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10 things to do in Antigua, Guatemala, from a week living there

GS

Gav Sacks

Updated 15 October 202610 spots2 min read

I lived in Antigua for a week and kept it simple. I walked the town, drank well, and climbed the volcano. Everything I did is marked. So is everything I didn’t.

Stayed
A week
Paid for sights
Nothing
Airport to town
About $20
If you do one thing
Acatenango

In town

Antigua is small. An hour on foot and you have seen most of it, for free.

  1. 01Did it

    An hour on foot

    From Parque CentralWalkFree

    Photo to add
    A street from your walk: cobbles, painted walls, the volcano at the end of the road.

    I walked around for an hour when I got there and saw everything there was to see.

    You can pay to go into the ruins and some of the churches. I didn’t pay for anything, and I didn’t feel I missed out. The streets are a grid, so just wander.

    Stops on my loop

    • Parque Central

      Start here.

    • Santa Catalina Arch

      The photo everyone takes. More below.

    • More to come

      I am adding the rest of my route.

  2. 02Did it

    Santa Catalina Arch

    5a Avenida NortePhoto spotFree

    Photo to add
    The arch from down the street, volcano behind if it was out.

    The photo you will want. Go at sunrise if you are braver than me.

    The yellow arch over the street, with Volcán de Agua behind it on a clear day. Later in the day the street fills with people taking the same picture.

  3. 03Did it

    Artista de Café

    5a Avenida SurCaféCoffee and brunch

    Photo to add
    Your photos: the coffee on the table, and the room or the patio.
    Photo to add

    The best coffee I had in Antigua.

    My favourite café there. Very chilled. There is no view of the volcano, but it is still worth going.

Drinks

Drinks are cheap, so you can wander between bars rather than settle on one.

  1. 04Did it

    Red Zebra

    In townBarCheap drinks

    Photo to add
    The bar at night: drinks on the counter, the room behind.

    Fantastic. The bar I would go back to.

    Drinks in Antigua are cheap, so it makes an easy first stop that can turn into the whole night.

  • Did it

    The Charleston

    In townSpeakeasyCocktails

    A pretty cool speakeasy, but they ran out of alcohol early and we barely got a drink. Go early.

Out of town

The volcano is the reason to come. The rest fills a spare day.

  1. 05Did it

    Acatenango

    Outside Antigua, with a guideOvernight volcano hikeGuided tour

    Photo to add
    Your bad-day photo: cloud at camp, no Fuego in sight.

    The reason to come. Just know it is down to the weather.

    An overnight hike up to a base camp facing Volcán de Fuego, which erupts through the night when the sky is clear. Loads of companies run it and they are pretty much the same. Some put you in cabins, some in tents and sleeping bags. Friends spent a bit more or a bit less with other companies and had much the same trip.

    Takes
    Overnight, two days
    Best months
    Outside May to October

    Base camp height is the real difference

    Higher camp

    • Harder first day
    • Fuego hike is harder
    • Sunrise hike is easier

    Lower camp

    • Easier first day
    • Fuego hike is easier
    • Sunrise hike is harder

    Picking a company

    • CA Travelers

      Generally considered the best.

      Most recommended

    • Mayan

      Who I went with. Their base camp was the lowest, so Fuego was doable.

      I went with

  2. 06Did it

    Finca El Pilar

    Just outside townHike to a viewpointEntry fee at the gate

    Photo to add
    Your photo from the viewpoint, looking back over Antigua.

    If you are there for a week, this is the hike to do.

    A nature reserve on the edge of Antigua with a hike up to a viewpoint over the town.

    Getting there
    A short taxi from Parque Central
    Best time
    Early, before the cloud comes in
  • Not tried

    Hobbitenango

    Hills above AntiguaDay outEntry fee

    Hobbit-style houses and swings on a hillside above town. On most people’s lists. Not mine.

  • Not tried

    ATV tour

    Around AntiguaQuad bikesAbout $75

    Quad bikes out into the hills and villages around town. Plenty of people do it.

  • Not tried

    Pacaya

    South of AntiguaEasier volcanoGuided tour

    A shorter volcano hike, done in an afternoon. The one to pick if Acatenango is too much.

Before you go

Airport to Antigua
About $20 by car, and you can often find it for much less.
Getting around: inDrive
Like Uber, but you pay cash and drivers bid a price for your trip, so it usually comes in well under Uber. The back of a motorbike is cheaper again than a car.
Shuttles
Bookaway is good for booking shuttles between towns. A lot of companies also take bookings on WhatsApp, and your hostel can usually put you in touch.
Where to stay
I stayed with friends, so no hostel of my own to recommend. I have heard great things about a whole range of them.