Antigua de Guatemala

A colonial gem in the heart of Guatemala

There is a bad reputation in Guatemala for bandits and robberies, it is not unfounded and recent attacks have left many travellers in the know quite cautious about how they move around the country. Others, who don’t read the blogs and foreign office advice, just happily get on with it. I try to inhabit the middle ground and be aware but not paranoid in a country of wonderful friendly people and a wealth of beauty to be seen.

Colonial sidewalks in Antigua de Guatamala

One of the main tourist routes through Guatemala is the road from Flores in Peten to Guatemala City itself, this involves a nine hour ride however you do it and if you do not want to arrive in supposedly the most dangerous city in Central America after dark you have to take a night bus.I thought I had chosen the most expensive bus to ensure a better chance of sleep while travelling but my good plans nearly came awry when I was told my ticket was for a less prestigious ride. My luck held though and the conductor hustled me onto the bus anyway for a long night of tossing and turning, mysterious stops in the night and a bleary eyed welcome to the worst parts of Guatemala City at six in the morning!

It is a good idea to arrange a through trip with your booking agent as a minivan will be on hand as you disembark to whisk you to your final destination. This is essential in Guatemala City as the city buses are a perilous place to be at present with local gangs extorting the bus drivers and shooting many who refuse to pay dead at the wheel, not good. Enough of the dangers though, very few travellers have problems if they keep their wits about them and follow the normal rules.

Antigua sits in the shadows of volcanos

My trip took me to the old capital and colonial city of Antigua, a world away from the lush jungles of Peten, a place steeped in history and surrounded by dramatic volcanoes. Destroyed in 1773 after a terrible earthquake it has been partially restored and is now a UNESCO world heritage site that will hopefully stem any garish development and keep it in its natural state of an open museum. It is a city definitely dedicated to tourism but it also has a healthy local buzz with fiestas in the Parque Central and churches well attended in the usual colourful way.

Wealthy city types get married in the cathedral and brides with their supporters in tow totter around the cobblestone streets in high heels and finery in sharp contrast with the down at heel look of the backpacker fraternity. Well off western tourists inhabit old colonial hotels in affordable splendour and take to sipping coffee and eating cake in the Cafe Condessa, truth be told it’s very cheap for the location so give it a splurge yourself, I did.

The archs which focus your view down to La Merced

Most shuttles will take you to the hostel or hotel of your choice, if not it’s only a short walk to nearly everywhere in the city. Speak to fellow travellers about where to stay of course and try to avoid the omnipresent bed bug problem, there are a few hostels in town with this issue and it pays to be informed. I stayed at the Yellow House hostel, it cannot be booked online however if you arrive early in the morning there shouldn’t be much problem getting in. I found it very clean and the rooms were plain but tidy and cleaned every day. Breakfast was included and the place had a very nice vibe, not too party but also a good place to hook up with fellow travellers and hit the town. It should be noted that tripadvisor.com is becoming a much better resource for hostel reviews recently and can be useful for getting the current lowdown that a guide book just cannot hope to give you.

Antigua can be a little on the expensive side, not surprising given its popularity among visitors, however wise choices can bring down the daily spend. There are some good local restaurants and pupusa stands near the market and at weekends in front of La Merced church locals do a roaring trade in street food with something for everyone. For a good craic and some more familiar food try Reilly’s Irish pub or pop into the Black Cat hostel for humungous burritos and tasty hamburgers. Along the road by La Merced is a local bar, Tiki Tika, which will take the edge off a burning wallet by serving ice cold litres of Gallo beer at Q25, a steal in Antigua.

Antigua Cathedral

I felt the streets very safe by Central American standards and the main byways were fine during the day, in the evening however the shadowed doorways and uneven footpaths would be better travelled in pairs if you were a little uneasy. Overall though the people were friendly and happy to see you spending in their town; one thing I did notice were the flyers for local businesses stating their position on competition from foreign owned tour agencies, you have to make your own decisions here but I can see their point.

Adventures abound in this town and any number of operators are waiting to take your money and drag your sorry ass up and down a volcano, normally up in the afternoon and down after dark so you can get a better look at the lava flows. Take a stick for slowing your descent, a good torch, well soled shoes that you may have to toss and nerves of steel for tackling the sharp rocks and steep grades. For those of a more restful persuasion Antigua has plenty to offer, strolling the streets is cheap and the colonial buildings are tempting respites from the ever present heat.

This beautiful city is not truly representative of Guatemala in general, however for the time challenged traveller on route through Central America it is a must see stop and a restful repose from the manic chicken bus rides and temple hopping that we all enjoy in different measures.