How To Spend Three Days in Antigua, Guatemala

Last month, I travelled to Central America for the first time in 12 years to spend two weeks in Guatemala and Belize. First stop? The historic city of Antigua. I spent three days exploring the cobbled streets, baroque architecture, Mayan culture and coffee scene, watched over by volcanoes that surround the city. Read on to find out what I got up to.

Located in Guatemala's central highlands, the city was first established in 1524 as Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala on the site of a Kaqchikel–Maya city. Destroyed twice in two decades — first by a fire during an Indigenous uprising and then by a deadly mudslide from Volcán de Agua — it was relocated to its present location in the Panchoy Valley.

Antigua served as Guatemala's capital until 1773 when a series of deadly earthquakes ravaged the city, and the capital was relocated to what is now Guatemala City. The looming presence of Agua and the other volcanoes that ring the city — Acatenango, Fuego and Pacaya — is a reminder of the devastating eruptions and earthquakes in Antigua's past (recent and distant).

Today, Antigua is a vibrant, thriving city. It's Guatemala's most popular tourist destination and it's easy to see why. Everywhere you turn, you can spot beautiful baroque architecture — and, sadly, the ruins of convents and other earthquake-damaged buildings — and catch another great volcano photo opportunity.

Three days in Antigua is enough time to get a taste for the city, see the main sights, hit up the markets and take in a sunset or two. If you want to do a volcano hike (or another day trip from Antigua), you should allow an extra day or two. 

The city centre is small, built around a grid pattern (I liked the juxtaposition of Central Park and Fifth Avenue!) and easy to explore on foot, but bring comfortable shoes for the cobblestones! There are tuk tuks and taxis available if you need to travel further afield. 

ANTIGUA AT A GLANCE

Population: ~60,000

Languages: Spanish is the official language of Guatemala and 22 Mayan languages (including Kaqchikel in Antigua) are also spoken. English is generally understood, especially in tourism and hospitality, but learning a few Spanish words and phrases is always appreciated and will make for a more enjoyable stay.

When to go: Peak season is December to April when the weather is warm and dry. Antigua is especially busy in December and around Holy Week (Semana Santa). The rainy season runs from June to November, when it's quieter and accommodation is cheaper, but bad weather may impact some activities like volcano hikes.

Time zone: Guatemala is on Central Standard Time, six hours behind London and one hour behind New York (seven hours and two hours behind, respectively, during daylight savings time, which Guatemala doesn't observe).

Getting there: Antigua is only 25 miles from Guatemala City Airport but the journey by taxi or shared shuttle can take 1–3 hours, depending on traffic. I booked a shuttle from the airport with GuateGo (~£15). If you're already in Guatemala, you can find cheaper shuttles locally, but GuateGo was very convenient for my first ride. The journey time to Lake Atitlán is at least 3 hours

Where to stay: I loved San Rafael Hotel with its gorgeous rooms in an atmospheric colonial house. Accommodation in Antigua can be limited so book early if you have your heart set on a particular place, like the popular Ojala hostel or the stunning Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santo Domingo, or are visiting during peak season.

Money: Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ). At the time of writing, there are 10 GTQ to the British pound and 7.6 GTQ to the US dollar. Credit cards are accepted (sometimes with a charge) in most hotels and larger shops, bars, eateries and tourist spots, but it's worth always having cash to pay in smaller venues and markets. Antigua has lots of ATMs, though some charge a fee for withdrawals.

Electricity: Guatemala uses type A (two flat parallel pins) and type B (two flat pins with a grounding pin) plug sockets, also used in the US.

Wifi/mobile data: Wifi is widely available, although sometimes slow or flaky. I usually use Airalo eSIMS to access mobile data when I travel: they're easy to set up and I've always had good coverage. This trip, I used a Nomad eSIM, which was cheaper for Guatemala: £16 for a 30-day 20GB sim. I had good coverage throughout Guatemala and only used about 10GB, despite using it instead of the iffy wifi in some hotels!

Want to try an eSIM on your next trip? Sign up to Nomad using my referral code — REBEXSAXQK — and we both get $5 credit. Or if Airalo has a better deal, you can sign up with my referral code — REBECC3024 — and we both get $3 credit.

BEST THINGS TO DO IN ANTIGUA

Explore Antigua's history and architecture

Antigua is compact and easily explored on foot. To help get my bearings, I booked a fun and fascinating 2.5 hour walking tour with Luis (£19). He was a wonderful guide, sharing lots of information about Antigua's history, architecture, Mayan culture and traditions and more.

