ANTIGUA

Antigua is arguably the most well-known and popular city in Guatemala. Its cobbled stoned streets with colorful colonial buildings makes this place a must see destination in the country. There’s also tons of activities around the area to explore, with two very active volcanoes nearby. Here you can walk the streets shopping for trinkets and souvenirs and indulge in some great local cuisine. Just the vibe in this town makes you want to see more and more.

We stayed here a total of 3 days and 2 nights. We spent our time exploring the town, window shopping, cooking local cuisine, and hiked to the base of an active volcano where we got to roast marshmallows. This is a city you can’t miss!

Getting Here

There is no airport but it is very close to Guatemala City, about a couple hours drive. The best way is to rent a car, taxi, or shuttle service. We came from Lake Atitlan which took a decent amount of time, especially with traffic getting into the city. Just remember to be patient with logistics in this country. If you can get here as early in the day as possible to beat the afternoon traffic.

  • Shared shuttle from Lake Atitlan to Antigua: 80 Quetzal ($10 USD)

Location

The city is quite small and everything is within easy walking distance so there isn’t too much research needed beforehand in Antigua. As long as you stay in the main city block area, everything is easily manageable.

Accommodation: Casa Naranjo

This adorable bed and breakfast was centrally located in Antigua. Just steps outside of it is everything you need from a pharmacy, bank, travel agency, and plenty of restaurants and bars. The rooms are quaint and comfortable and the staff are very helpful and friendly. There is also breakfast included every morning of your stay.

  • Cost per night: $40

Activities

Hike Volcano Pacaya

Acatanengo Volcano is the more popular volcano to hike but I was so sore from our hike up San Pedro I opted for the easier volcano to hike, which turned out to be pretty sweet. The hike up was not nearly as strenuous as some others out there but it offers pretty nice views of Acatanengo in the distance. You get guided to the base of the volcano where you can see hot lava streams coming down from the top. At the base there are exposed red lava rocks where you can roast marshmallows. A pretty surreal thing to experience and you’ll probably never be able to get that close to a volcano in your life. Plus, when can you say you have roasted marshmallows on a volcano?

We booked through Big Foot Hostel but I am sure there are other local travel companies in the city you can book through as well. The tour goes from about 7am-2pm.

Take a Cooking Class

At the chocolate museum they offer cooking classes, which gives you a hands on experience in cooking local and authentic Guatemalan dishes. We lucked out and had a private class since it was just us two. We made 3 different dishes and even had unlimited beers and local liquors included for the duration of our class. Let’s just say we were stuffed and happy.

Explore the City

I felt like I could never get sick of walking around this city. The cobbled stoned streets and colorful buildings just made this city very inviting. There are tons of  markets, shops, churches, and squares to see. There is also a viewpoint just outside of the city which gives a panoramic view of the city and another massive volcano as your backdrop. You can easily spend a full day just exploring.

Food & Dining

Pappy’s BBQ

We actually just stumbled upon this place since we were desperate to find shelter from a passing rain storm. It was the first place we saw and couldn’t help but check it out. I loved their take on Texas culture and BBQ and have to give them credit for that. It obviously doesn’t beat Texan BBQ but the vibe and selection of meats aren’t too shabby.

Cactus Shop

This place was actually next door to Pappy’s and offers awesome street tacos. They had an amazing selection to choose from and also had some killer cocktails. The art inside is also very eclectic and the overall ambiance was the icing on the cake.