Antigua Guatemala was full of surprises, texture, warmth, and rest for Mr. Family Trip and me. This UNESCO world heritage city is small – with under 50,000 residents and the urban core covering under 50 hectares. Yet it packs a lot of interest into such a small area.
This part of Guatemala was bustling with rich, vivacious life. It is the life Americans have simultaneously worked our way out of yet also romanticize and seek to recreate.
In America, we have modernized and moved out to suburbs with bigger and bigger homes. We eat on the go, fast, with meal kits shipping out from warehouses to neighborhoods all over the U.S. weekly. We live in large homes on big landscaped lots alone or with just our partners and kids, playing host on rare occasions, something to plan for well in advance, squeezing in time to share our large homes with our neighbors between jam-packed schedules. Our roads are slick and smooth. Our cars keep us cocooned in air-conditioned bliss while we stream podcasts that either rile us up or reinforce our beliefs. Bigger is better and more is best. It’s progress here.
Guatemala is the exact opposite of all of those things. Women in skirts and white blouses make corn tortillas over blistering heat tucked inside hidden tiendas the size of a closet. Neighbors meet at the market in the plaza in the evenings, eating food prepared with the local ingredients. Families live together – and ride together on the same scooter without helmets — over cobblestone streets. Guatemala is loud. It is real.
Obviously, when you go to a place like Guatemala you come back incredibly appreciative of the convenience and absolute wealth America provides. Being middle class in America translates to being wealthy in Guatemala. And I, personally, like having a home with modern appliances and hardwood floors (or floors at all).
I also enjoy not feeling as though getting behind the wheel of a car is a game of Russian roulette on wheels.
But, also, there is something that feels familiar and something I yearn for when it comes to the vibrancy of Guatemala. I suppose that’s why so many expats find their way to the banks of Lake Atitlan. And I suppose it’s why spending time traveling around Guatemala feels like freedom to an American suburban housewife like me.Â
Returning to my luxuries in the U.S. felt glorious after a week in Guatemala. Yet I can’t help but wonder where we can learn from the Guatemalans, too.
Antigua Guatemala continues to pop up on numerous lists of great places to go (much like Puerto Rico). It’s long been deemed a “hidden gem.”
A feature piece in the New York Times Style Magazine back in 2019 effusively (and with very florid language) was already gushing about Antigua Guatemala:
Now, the city’s cobbled streets — arranged in an easy-to-navigate grid, with views of the imposing Volcán de Agua to the south and the twin peaks of Volcán de Fuego and Acatenango to the west — are lined with farm-to-table restaurants, contemporary art galleries and design studios. Source
I was grateful to see this city and a small part of the country. Mr. Family Trip and I agreed we’d happily return. And I hope you get a chance to experience this city.
If you do, here’s our list for you.
Things to do in Antigua Guatemala
Explore by Foot (Go Slow)
Obviously, walking around and taking in the sights, smells, and sounds is worth the trip alone. Snap all the photos you want. Try to capture the layers and layers of life and history. Find your own pockets. Pop into al fresco bookstores full of fat, lazy cats and intricate floor tiles.
Eat and Drink
Antigua Guatemala is full of eateries that blend the outdoors with the indoors effortlessly. Guatemalan cuisine cooks fresh and local, with ingredients from the mountains and farms nearby. Coffee and chocolate are plentiful. Head out to eat and enjoy all of the options!
Hike Acatenango
This is far the more adventurous, but worth the trek. (see full post below)
If climbing up the side of a volcano to see an eruption isn’t for you, there are many sites in Antigua Guatemala to go up to get a better view. Take a less intense walk up to the Hill of the Cross.
Visit the Museo de Arte Colonial
We did very little research outside of our volcano hike and Lake Atitlan adventure before we arrived. It was a pleasure to stumble into the open courtyard of the museum of colonial art.
Every turn housed a beautiful piece of art, and we enjoyed the audio tour.
But even just walking inside, seeing the crumbling walls and the volcano roaring in the background, was art enough for me.
Make Your Own Chocolate Bar
On a rainy day, we did the Bean-to-Bar workshop at the ChocoMuseum. We were definitely the oldest people in there (by about 20 years, I would guess). And despite the instructor’s best attempts to engage us, our classmates were quiet and unimpressed.
We, however, enjoyed trying three different types of hot chocolate, making our own chocolate bars (mine was quite bad), and learning the importance and process of the cocoa bean.
Visit the Markets
There is so much talent and tradition in Guatemala. The open air markets that show up in the parks and the warehouse-like caves you have to know to look for are full of artisans and artists. Don’t skip them! If you see a farmers market selling street food, eat!
Where to Stay
Antigua Guatemala has its fair share of hostels and other inexpensive lodgings.
We opted for the exquisite El Convento Boutique Hotel and were thrilled we did. The price tag was eye-popping low given what the rate would be in the U.S. And all around us were lush gardens and our own deep soaking tub outdoors on a private patio.
We felt spoiled and taken care of in this hotel, and were grateful for the cold gin and tonics on patios with meticulously planned uplights and gentle water fountains.
I don’t believe I’d rather have been born and raised in Guatemala. America has worked hard and earned the reputation it has. This is where I am, and this is who I am.
But I can’t deny I understand why hundreds drop out of America and find their way to living next to coffeehouses specializing in slow-drip coffee and in homes that can only be accessed by water taxi.
There is a loveliness and an acceptance to the pace and style of Antigua Guatemala that we found captivating. I hope as more people discover it, it retains the spirit and radiating life it showed us.