How to navigate: Antigua Guatemala Pocket Guide Swipe horizontally to navigate between pages. - 2017 Edition - Tap the globe icon to view links. Hello! Thank you for visiting OkAntigua.com and downloading this updated guide. I hope you find it useful and if you have comments, please let me know by sending me a message at [email protected]. By the way, we've also updated the Antigua Guatemala Tap images and maps in index to jump to each section: Travel Guide for 2017. If you enjoy the photos and info here, the travel guide has 10x the pages you'll find in this pocket guide. That's it for the intro message! Have fun and enjoy Antigua Guatemala, the greatest little colonial town I know. You're welcome to freely share thisAntigua guide! Pocket Guide Rich Polanco Our Top 10 Content Attractions - p.4 Know what places to put first on your list as must Maps see attractions in town. With hours and pricing info. Take your pick! Restaurants - p.12 Parque Central La Merced Church Want to know where to ◻The center of social life ◻Prettiest church in town. grab a bite? See our throughout the city's history. A Convent ruins next door are picks for breakfast, great place to meet locals and inexpensive, well marked, and lunch, and dinner. Know start your exploration. have beautiful views. which local dishes you Check out our MUST try. full color Antigua map Arco Santa Catalina Mercado de Artesanías with attractions ◻The iconic yellow arch along, ◻Find quality handicrafts and Shopping - p.24 with the Mayan pyramids of souvenirs. Want a good deal Whether shopping for (p.10-11). Tikal, is Guatemala's most though? Bring your bargaining souvenirs, or for the best high-end fashion, this recognizable landmark. skills, or learn on the job. section has what you're looking for. Cerro de la Cruz El Mercado ◻This hill, directly north of the ◻An overload of the senses. Come city, offers a breathtaking view explore, see fruits you've never Practical Info - p.26 of the city and surrounding seen before, and watch locals go Check out our safety tips, volcanoes. about their daily lives. how to use local transportation, and other useful info every visitor Here for Lent or Santo Domingo del Cerro Las Capuchinas Ruins should know. Holy Week? Beautiful gardens with Explore one of the most ◻numerous art exhibits - indoor ◻interesting ruins in the city. Learn Our maps will and outdoor, aviary, zipline, about the lives of cloistered nuns help you find playground, and restaurant. in colonial Antigua. the right church Lent & Holy Week - p.32 Plan your visit to Antigua's in a cinch. world-famous celebrations. San Francisco Church Museums Promenade Dates and location info so ◻Rebuilt, it houses the tomb of ◻By far the best museums in the you can plan your visit Guatemala's only canonized city and housed inside ruins of accordingly. saint, Hermano Pedro. Convent one of the grandest convents in ruins and museum onsite. the Americas. the arch once belonged to is now a hotel/restaurant. Now closed to the public, the arch once served as a Attractions passageway for cloistered nuns and connected sections of the convent on opposite sides of the street. Location: 5a Avenida Norte (1) Parque Central (3) Cerro de la Cruz The meeting place for tourist and locals and an excellent place to people watch. Jacaranda trees bloom with purple Magnificent views of Antigua and nearby volcanos. flowers during Lent season. Livens up on weekends with Not much else there, but worth the trip. street performers and traditional marimba music. Location: Entrance on 1a Avenida Norte Location: 4a/5a Avenida & 4a/5a Calle Hours: Daylight hours only - not safe at night (2) Arco Santa Catalina (4) Santo Domingo del Cerro One of Guatemala's iconic landmarks. Part of the convent Great place to spend a few hours walking. Has many 5 sections, each displaying interesting art. My favorite is (6) La Merced Church the outdoor art gallery featuring works by Efraín Recinos, Guatemala's most renowned artist. There's also a nice, one-room museum, displaying personal belongings of the late Miguel Asturias, Guatemala's Nobel Prize winning writer. Adjacent, there's another recipient, room housing personal effects used by Pope John Paul II during his last visit to the country. There's a playground, an aviary, and new canopy rides. View of surrounding volcanoes is excellent. White-tablecloth restaurant Tenedor del Cerro is an excellent place to enjoy breakfast. Admission is free - take Hotel Museo Casa Santo Its beautiful yellow façade and arabesque relief make Domingo's free shuttle up to the restaurant (dining this church one of Antigua's most striking buildings. there not required). Parking is Q10 if driving up. Take a self-guided tour, in English, of the convent's Location: Take shuttle at 3a Calle Oriente #28A ruins for outstanding volcano views and the largest Hours: 7am-10pm. Closed Mondays fountain in Central America. Location: 1a Calle Poniente, 6a Avenida Norte Hours: Convent - Q15 (8am-6pm), Church (5) San Francisco Church (7am-8pm) (7) Mercado de Artesanias This church is one of the country's most important pilgrimage places - Hermano Pedro's resting place is here and a museum housing his personal effects. Antigua doesn't lack for handicrafts sellers. Choose Location: 1a Avenida Sur Hours: Museum - Q5 wisely - it means the difference between a bargain and (9am to 4:30pm), Church (6:15am to 6:15pm) overpaying four times as much for the same trinket. 