It’s very easy to be enchanted by the baroque air of La Antigua…by its cobbled streets and even by the little puddles – frequent during the rainy season – in which you can catch a perfect reflection of the Santa Catalina Arch.
The colors, the sensations and even the aroma of certain seasonal flowers – all of these are worthy of being captured by the immortalizing lens of your camera. So that you can make the most of your time in town, let us suggest a couple of scenes that you can’t miss.
Places not to miss:
From the Central Park all you have to do is cross the street and, from La Antigua’s Municipal building – whether you stay on the first floor or climb up to the second – you will have a fantastic view of the whole park, of the San José Cathedral, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (nowadays known as the Real Palacio) and the Portal de las Panaderas.
One block from the park, on 4a Calle Oriente, you will find Doña Luisa Xicotencatl, a restaurant famous for its breakfasts, for the delicious banana bread that they sell and for the fact that from the second floor you can gaze directly out onto the Agua volcano and the beautiful traditional roofs. Who wouldn’t enjoy their food with that view to look at?
If you walk along the 5a Avenida – known as the famous Calle del Arco – you will find N’im Pot, one of the biggest shops selling traditional artisan handicrafts in town; and where you can also pay Q10 for a shuttle to take you up to the Cerro San Cristóbal – a restaurant built in San Cristóbal El Alto from where you can look out upon almost all of the surrounding valley. We particularly recommend that you stay until sunset. Prepare to be amazed!
Also on 5a Avenida you will see the building that holds El Sabor del Tiempo and Casa Troccoli – two establishments that speak of history and tradition; starting with their architecture and especially their beautiful terrace. Along with the volcanoes, you will be awarded a view of La Merced and the Cathedral; and you will wonder at the views of the colonial roofs and beautiful cúpulas that abound all over the city.
At different points in town you can be picked up by one of the Unimogs belonging to Filadelfia Coffee Resort and Tours(Finca Filadelfia), that will take you – free of charge – to their San Felipe de Jesús complex, which comprises a hotel, restaurants and several different options for open-air tours and activities. From wherever you are in the finca, you will be able to see coffee plants, several mountains and a different view of the volcanoes; combined with the classic and rustic scenery of the fincas of yesteryear. As a good example of this, pay special attention to the beautiful pila at the entrance of Cafetenango Restaurant.
Take your time in each place that you visit and rediscover the small details that contribute to making each one of these places a special memory in your journey around Antigua.
