Antigua - last stop in Guatemala

Time really flies by when you are keeping yourself busy. My last destination was Antigua, which is llike an hour drive from the capital.

Antigua is like the showpiece of Guatemala for international tourism.
It boasts tons of spanish schools and more than 40 churches.




map - it is super easy to walk around in Antigua




La Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or La Antigua) is a city in
central highlands of Guatemala and famous for its well-preserved spanish architecture as well as number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches.. It used to be the headquater for the spanish conqueres and it had been the capital for a long time. After being seriously destroyed by volcano erruptions, the capital was eventually moved to Guatemal city. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This is a city, that you must have seen when traveling in Guatemala.

I spent 5 days there and had a fabolous time. I came across many other backpackers, joined a volcano hike and took it generally easy. There are tons of outdoor activies available!!!

Pacaya Volcano

Antigua is a city surrounded by volcanoes and Pacaya is one of the most famous and the most active in the country. Walking to this volcano is one of best tours that you can do if you are in Antigua. You must walk 3 Km through a very difficult path amongst lava rocks (until 200m) which are absolutely wonderful but they are also very dangerous. The hike lasts between 2 and 3 hours and it finish when it reaches a point with great views over the valley and the volcanic crater. The view is incredible and if you are lucky you will see lava coming down from the Volcano. Usually you should pay between $7 and $10, if you want to do this trip. Some travel agencies in Antigua offer this trip at night, the experience is absolutely amazing.

on the top of the volcano










breathtaking sunset



Cerro de la Cruz

It is in the North of the city. It offers beautiful views of Antigua and Agua Volcano

Plaza del Apostel - Santiago









Parque Central - meeting point

It is the gathering place for Guatemalans and the place where tourists begin to discover Antigua. The square has a famous fountain, known as “The Mermaids Fountain”, built in 1738. The square keeps its setting with colonial buildings, such as Catedral de Santiago, Palacio de los Capitanes, Palacio del Ayuntamiento, Portal del Comercio and Portal de las Panaderas. It is usual to find local people offering tourists handicrafts.