Things to see and do Antigua

La Antigua is a very pleasant city that you can visit the sights of a street or plot at random. Its cobbled streets are lined with churches and convents (there were 26 in total!) as well as sumptuous mansions with colourful facades that take part in the charm of this beautiful city. Here's an idea of itinerary but there are many others, revealing just as many surprises.

It will begin logically by the Parque Central, the city's reference area. It is a pleasant place, bordered by the major monuments of Antigua that are in the south the palace of the Captains with its double gallery in front, to the east the cathedral Santo Domingo and finally to the north, the palace of the Ayuntamiento. The heart of the city, it is occupied by a beautiful wooded park very frequented in late afternoon and early evening by the inhabitants of Antigua for the usual "paseo".

There you come to go to a family, to greet the neighbours, or to eat taco from the itinerant merchants. In the center of the square is the fountain of the Siren, realized in 1739 by architect Diego de Porres.

From the Parque Central, we are committed to the 4 Calle Poniente. At the angle of 4 a Calle Poniente and 6 a Avenida Norte, there is a handicraft market installed where the monastery of the order of the Jesuits was in the past. You can still see the church.

The 6 th Avenida Norte is lined with beautiful houses, painted with warm ochre colors and silver. At Calle Poniente, you can find a beautiful place shaded by large old trees. On Sunday, it is the meeting of the families who come pique. The church of the Merced can be admired at the Ouvragée facade and whose sculptures are highlighted in white.

You walk along the Plaza de la Merced on the right to arrive at Avenida Norte, where the Arco Santa Catalina appears, one of the Symbols of the City. At the entrance to the avenue, the perspective is particularly beautiful with the backdrop of the Fond volcano dominating the city. There are beautiful houses with restaurants and luxurious hotels. Their patios are havens of peace and freshness. On the right of the avenue, shortly after the Arco, you can find the entrance of the Santa Catalina hotel. He occupies the cloister of the ancient convent dedicated to the holy. On the left, just before 2 a Calle Poniente, one fell into the posada of Don Rodrigo. Old remains almost three hundred years old, its setting is beautiful. Calle del Arco de Santa Catalina continues in a succession of shops and restaurants by approaching the Parque Central. We go to Calle Poniente, which becomes 2 a Calle Oriente at the level of 4 at Avenida Norte, the east side of the Parque Central, and the cathedral serving as a boundary between Poniente and Oriente. Then you grow up to the Couvent convent. The entrance is paid, but unfortunately there is no more to see.

The 2nd Avenida Norte, on two cuadras, is bordered almost exclusively by special houses. At the level of 4 a Calle Oriente you turn right towards the Parque Central. It houses beautiful houses featuring lovely wrought iron grids and some very good addresses, including the Doña Luisa restaurant, an institution. L 2 Avenida Norte becomes the 2nd avenida Sur and, at the corner of 6 a Calle Oriente, falls on the church Santa Clara, at the facade decorated with sculptures made of stucco, testimony of religious art of the th century. We return to the Parque Central by Calle Oriente. Past 3 a avenida Sur, on the left, admire the façade of the former Royal University of San Carlos. Today the building contains the Colonial Museo.

Come and discover the history of chocolate in this small, very nice museum! After the explanation of the manufacture of chocolate, you can not only taste it on the spot (flavored with cardamom, orange, coconut, etc.), but also participate in one of the proposed workshops such as the preparation of truffles. Warm welcome.

The new offices of the Inguat are a little out of the centre, but there is always interesting documentation, the service is efficient and the reception is pleasant. There are brochures on the city and the main tourist areas around it. Do not hesitate to ask questions to organize your tour in Guatemala (transport price, security, excursions, language schools, etc.), staff is very competent.

In Casa del Jade, the Jade Infernal Museum, created in 2003, exhibits more than 70 pieces of the four mésoaméricaines cultures most representative of their time: Mokaya, Olmèque, Maya and Aztec. Original sculptures and delicate replicas carved by local artisans for a trip over time with historical and cultural information. Technical information about the work of Jade, which can be appreciated by watching talented artisans. Strongly recommended to discover the secrets of the "Pierre du Ciel".

It is a place of great peace and quiet, in the image of the colonial cities coming from the Conquista, from the aisles to the right angles. For generations, the last remains of the ladino inhabitants and the large families of Antigua who have been building a mausoleums of a bright white.

Planted with épineux and cypress trees, it is a unique place. Find out about the Inguat on security conditions in this isolated location.