The Good Life in Antigua Guatemala

Along with Panama and Costa Rica, Guatemala is among the most-visited countries in Central America. Almost every traveler to Guatemala made the beeline toward Antigua Guatemala, the country's historical capital. Because our trip was so brief, we debated whether to spend all five nights in Antigua and made day trips to places like Lake Atitlán or Chichicastenango. From everything we heard, not only does Antigua have the best tourism infrastructure, but it is also the most well-connected city for tourists. Many travelers opted to stay in Antigua for a week or longer.

The first thing that jumped out to us about Antigua was how quiet the city is. After a grueling three-hour ride from Guatemala City, Antigua’s historical ambiance was a welcomed respite. Because all roads in the historical center are cobblestoned, vehicle traffic inevitably slows down. Coupled with the extra-side streets, the city is pedestrian-friendly and a joy to explore on foot. The city is big enough to get lost in but small enough to get everywhere on foot. The colonial grid plan makes navigating the city a breeze.

Like everyone, our first stop was Parque Central, Antigua’s central square. Having been to many colonial towns in Mexico and Peru, I can’t help but compare one against another. Our visit coincided with the annual Festival of Flowers Antigua. The central Mermaid Fountain was decked out with festive floral displays, which were otherworldly beautiful. Although Antigua was a tourism magnet, I was pleasantly surprised by how the square remains a popular meeting place for the locals. From local women in traditional Mayan huipiles to the ice cream sellers, it was a convivial scene filled with colors and fragrances.

Antigua’s popularity may seem obvious today, but it was not a sure thing when the city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site fifty years ago. Antigua was among the second group of heritage sites that UNESCO inscribed. The one-time $50,000 grant spearheaded the restoration projects already in the pipeline. Few could anticipate the designation's impact on driving international tourism decades later. Even many long-term residents could not imagine this half-abandoned town filled with ruined structures could become an international destination.

Personally, I think Antigua’s success could be attributed to the governmental regulations in development and architectural “appropriateness.” The city somehow avoids falling victim to unchecked development and private interests. In 1969, Guatemala passed the Protective Law of La Antigua Guatemala and established a special agency called Consejo to implement the preservation efforts. To encourage local inputs, a consortium of municipal leadership, academics, and local foundations are involved in the policy-making at Consejo.

Contrary to popular belief, historical and cultural preservation takes time and resources. It is often easier and cheaper to tear down an old building than to restore an old one. Some cities, such as Moscow, would knock down historic buildings of decent condition to replace them with modern construction and reconstruct the original facade. Fortunately, this is not standard practice in Antigua. The only visible clues of modernity here are the street lamps and street signs; both are beautifully designed. Among the regulations put in place are the colors of the buildings. According to an article by local preservationist Elizabeth Bell, the building exterior must be painted in one of the ten pre-approved colors.

The preservation of Antigua extends beyond the buildings.

Regulations aside, the number of resources invested in infrastructure was also crucial to Antigua's success. There were many construction crews performing repairs on cobblestoned streets and decorative elements. The commitment to doing things the right way was unmistakable. The continuous upkeep extended beyond construction activities. Antigua is one of the cleanest cities I have ever visited. There was not a piece of trash in sight, and it was not difficult to spot cleaning crews roaming the streets. Dare I say Antigua is even neater and more beautiful than San Miguel de Allende?

One of my favorite spots in the city was the Tanque de la Union, the public laundry washbasin. For centuries, the women would gather here to do their laundry, and it was an important social gathering place. These laundry basins were quite common in rural Guatemala, but few were as grand as this one. Our tour guide was quiet to point out that only a quarter of Guatemalan households owned a washing machine. Finding a household with no reliable, clean water is still not uncommon in rural areas, so these wash basins remained an essential community amenity.

*Tanque de la Union,* the public laundry washbasin, is one of the most popular spots among the locals.

Nowadays, Antigua is such an expensive town, so the locals rarely use these basins anymore. It seems like this has become a popular meeting spot for young couples, so I was surprised to see how the municipal workers spent a lot of effort scrubbing the basin down with a kitchen sponge. As neat and manicured as Antigua is, we were reminded how inequality is a major issue in Guatemala and wealthy enclaves like Antigua. The guide quickly pointed out just how expensive real estate is here. A typical house in the historic center could easily cost more than one and a half million dollars. I am certain they all come with a state-of-art washer and dryer.

According to a local guide, the name “chicken bus” is derogatory. Locals called them *la burra* instead.

While the gentrification of Antigua may be in full swing, it is not difficult to catch a glimpse of the local life compared to San Miguel de Allende. We saw plenty of la burra (or ‘chicken buses’ as travelers call them) crawling the streets of Antigua. They add a dose of reality check that most workers in the tourism sector here live in remote villages far outside of town. Antigua may look authentic and beautiful nowadays, but let’s not pretend affordability is not a real issue here. More than half of the city’s housing stock seems to have been converted to accommodation or other businesses catered to tourism. But curiously, there is a conscious absence of international hotel chains like Marriot, IHG, or Hyatt.

