In the last four years, and since starting our blog, we have traveled extensively in Mexico and South America. However, since the end of the pandemic, we have left the U.S. for short two-week trips rather than spending months traveling between countries. And, we totally skipped Central America. Until now.

Our last adventure (almost a year ago) was to Puebla, Mexico. Since the end of 2022, we have had several setbacks that prevented us from traveling. Kathy’s mother died and Marc was diagnosed with bladder cancer and successfully completed treatment. But now, ojala’, our travels will continue. We are still never too late for adventure.

Our first adventure in Central America takes place in Guatemala. We would like to be able to say that our flights to Guatemala were uneventful, but that was not the case. After long delays in Tampa and Houston, it was well past 1 am when we finally arrived at our hotel near the Guatemala City airport. Early the next morning, we caught a shuttle for a 2 ½ drive to our destination, Antigua.

What Comes First

We usually fall into a specific sequence of activities when we first arrive at our destination. After settling in at our apartment, we head off to buy a SIM card so that we can make phone calls, text, and use google maps. Then we go to the supermarket to buy food for a few days. The next morning, we join a walking tour of the historic district. Typically, we meet a guide at the central plaza and he or she points out the must-see sights, museums, and restaurants. Now that we have our bearings of the town, we can start planning the next few days’ activities and adventures.

A Little Bit of History

The word Guatemala comes from the word Quauhtemalan (“place of many trees”) and is of Nahuatl origin. Antigua was originally called Santiago de los Caballeros (Knights) de Guatemala, and it was the country’s first capital founded in 1524. For more than two and a half centuries, Antigua was one of the most important political, economic, religious, educational, and cultural centers of the continent. It encompassed most of Central America and southern Mexico.

However, a volcano in 1541 destroyed most of the city. The city was reestablished a year later and lasted for more than two centuries until disaster struck again when in 1771 another earthquake destroyed the city. The government moved the capital away from the volcanoes to Guatemala City and began to refer to the deserted town as Antigua Guatemala (old Guatemala).

After it was abandoned, the government prohibited the repair of the ruins and the construction of new buildings which preserved the 16th-century buildings, ruins, and Renaissance grid street pattern. Because the history of Antigua was preserved it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The Volcanos of Antigua

There are three volcanoes that surround the city of Antigua, Volcan de Agua, Acatenango, and the Volcan de Fuego.

Acatenango is one of the highest volcanoes in Central America, about 13,000 feet high. It is active, but the last eruption was in 1972. Tourists can do an overnight hike to see the volcanic activity of the nearby Volcan de Fuego close-up.

Volcan Fuego, literally translated as the fire volcano is next to the Acatenango and the last major eruption was in 2018. The eruption resulted in 159 deaths, 300 injuries, 256 missing persons, evacuations of the nearby town, and the closure of the International Airport 1.5 hours away in Guatemala City. The volcano erupted again in 2021 and 2022 sending ash plumes thousands of feet into the air and low-level eruptions continue today.

Volcan de Aqua is a picturesque, inactive volcano easily seen from Antigua. One of the most popular tourist photos is the volcano framed by the Santa Catalina Arch.

Another active volcano a little farther from the city is the Pacaya volcano which many visitors and tourists hike for half a day and roast marshmallows or cook a pizza in the heat of the lava.

Earthquake Ruins

All around the city, there are abandoned buildings destroyed by earthquakes. Many buildings are hidden behind ancient walls and the most notable ruins are churches and convents. There are more than 10 churches and convents in ruins. Their destruction and abandonment are preserved in time. We didn’t have time to see all of them, but the 3 we liked the most are documented below.

Convent and Church of La Recoleccion

Two friars of the Recollection order arrived in Guatemala and began construction of a convent in 1701. It was completed in 16 years but after a short time, an earthquake damaged a large part of the complex. It was reconstructed soon after but by 1773 another earthquake left the site in ruins again.

After the complex was ordered to be abandoned by the Church, it was used as a soap factory and a sports complex. Stones were taken from the ruins of the Convent and Church to build other structures in the city.

Catedral de San José

Catedral de San José faces the historic central square. It was built in 1545 but an earthquake in 1583 destroyed much of the roof. In 1670 enslaved Maya people began building a new cathedral. For 11 years the town watched as the men labored and built the most spectacular colonial building in Central America. The cathedral consisted of a vast dome, five naves, eighteen chapels, and a large central chamber. Its altar was inlaid with mother-of-pearl ivory and silver, and carvings of saints and paintings by revered European artists covered the walls.

The new cathedral withstood the 1689 and 1717 earthquakes, but the 1771 earthquake demolished the structure. Today, only two of the eighteen chapels have been restored as the Church of San José.

Santo Domingo Monastery

In the 1500’s the Santo Domingo Monastery housed one of the most important monasteries in the Americas. It was a very large, two-towered, ten-belled building filled with riches and relics. The 1773 earthquake destroyed much of it. What was left standing, and the ruins, have been turned into a 5-star hotel.

On the grounds of the hotel, visitors can see remnants of the church and beautiful fountains. Open-air masses held under massive tents are still held at what is left of the church. There are now several small museums located in the parts of the church that still stand. Walking through the ruins eerily reminded us of what it must have felt like to attend mass in churches bombed during World War II.

We had lunch at the hotel restaurant while taking in the impressive ruins all around us. It was odd to eat an expensive meal on the site of ruins dating back to the 1500s. Others were strolling through the manicured grounds, walking through broken massive domes and relaxing by the pool with a backdrop of fallen columns. We literally walked through the history all around us.

Our First Impression

When we decided to take a trip to Antigua, Guatemala, we heard a lot about the town from friends and acquaintances. They said that Antigua is a very safe place and a beautiful little town with lots of culture. There are lots of expats and it’s a prime destination for nomads and backpackers.

We found the city quite enchanting but the history has imposed challenges. In other UNESCO cities, we have traveled to, only a portion of the city is designated as a UNESCO site. But the entire city of Antigua has the UNESCO designation. All streets are cobblestone with very narrow sidewalks and no stop lights or stop signs. (We were told that the UNESCO designation prevents the installation of modern signs.) Therefore, vehicles move very slowly in the city. We found that riding in tuk-tuks was a little uncomfortable because of the bumpy cobblestones. We had to pay close attention when walking due to the poor condition of most of the streets and sidewalks and the traffic.

When we arrived in town from Guatemala City, it was raining. Some of the streets quickly flooded and traffic came to a halt. Another evening as we were dining at a restaurant, a storm passed through. Nearly ¾ of the city lost power.

Antigua is similar to Cusco, Perú and, in fact, Cusco is considered a sister city of Antigua. Like Cusco, Antigua is a jumping-off point for young backpackers. They don’t stay very long before moving on to other destinations in Guatemala and Central America.

A defining feature of Antigua, like Cusco, is that the indigenous culture and people are very integrated into the city. Many, if not most, of the women wear traditional Mayan huipiles (blouses) and skirts in colorful woven fabric. This culture has a strong representation in the western highlands where Antigua is located and there are several villages where you can see modern Maya people practicing their religion and speaking their native language. Indigenous people are around 42% of the population but, despite their population size, many still experience discrimination and oppression.

We will stay in Antigua for a few more days before going to Lake Atitlan. We can’t wait to climb the volcano which we will describe in our next blog. Hasta luego.