About Antigua
La Antigua Guatemala was founded by the Spanish conquistadors in the Panchoy Valley in 1543,
it was then named Santiago de los Caballeros. For more than 200 years it was the capital of
Guatemala from where the governor of the Spanish colonies of Guatemala ruled over a large
part of Guatemala and Central America. In 1717 a big earthquake hit whereby most buildings
and churches were destroyed. Another big earthquake hit in 1773 and following this the Spanish
rulers decided to move the capital to where is now present day Guatemala City. The badly
damaged city of Santiago de los Caballeros was abandoned and was from then on known
as La Antigua Guatemala (the old Guatemala).
Present day Antigua has a lot to offer for tourists. It is very centrally located at only
45 minutes from the airport in Guatemala City and an excellent base from where you
can explore the rest of Guatemala. It is also famous for the number of excellent Spanish
schools and people from all over the world come to Antigua to learn Spanish. There
are a lot of interesting museums, churches and ruins you can visit (some of which I
mention below), but Antigua is also a town where you can spend time just wandering
the streets or taking a seat at a bench in Central Park with one of the excellent cups
of coffee sold in the many coffee shops around the park. Also there are a lot a restaurants
that offer any type of food (international and local) and a lot of nice bars to have a drink
at night.
Things to do
Azotea coffeefarm tour
Free shuttles leaving from central park and from Nimpot every hour.
Entrance fee for tour coffeefarm (including music museum) 50 Quetzales.
Valhalla Organic Macadamia Orchard
Free tour of the organic macadamia orchard.
Monday thru Sunday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm.
www.exvalhalla.net
Pacaya Active volcano tour
Every day 6 am / 2 pm
65 Quetzales for the tour (shuttle and guide) and 50 Quetzales entrance fee.
You can book these tickets at the hostels.
Climb up the hill to Cerro de la Cruz:
Look out point with beautiful views of Antigua.
The tourist police will take you for free.
Free shuttles leaving from central park and from Nimpot every hour.
Entrance fee for tour coffeefarm (including music museum) 50 Quetzales.
Valhalla Organic Macadamia Orchard
Free tour of the organic macadamia orchard.
Monday thru Sunday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm.
www.exvalhalla.net
Pacaya Active volcano tour
Every day 6 am / 2 pm
65 Quetzales for the tour (shuttle and guide) and 50 Quetzales entrance fee.
You can book these tickets at the hostels.
Climb up the hill to Cerro de la Cruz:
Look out point with beautiful views of Antigua.
The tourist police will take you for free.
Museums and churches
Museum of Hermano Pedro (located next to the San Francisco Church).
This museum is dedicated to the life of Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancourt (1626-1667).
Hermano Pedro came to La Antigua Guatemala from Spain (Canary Islands). He devoted his life in Antigua to the help
of the sick and the poor. In the museum you will find a lot of information about his life and you can visit
his tomb in the San Francisco Church. (Entrance fee for the museum is 5 Quetzales p.p.)
Santiago Old Weapons Museum (located at the north side of the central park).
In this museum you can see the weapons the Spaniards and indigenous people used during the conquest.
La Merced church and convent.
Just a block north of the Arco de Santa Catalina, La Merced has a beautiful yellow
and white terra cotta baroque facade. The church and convent have been build and rebuild
many times because of earthquake damage. The main part of the church has been restored and is
still in use today. Within the monastery area is a huge fountain, reputed to be the largest in
Central America. (Entrance fee for the monastery is 5 Quetzales p.p.).
More information on museums will follow.....
This museum is dedicated to the life of Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancourt (1626-1667).
Hermano Pedro came to La Antigua Guatemala from Spain (Canary Islands). He devoted his life in Antigua to the help
of the sick and the poor. In the museum you will find a lot of information about his life and you can visit
his tomb in the San Francisco Church. (Entrance fee for the museum is 5 Quetzales p.p.)
Santiago Old Weapons Museum (located at the north side of the central park).
In this museum you can see the weapons the Spaniards and indigenous people used during the conquest.
La Merced church and convent.
Just a block north of the Arco de Santa Catalina, La Merced has a beautiful yellow
and white terra cotta baroque facade. The church and convent have been build and rebuild
many times because of earthquake damage. The main part of the church has been restored and is
still in use today. Within the monastery area is a huge fountain, reputed to be the largest in
Central America. (Entrance fee for the monastery is 5 Quetzales p.p.).
More information on museums will follow.....
Where to eat
Content to follow