Antigua

Guatemala’s distinctive Spanish architecture can be found in almost every city in the country, but none shine as greatly as those in Antigua, where we spent our third day in Guatemala.

Antigua is a small, tourist town located about 40 minutes from Guatemala City. It beckons international visitors with volcanic views, American-like shops and gorgeous architecture. It was the city I was most excited to visit.

We scheduled our shuttle to Antigua to pick us up around two. Once on board we met a cheese salesman from Holland, who entertained us with information on Guatemalan cheese sales for most of our drive. Although Antigua is less than an hour away from where we were staying, traffic out of the city was horrendous, so our drive ended up being close to two hours.

By the time we made it to Antigua the day was mostly spent, but we were determined to make the best of it. The shuttle dropped us off at our new hostel which was tucked neatly away from the bustling cobblestone streets of the town. Thankfully, we were able to secure a private room for us to relax in, something we needed after a few days of exploring.  

The streets were packed with tourists, something we had heard would be the case but were nevertheless surprised by. We knew international travelers visited Antigua, but had no idea so many would be there. The city definitely catered to this international crowd by building gentrified shops and American restaurants. The feeling of being immersed in Guatemalan culture was completely gone.

Despite this, spending the evening walking past the colorful shops and Spanish cathedrals of Antigua was wonderful.

We saw the famous Santa Catalina Arch, ate delicious street food and bought beautiful paintings from street artists.