Guatemala's Antigua

Antigua

Brimming with vestiges of its colonial past, Antigua immediately transports curious travelers with its cobblestone streets, enchanting squares and deserted convents. Just exiting a cramped airplane and finding yourself in the shock of Guatemala City, the inherent charm of this colonial city and its unique ability to remove visitors to a time when the Spanish ruled, is a welcoming refreshment only Antigua could provide. Founded in 1543, Antigua reigned as the proud capital for almost 200 years over a region that included not only Guatemala, but also all of Central America and into Mexico.

While by the late 18th century had been destroyed by powerful earthquakes several times, its premier political, religious and intellectual importance ensured that reconstruction was inevitable. Today, Antigua reigns as a mountainside enclave far more enticing that the Guatemala City it overlooks. And while much of the city’s original elegance stands now only as rubble, the ever increasing international interest in this city has brought several of the country’s finest hotels, restaurants and shopping, as well as a handful of Spanish language schools that afford students from all over the world a unique insight into this glorious country.