We visited the main sights, including the iconic Arco de Santa Catalina (if the weather's good, frame up your shot with Volcán de Agua in the background), the equally canary-hued Iglesia de la Merced, Catedral de San José and Central Parque.

Luis also pointed out many details I might have missed, like the 300 mermaids (not including Starbucks!) that appear in this inland city, and gave us great tips for things to do and places to eat and drink in Antigua. It was a great introduction to the city!

After the tour, I went back to explore some of the places we saw, like the cathedral and the sprawling ruins of Convento Santa Clara, in more depth.

Hike up to Cerro de la Cruz to see Antigua from above

The Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) viewpoint is located on the hills in the north of the city centre. Depending where you start from in the city, it's a 10- to 20-minute walk to the trailhead, and then a steep-ish but fairly short hike to the top. It took me about 15 minutes from the trailhead.

Try to wait for clear skies for the best views of Antigua and of Volcán de Agua. It was a little hazy on my first visit — and very busy with locals as it was a Sunday afternoon — so I went back the next morning where the view was even better. For safety reasons, I'd avoid going there alone when it's dark.

Head to a rooftop for sunset

Antigua treated me to some special sunsets, with the sun dipping behind the Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes to the west of the city. There are lots of rooftop cafes and bars in town, and on the recommendation of Luis, my walking tour guide, I went to Antigua Brewing Company. The cocktails were great (so too are the craft beers, I'm told) and the views even better!

The next day, I climbed up to the rooftop of Iglesia de la Merced, where you get panoramic views of Antigua and the volcanoes. The sunset wasn't quite as good that day, but it still nice to see the city bathed in pinkish light as the sun went down.

Try your hand at chocolate-making

While in Lima, Peru, I stayed right next to the ChocoMuseo but didn't have time to visit. So, I made up for it in Antigua with a one-hour workshop (Q100 or £10). We learned about chocolate production and then created our own chocolate bar. With a wealth of toppings available, of course I went all in on rainbow sprinkles. It tasted great (if I do say so myself)!

Shop for unique artisan products 

There were so many colourful textiles, ceramics and other unique handmade products I wanted to buy in Antigua that I was sad to have to hold back as I needed to save space in my small suitcase for shopping on the rest of my trip. When it comes to textiles, many patterns and colours are unique to specific regions or even villages. So, if you see a design you love, you should buy it because you might not find the same one again.

My favourite market in Antigua was Nim Po’t (pictured above), which sells a vast array of products from gorgeous huipiles (tunics), table runners and scarves to wooden masks, jewellery and smaller souvenirs. The prices are fixed, giving a good idea of roughly how much things should cost (helpful if, like me, you aren't good at haggling).

I also loved Colibrí, a small store selling vibrant textiles in every colour of the rainbow produced by the artisans of a local women's weaving collective. I bought a lovely cushion cover and a few small items.

On the same street (4a Calle Oriente), you can also find Wakami, a concept store and social enterprise selling gorgeous jewellery, clothes and homewares. A few blocks further down is Wayil, which has elegant homewares in neutral colours.

Explore Antigua's coffee culture

Antigua is near one of Guatemala's main coffee growing regions: the fertile volcanic soils and subtropical highland climate combine to create some great-tasting coffees. There's also an excellent specialty coffee scene with many beautiful cafés where you can sample coffee grown, processed and roasted locally. 

I'm writing an Antigua coffee guide, but in the meantime, my favourites included: Alegría (pictured), Artista de Café, Café Sol, 12 Onzas and El Gran Café.

To gain a deeper understanding of coffee production in Guatemala, why not visit a local coffee farm? I highly recommend the tour I took with the non-profit De La Gente to a farm in nearby San Miguel Escobar, in the foothills of Volcán de Agua. Coffee production there dates back to the mid-19th century.

We spent several hours visiting the farm of Eduardo and Francisca, learning about the whole process, from seed to cup. We even got to have a go at stovetop roasting and grinding the coffee on a Mayan grinding stone (harder than it looks!). I'm writing a full post about the experience, but if you're curious about coffee, you'll really enjoy it.

Relax in Parque Central

I arrived in Antigua on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon and headed straight to the small but lovely Parque Central, where locals and tourists alike were relaxing near the fountains. It's a great place to chill out under the shade of the trees, people-watching and taking in the architecture.

There are often festivals here too. When I arrived, one was in full swing and I watched traditional singing and dancing, before sampling delicious street food from the wide array of different stalls.

