Antigua

For some reason everyone will either hype up Antigua or down play it. I'm all for gaining tips and recommendations from fellow travellers but I also take everything with a 'pinch of salt' so to say. 

Antiguia is the former capital of Guatemala and surrounded by three volcanos, two which are active. Antigua is filled with cobblestone pavement, churches and different arches. It's beautiful. 

It's also filled with many tourism agencies, western restaurants and hostels. It's a tourist trap.

But even though it is filled with tourists, it's still an amazing place to visit. Like everywhere, knowing where to eat, sleep and drink is important. 

My suggestions for food; 

+ Calle 6 & Avenida 6 directly opposite the pharmacy (farmacia) has the best tacos! 3 for Q20 or if you're there before 6pm it's Q10 and they also have happy hour 2 for 1 on speciality drinks. 

+ Cafe Rainbow has a breakfast special for Q25 if you're awake and up before 10am! 

+ But I think the best food I had was at Turritos - beer and snack garden. They have the most amazing sandwiches for Q20 but they are quite small, so order two or three (possibly 7.) 

There are a range of hostels in antigua, but it's pricey so I like to stay at Capitan Tom's - only don't google map it because who knows where it will take you! It's Q50/night for a dorm bunk and has free drinking water, a roof top terrace. The live in crowd is a little weird, but just normal weird you know? The type who ramble on about stories they told you three days ago.

Getting to Antigua from anywhere is easy, as is leaving it.

From the main Guatemala City Airport you can get a shuttle for $10-12USD 

from Guatemala City in the bus terminal, chicken buses are around Q10-20 

from Xela (Quetzaltenango) you'll take a chicken bus from the main bus terminal to Chimaltenango for Q30 and then swap to another for Antigua for Q5. 

I found the best shuttle tour company, but I don't know the address or the name (brilliant) but from the markets, walk towards 3rd until you hit a white wall, then take a right and it's a white tienda that says 'laundry' and 'tours' and it has shuttle buses to flores for Q95 or San Pedro for Q55 (which are the best prices in town, I guarantee, because I looked around a lot!) 

I only spent two nights here before heading off to the top of Guatemala with Christina and Robyn (who we coerced into coming with us too.) Unfortunately I'm  a bit sick right now, but hopefully in a few days that will pass! 

You might have noticed my photo quality has been a little off the last few months, I lost my SD card and my charger - but I got some new ones before I left finally so hopefully they'll be an improvement. 

- SJK