Visit Antigua in Guatemala
Walk beneath the Santa Catalina Arch, cross cobbled streets towards the central plaza, and look up to see volcanoes rising beyond tiled roofs and ruined churches. Antigua Guatemala is compact enough to explore on foot, but there is plenty packed into its historic centre: colonial courtyards, convent ruins, churches, markets and cafés sit inside a street plan that has survived for centuries. Antigua was founded in the early 16th century and became the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala. Much of the city was devastated by a major earthquake in 1773, after which the capital was moved to present-day Guatemala City. What remained was preserved rather than completely rebuilt, leaving churches and monasteries partly in ruins alongside functioning historic buildings. UNESCO added Antigua Guatemala to the World Heritage List in 1979, recognising its Renaissance-inspired grid and surviving colonial architecture. Give yourself at least a full day, preferably two or three nights if you want to enjoy the city without rushing and use it as a base for surrounding trips. Explore early in the morning or later in the afternoon, visit some of the ruined convents and churches, and leave time simply to wander rather than following a rigid sightseeing route. INGUAT maintains a tourist information office in Antigua if you want local guidance once you arrive. Add this to your list and spend enough time there to see why Antigua has remained one of Guatemala’s defining historic cities.