Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, Antigua was the capital of Guatemala. After a devastating earthquake in 1773, the government decided to move the capital to Guatemala City. Since then, UNESCO designated Antigua as a World Heritage Site and must preserve its colonial features. Not only does it have colonial charm, but Antigua is even more picturesque with three volcanoes (Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego) surrounding the town. To explore the town, I highly recommend checking out the following sights (sites??) of Antigua. You can combine these sights/sites into a walking tour or visit them separately during your days.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars, had a great time, but might not need to do it again
- Intensity: Casual clothes
- Location: All around town
- Cost: Free for most, but there is a small cost to enter the Cathedral
- Restrooms: None
- Timing: 2 – 5 hours, depending on how long you spend at each location
Highlights:
- Learn about this historical city and its colonial roots
- Visit iconic sites in the city
- Take in the view of the surrounding volcanoes
- Explore the city at your own pace
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Antigua Guatemala Cathedral
My favorite “sight/site of Antigua” is the Antigua Guatemala Cathedral which is also known as Catedral de San José. This Cathedral was built around 1571 and has suffered many earthquakes. Being in an earthquake-prone region, most of the interior decoration has been moved to Guatemala City. Though the church is partially reconstructed, the domes above remain empty. There is a small fee to enter, which is worth it to explore the ruins. Do not expect much more than the ruins themselves. I found the ruins and unexpected skylights to be absolutely gorgeous. The structure itself is truly impressive and even more mind-blowing is know that it is nearly 500 years old.
The open domes, with their perfectly circular openings, reminded me so much of the work of James Turell with his skyspaces work, which usually feature a circular opening to the sky. The scale of the place with empty domes makes for a unique opportunity for interesting photos Not a great place to shelter during the afternoon thunderstorms in summer, it would be an excellent place to watch the clouds float by. Perhaps not for everyone, I loved visiting this cathedral.
Arco de Santa Catalina
You cannot research Antigua without seeing a million photos of the Santa Catalina Arch. This iconic yellow archway with clocktower is not only beautiful, but it is also functional. Built in the 17th century, it connected the Santa Catalina convent to the school allowing the cloistered nuns to get from one to the other without going on the street. Now it marks the heart of the city with a working clock. This is a VERY popular place to visit in the city as well as a normal street with vendors and cars. If you are looking to get a few pictures alone, plan to get to the arch extra early.
Behind Arco de Santa Catalina you will see a massive volcano – Volcan de Agua. This volcano makes for a dramatic backdrop of the arch. Volcan de Aguas is a dormant volcano known for once having water pooled in the top of its cone. Agua Volcano is visible throughout the city as well as prominently featured in both my photos from the Pacaya volcano hike as well as my Acatenango overnight.
Iglesia de la Merced
If you are already at the Arco de Santa Catalina, you may as well make your way over to a historic church that is still in use: Iglesia de la Merced. This church, which was in the middle of mass when we visited, is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Built in the 18th century with earthquakes in mind, it offers thicker walls, lower ceilings than previous churches, and baroque exterior to match the city. The exterior is a light yellow with white stucco work. The designs are of Moorish influence, which is a delight to look at even today. Though it has survived earthquakes, not all of its sculptures have survived vandalism. When we visited a few of the sculptures were missing their heads. Very sad.
Depending on the time you go, it is nice to try to get the entire exterior in one vertical shot. Alternatively, you can take a few detail shots of the yellow and white stucco. Lovely no matter how you slice it.
Cerro de La Cruz Viewpoint
And if you’re already in this part of town and have plenty of energy left, I highly recommend heading over 1a Avenida Norte and climbing the steps to Cerro De La Cruz. It will take you about 30-minutes to climb, but the view of the city is well worth the effort. When you climb uphill on 1a Avenida Norte there will be an obvious wide cement staircase. Take these unmarked stairs all the way up. If you’re like me and coming from sea level, you may feel the elevation hit you on the stairs. Luckily they are a long, slowly sloping stairs. Don’t bother with any of the shortcuts as these stairs will lead you straight to the top.
At the top, you will see all of Antigua laid before you with the imposing Agua Volcano in the background. From this vantage point, you can start to point out all the places you’ve gone to already. Get a few photos sitting on the railing at the bottom and looking out at the view. Also, be sure to get a few photos with the stone cross. This cross was erected in 1930 first in wood, then later concrete and dedicated to the city’s patron saint.
Artisan Market
Even if you are not that into shopping, you should take a look at the handcrafted goods offered by street vendors and artisan markets. We visited the Mercado de Artisans El Carmen, which is next to the beautiful El Carmen church. This is a series of vendor booths inside and outside a building. Each vendor will expect you to negotiate down the price a bit.
Part of me feels like I am in a position of privilege and should pay the original asking price, but the other part recognizes that I should not pay more than the person after me. My technique includes asking for the price, then suggesting a new price that is lower, then accepting their lower offer (unless it is still too high). Be sure to ask for a lower price when bundling items! You don’t have to feel obligated to do a ton of back and forth. Keep things friendly and know that you can always walk away.
However, if the idea of haggling stresses you out, check out the souvenir shops like Centro de Textiles Tradicionales Nim Pot (Nim Pot for short). Nim Pot has prices listed on each item and a huge selection of gifts – not just textiles. You take all of your items to a single check out. Although you will pay a little more since there is no opportunity for negotiation, I loved this method of shopping. Not that I mind negotiating, I just prefer to take my time and returning to different items again and again until I make a decision.
ChocoMuseo Chocolate Class
If you’ve never taken a class on making chocolate, this is a perfect opportunity because the cocoa plant is native to Guatemala! We did the bean-to-bar workshop at the Antigua ChocoMuseo and had a fantastic time making a chocolate bar and various chocolate drinks. I wrote an entire post on the experience – check it out here!
De La Gente Coffee Plantation Tour
No matter how many coffee tours I’ve gone on, I am always up to learn how a new place grows their coffee. Guatemala is a top producer of coffee beans, so it was fun to go straight to the source of so many single-origin brands I recognize. We did the De La Gente Coffee Plantation Tour and had a phenomenal time chatting with one of the farmers that produces coffee from the seed. I also wrote an entire blog post on our coffee plantation tour – check it out here!
Overall Thoughts: Sights of Antigua
I must say, Antigua charmed my socks off. Although I saw plenty of photos, I didn’t expect to have such a great experience at every single of the places we visited on this list. In terms of timing, I recommend staying at least three nights to explore Antigua. With three nights, you will have at least two full days to pop around the city and perhaps even take a volcano hike. With volcanos being a natural feature to this area, I highly recommend doing at least one hike to a volcano. The Pacaya volcano hike featured lava and roasting marshmallows at sunset. The Acatenango volcano hike was an overnight adventure hiking up to 13,000ft and near the ever-erupting Fuego Volcano. For more information, check out the links to my volcano hikes below.
Volcano Hikes:
Which item on this list is your favorite activity?? Or have you gone to Antigua, Guatemala, and experienced them for yourself? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you.
Happy Travels,
Hanna
