a 4.5 to 5 hour hike to base camp, from where you can view several volcanoes. The most special of these is the active Fuego volcano. This one erupts every 20 minutes! Sometimes eruptions bigger than others. This was one of the most special experiences we had during our entire trip.
Look for the tastiest restaurants and cafes
Antigua is also known for its delicious food. You can choose local cuisine, but also Italian cuisine or Vietnamese cuisine. There is something for everyone!
Tips for good restaurants in Guatemala
Some of our favorites are:
- La Pasta Nostra
- Patio de la Primera
- El Local
- Basil & Coffee
- Mi Vietnamese Kitchen
Here you'll find more restaurant tips for Antigua.
View all hotels here , that are available in Antigua.
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