5 amazing ways to experience the city of Antigua, Guatemala

1. Get lost through the lively, colorful cobblestone streets

Antigua is a perfect place to just walk around and explore its beautiful corners. It bursts with bright colors everywhere you look at: the walls; the crafts; the typical clothes Guatemalan women wear, still conserving the traditional looks; the street food including fruits, tortillas, chicken, tacos, beans; and the crazy and bumpy chicken buses. The perfectly conserved colonial style of the buildings, the old ruins that can be found throughout the city, the magnificent views of the volcanos surrounding it, the kindness of its people and the overall warm and friendly atmosphere will make you wanna stroll through these sreets all day long.

2. Have lunch at a classic spot: Rincón Típico

This is one of the most tipical places, preferred by the local people, where to have a true, abundant and delicious Guatemalan dish for a very low price. It usually includes chicken or meat, rice and beans, a salad and plenty of tortillas, along with a sweet soft drink. If you wanna know how Antigua tastes like, this is the perfect place to go.

Photo: http://www.okantigua.com/

3. Hike the active volcano Pacaya

About an hour away from the city lies one of the 3 active volcanos, Pacaya. It’s an easy hike, and it takes and hour to go up while getting amazing views of the other volcanos, and having a delicious marshmellow melted by the heat of the volcano rocks. Up there, you will also find Lava Store, a crafts place which has jewelery made out of lava rock and coconut. It is one of the few places in the world where this kind of crafts can be found.

4. And if you are in the mood for more, the Acatenango volcano

Acatenango is the third tallest of all the volcanos in the country, with 3975 metres. This is a really tough hike, so get ready for it, but it’s as most of the people who did it will say: “it’s really hard, but totally worth it”. It’s a two-day tour: 5 to 6 hours hiking up the first morning, reaching a base camp at the top in the afternoon, where you spend the night and get to see the amazing lava show from the Fuego volcano, right in front of Acatenango, along with a beautiful starry sky. The landescape on the way there is very enjoyable, with forests, pathways, corn farms and awesome views. The next day, at 4 am, you wake up to hike for one more hour, to the very top of the volcano, just in time to see a stunning and mind-blowing sunrise. All in all, it is one of the most incredible things to experience in Antigua.

5. Visit the central market

Right outside of the main part of the city, in Antigua’s central market you’ll find anything you can imagine, from fruits and vegetables, to electronic devices, clothes, library items, art crafts, street food and more. It’s huge and laberynthic and, just as the city itself, a great place to get lost and explore the wide variety of things it has to offer and the intense and fast rythm on which everything and everyone moves in there.

BONUS: Visit Mcdonald’s

This is probably the strangest thing to recommend, especially in a country with such a strong and interesting local culture as Guatemala, but trust me, it’s totally worth it. Because Antigua’s Mcdonald’s is not just another fast food restaurant exactly like all the others around the world. This one is special and is one of the most beautiful you will find. It has a wide patio with benches, a wide, green garden and a fountain, plus a great view of the Agua Volcano, all of which makes the fast food experience a truly enjoyable one.