Get arty at MUNAG

I stumbled on MUNAG (AKA the Museo Nacional de Arte Guatemalteco) after leaving Artista de Café and spent an enjoyable hour exploring the art and sculptures, spanning from pre-Hispanic times to the present day.

Free to visit, MUNAG is housed in the Royal Palace of the Capitanes Generales, a lovely building, which is also a good place to escape the sun on hot days. Don't miss the balconies that offer great views over Parque Central and Volcán de Agua.

Hike up a volcano

Speaking of volcanoes, after spending several days staring at the Agua, Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes, watching the latter erupt several times an hour, why not venture a little closer? If you only have one day, you can hike up Pacaya and even toast marshmallows near the summit!

I wasn't planning to do a volcano hike but when researching my trip to Guatemala, taking an overnight hike to the summit of Acatenango was the one thing pretty much everyone said you shouldn't miss. So I rejigged my itinerary and booked a two-day trip with Lava Trails. It was incredible!

The hike was challenging at times: often steep and usually very slippery, even with hiking poles. But watching the lava flow from Fuego from my cabin bunk bed and then witnessing an amazing sunrise the following morning made it all worthwhile. I am writing a post about my experience, but in the meantime, check out my Instagram post for a few of the hundreds of volcano photos and videos I took!

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN ANTIGUA

There's a lot of great street food in Antigua and I stopped several times for tacos, tostadas and pupusas (stuffed fried corn cakes), as well as ice creams and granizadas (flavoured shaved ice snacks).

El Adobe was recommended by my walking tour guide for its Mayan-inspired food and colourful décor. It was here that I first tried pepián, Guatemala's national dish: a rich, spicy chicken stew, served with rice and tortillas. It was delicious!

Rincóncito Antigüeño was another reco from my tour guide and it was great. Their specialty is spit-roast chicken, served either in pepián or with rice and tortillas. Tasty, filling and cheap!

Barriga Llena ('full belly') is a cool and casual new spot serving awesome pork dumplings and other fusion fare.

For a fun night out, head to the rooftop of Antigua Brewing Company to sip cocktails or craft beer as the sun goes down over the city, slipping behind Acatenango and Fuego.

Then, head downstairs and through the phone booth, to Ulew, a speakeasy-style bar with amazing mixology. There's no menu but when I asked the bartender to make me something with "un poco de teatro," he created a tequila-based masterpiece, served in a smoke-filled mini phone booth! It was delicious too.

Other eateries and bars on my list included: El Comalote, Caoba Farms, Union Cafe, La Taquiza Antigua and Café No Sé. Breakfast was included at my hotel (and it was excellent) so I had to skip the breakfast and brunch spots this time.

WHERE TO STAY IN ANTIGUA

Antigua is Guatemala's most visited tourist destination but as the city is relatively small, accommodation can get booked up early. This is particularly true during peak season, especially December and the Christmas holidays and Semana Santa (Holy Week). 

I was there the weekend before Thanksgiving when there were a lot of US visitors taking advantage of the holidays. I started researching hotels about six weeks before my trip and a lot of the mid-range boutique hotels and upscale hostels were already fully booked.

My advice, then, is to book your Antigua accommodation early for the best choice. The city's compact size means that wherever you stay, you'll probably be within walking distance of everywhere you want to go!

Although I rarely stay in hostels, some of those I found in Antigua looked incredible, with beautiful private rooms — plus the social benefits of hostel life. Ojala was fully booked and private rooms at the other 'poshtels' were either pricier than hotels (~£150 per night at Socialtel, for example) or perhaps a little party-centric for me.

Meanwhile, Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santo Domingo, a luxurious hotel in a former convent that even has its own museum, was out of my budget, but was highly recommended by several people I met on tours; ditto Porta Hotel.

San Rafael Hotel felt like a good compromise: it was by far my most expensive hotel in Guatemala, at about £130 per night, but totally worth it. Despite being only two minutes' walk from the Arco de Santa Catalina, inside, the hotel is a peaceful haven from the hustle and bustle outside.

The elegant, well-appointed rooms are set around two courtyards in a restored former colonial home. My bed was very comfortable and the thick stone walls kept the room cool despite the hot weather. 

There are lots of places to sit and relax in the leafy courtyards. At night, they light candles and scatter petals in the decorative pools. It was very romantic — or atmospheric, if you're travelling solo, like me! 

The staff were friendly and welcoming — texting me, for example, when my room was ready for early check-in — and the included breakfast was delicious. Perfectly poached eggs with pesto and the best hash browns I've ever had!

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