As much as I wish to bemoan the gentrification, I must admit the creature comfort of Antigua was… nice. The city center is a hedonistic haven with many noble mansions turned into chic boutiques or high-end cafes. Foreign visitors could also enjoy the familiar comfort of international fast-food chains like Taco Bell, KFC, and McDonald’s. The main tourist thoroughfare in town is North Fifth Avenue, home to Antigua’s famous landmark, Santa Catalina Arch.

One of the most appealing outlets was the new Starbucks, just a block from the Arch. Opened in 2022, this might be the most stunning Starbucks and one of their flagship cafes I have visited. The enormous cafe is housed inside a tastefully renovated historic mansion and features all custom furniture from Guatemalan artisans. Every piece of art here tells a story. My personal favorite is a beautiful tapestry in the entry foyer. Created by local artist Daniela Rivas, the abstract piece is a beautiful representation of Volcano Agua just outside the door. I could easily see why so many expats and digital nomads chose to settle here. Who wouldn’t want to work in a Starbucks like this?

Brian is a big fan of Sin Novia from Antigua Cerveza.

Speaking of expats, Antigua is often cited as one of the most desirable places to live. Despite the gentrification, it is still a relatively affordable place to live by international standards. I was not surprised by the number of foreigners around here, but I was amazed that most expats speak decent and nearly fluent Spanish. Non-Spanish speakers like me were the minority. I suspect many of them go to the language school here. Guatemala is one of the most popular destinations for learning Spanish, so it is only natural many would choose Antigua as their home base.

El Telar is one of the many high-end textile boutiques in Antigua.

As the tourism center of Guatemala, there are ample shopping boutiques for visitors of different budgets. From my observation, textiles and ceramics are the most popular specialty here. However, we found jade the most exciting product in the city. Growing up in Taiwan, I know jade as a talisman or religious object. I can’t say I consider it the most beautiful precious stone. I had no idea that jades also played similar religious roles in Mesoamerica. The Mayans often placed jade beads in the mouth of the deceased, and masks made of jade were put on the face as they believed the departing souls would be absorbed into the stone.

On our free walking tour, we were led to Casa del Jade, a jade workshop masqueraded as a museum. Usually, I was very annoyed with this type of ‘faux museum,’ but I was pleasantly surprised by what I learned during our short visit. Even though I grew up in a culture of jade, I knew surprisingly little of jade. It was interesting to see how different jade is aesthetically and functionally in this part of the world. Honestly, I was never a fan of the green color of jade, so I immediately gravitated toward the black jade, which I did not know existed.

Funny enough, the most memorable part of our visit was the story of Nahual, the concept of spiritual animals in Mayan folklore. According to traditional beliefs, Nahual can shapeshift between human and animal counterparts. The guardian animals (or insects) are acquired at birth based on the Mayan cosmic calendar. Brian first learned about Nahual while studying Spanish in Mexico. Partly due to his small sliver of Native American heritage, he took an interest in the concept, and he was happy to find out his spiritual animal was Kej, the deer. I was not happy to learn that my spiritual animal is Kat, the spider. Brian ended up purchasing a jade keychain as a souvenir.

Before saying goodbye to Antigua, I knew there was one last spot I had yet to visit: Hill of the Cross (Cerro de la Cruz). Besides the Santa Catalina Arch, this is the most famous landmark of Antigua. From day one, I could see the cross on the hill from the town center. It looks a lot farther than the distance it shows on Google Maps. While some visitors take the tuk-tuk to the top, I decided to hike up on foot because of the morning's glorious weather. The trail up the hill is immaculately maintained. Despite the steepness, it is a popular route for local joggers and dog walkers. The hike was steep but relatively short. I am grateful that Guatemala’s ‘eternal spring’ made the ascend quite comfortable.

Originally called Cerro del Manchen, the Hill of the Cross got its name from a massive crucifix erected in the 1930s. Visitors have a panoramic view of Antigua and Volcán de Fuego from the spot. Feugo is the only active volcano visible from Antigua, and it erupts in an approximately 20-minute interval. I agree that the view from the hill is epic. Atnigua’s precarious geography of Antigua was in full display. Thanks to my super zoom lens, I could spot many of Antigua’s famous churches, ruined or not.

The observation platform has been closed for renovation since 2022, but I was lucky to visit right after its reopening. The renovation was limited to the platform at the edge and plenty of seating up the hill. I have seen the picture of the area before the renovation, and I am unsure whether I like the changes. It was no longer a pastoral landscape but a massive outdoor theater with state-of-the-art architectural lighting. And for whatever reason, there were half a dozen police officers stationed here in the early morning hours.

Volcán de Fuego erupts about every twenty minutes.

Staring at this spectacular scenery, I must admit that I was a little jealous. Thanks to efforts by generations of Antigüeños, this little colonial gem holds onto its historic heritage with grace. Ironically, earthquake-prone Antigua somehow became an oasis of peace and stability in a country going through economic and political turmoil. Speaking on behalf of all my fellow travelers, we are grateful for spending a few days in peace and tranquility.

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