Antigua, it is not like anywhere you´ve ever been before. From the
airport, it is about 45 minutes drive on a two lane highway.
Suddenly, you will find yourself looking down onto a beautiful city,
paved with cobblestones, and low buildings which allow you to see
quite a distance and keep you from feeling closed in as many other
cities do. What you end up seeing is the magical colonial Spanish
architecture and the surrounding volcanoes. Their names are Agua,
Fuego and Acatenango. Fuego is still active, and if you are lucky,
you might see it smoke during the day, or glowing at night.
Antigua was founded in 1543 as the colonial capital of Guatemala.
Before that, the capital was in Ciudad Vieja, located on the side of
the Agua volcano. After a flood destroyed it, the capital was moved
to Antigua. The city flourished during the 17th and 18th centuries,
when there were 38 churches in the city. However, a huge earthquake
in 1773 destroyed Antigua. It was then that the capital was moved to
its present location in Guatemala City. Around 1830, Antigua began
to grow again, and many of the old buildings were renovated. In
1979, Unesco declared it a World Heritage Site.
Everything in Antigua is walking distance away, from Central Park to
one of the 82 restaurants in the city, ranging from Guatemalan
regional cooking to Italian, Chinese, international, gourmet
pizzerias, Middle Eastern, Thai, to meat right off the grill at the
many steakhouses. From your basic US fast food franchises to the
best gourmet restaurants, Antigua offers a great variety for
different palates and pocket books. A nice meal for three people
runs about $50.00, including drinks. Of course, you can spend a lot
more or a lot less, depending upon your choice of restaurants.
Also walking distance are the numerous churches and their
interesting a mystifying history. From the largest fountain in
Central America, a crypt containing human skeletons, to the
sepulcher of a Saint, each church has a fascinating history. Even
the churches that have been laid to ruins by earthquakes are amazing
to see. This is an incredible and magical place for the photography
enthusiasts.
The shopping is wonderful, from the plethora of stores, to the
indigenous markets, you will have an incredible time shopping. There
are jade stores with one-of-a-kind jewelry (and tours of their
factory), weaving museums, glass wear and textile shops where you
can see women weaving with the back strap looms. At the local market,
you can find almost anything, if you look hard enough. It is an
amazing experience, from the flower market, candle stands, fruits
and vegetables, goods, a food court, clothing, and even the kitchen
sink. There is also an Artisan´s Market and a large indigenous
market with an array of products.
In terms of things to do, you can either relax at a quaint café to
savor the delicious coffee grown in this area, go watch a movie at
the local movie house, go to a reading café with a array of books,
internet café, or you can be more adventurous and enjoy many of the
adventure tours offered, like climbing the volcanoes, dirt bikes,
horse rides, camping trips, and more. If you are interested in
culture, Antigua has a great variety of these also, combined with
the magical settings and ambience of the art galleries, art
exhibitions, concerts, theatre, photography exhibitions, piano
recitals, opera, and more. If you like nightlife, Antigua has a
selection of great restaurants for dinner, pubs, bars and dance
clubs.
Each year, thousands of students worldwide come to Antigua Guatemala
to learn Spanish. The Spanish schools are considered to be the best
worldwide. These schools offer different programs in order to allow
the student the most flexibility.
There is something magical about Antigua, whether it is in its
history, architecture, mystical volcanic landscape, activities,
tourism, culture, food…no one knows for sure. We only know there is
something for everyone and it is no wonder that many people who
choose Antigua as a destination end up coming back to retire and
making it their home.
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