Back to experiences

toonsarah

Tags - Guatemala, Belize

View all Experiences from this member

Antigua Guatemala

Part of the trip - Guatemala & Belize Antigua was our base for the first few days in Guatemala, and although I loved everywhere that we visited in the country, it was probably my favourite. I imagine that must be true of many visitors to the country.

Anyone with even a passing interest in history will be happy to spend a few days poking around its photogenic ruined churches, and photographers will also enjoy the colourful small houses (especially when lit by early morning or late afternoon sun), the views of distant volcanoes and the lively local market. When the sun goes down the air cools (we are quite high up in the Guatemalan Highlands here), and there are bars, cafés and restaurants to suit every budget – although this not a place to come for boisterous nightlife.

Antigua might strike you at first, as it did me, as something of a museum piece: a colonial city preserved in aspic, its ruined churches frozen at the moment of destruction, its once grand houses turned into posadas and restaurants to cater to the whims of tourists. But you only have to walk a few blocks from the centre to discover that “real” life happens here too. Visit the locals’ market; sit for a while in the Parque de Union; pause for a while in one of those same churches to watch local women take a moment from their day to light a candle. This too is Antigua.

Read more: my VirtualTourist page on Antigua

View all Experiences from this member

Next