7 Many shops sell mass produced knickknacks and Chinese "Maya textiles" knockoffs, but if you're looking for above average stuff, the Mercado de Artesanias is a good place to start. You'll have the chance to meet the actual artisans who make what they sell. Bargain hard - prices first quoted can be as high as three times above what the sellers are willing to settle for. Location: 4a Calle Poniente, Cda Santa Lucia Hours: 7am to 10pm - Closed Monday Location:2a Calle Oriente/ 2a Avenida Norte Hours: Daily, 9am to 5pm - Q40 p/p (8) Mercado Central (10) Museums Promenade A disorienting overload of sight, sound and smells. The Mercado is crowded during official days Tour six museums inside Hotel Casa Santo (Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays). Visit between Domingo. See colonial and Maya art, archeological 7am - 3pm. Stay away from empty alleys and mind findings and crypts in what was once Antigua's largest your pockets. convent. Location: Behind Alameda Santa Lucia Location: 3a Calle Oriente #28A Hours: Every day from 7am to 6pm Hours: Daily, 9am to 6pm - Q40 p/p (9) Las Capuchinas Convent Want more? Then check out our digital guide on the next page. Ruins with an interesting architecture - its circular cells are thought to be the first apartment building in the Americas. 9 3 1 - Parque Central 2 - Santa Catalina Arch 3 - Cerro de la Cruz ©OpenStreetMap 4 - Santo Domingo del Cerro Contributors 5 - San Francisco Church 2 6 - La Merced Church 7 - Handicrafts Market 6 The 9Case 8 - Mercado Central 9 - Capuchinas Convent for Slow Travel. 10 - Museums Promenade 2 Vacations are Out, 2Immersive Travel 8 Is Back In. 1 0 7 1 5 Accessible via shuttle 4 Top Antigua Attactions 11 Where to Eat Entre Campanas Antigua Guatemala is a great place for foodies. There are over 150 eating establishments here, most within walking distance of each other. Here are some we consider to be the best of the best: Price Guide $ = Under Q50 ($6.25) $$ = Dishes are Q50 - Q100 ($6.25 - $12.50) $$$ = Dishes Q100 - Q150 ($12.50 - $18.75) $$$$ = Over Q150 (Over $18.75) Breakfast Panadería Santa Clara: Bakery/restaurant popular Rainbow Cafe: Open for breakfast to dinner. with locals. Restaurant next dooroffers varied Vegan & gluten-free options. Live music on breakfast options. Has a covered terrace. (2a Avenida weekends, open mike nights Wednesdays. (7am Sur #24). $ Avenida Sur #8). $ Doña Luisa Xicontecatl: Bakery/restaurant - try the Cafe Condesa: Strong coffee, great omelets. banana bread. Breakfast is great as are lunch Serving breakfast all day! Sunday brunch. (5a options. (4a Calle Oriente #12). $ Avenida, across Parque Central). $ Fernando's Kaffe: Great coffee and chocolate. Tenedor del Cerro: Visit on a clear day to gaze at Limited menu. Good WiFi too. (7am Avenida Norte the volcanoes in the distance. Free shuttle from and Callejon Camposeco). $ Hotel Casa Santo Domingo. (Closed Mondays). $ $ (Rating is for breakfast prices). Y Tu Piña También: Best vulgarly named English muffin sandwiches. Friendly staff. Bacon pancakes Entre Campanas: Restaurant inside Hotel Los and a Sunday brunch. (1a Avenida Sur #10B and 6a Pasos serves up a popular 2x1 breakfast special Calle). $ every day. (9a Calle Oriente #19). $ 13 Lunch Dinner Hector's: Tiny French-inspired restaurant. New Por Que No? Cafe (Why Not? Cafe): Tiny, owners, but still ranks as one of the best. (1a quirky restaurant. Good steak, quesadillas and Calle Poniente #9A). $$ burritos. Good place to stand around with a beer and chat with friendly folks. (2da Avenida Quinchos Mariscos / Hugo's Ceviches: Try Sur #9a). $$ ceviche (Guatemalan seafood cocktail) and micheladas (beer + tomato juice + lime + hot COMO COMO: New location! Run by a sauce cocktail). Hugo's restaurant has a Belgian couple, this gastropub serves a variety playpen for kids and free WiFi. Both $$. of pasta and meat dishes. (2a Avenida Sur #10). Hugo's Restaurant: 7a Calle Poniente #11 $$$ - Closed Mondays Quinchos Restaurant: Calz. Santa Lucía #5 Bistrot Cinq: French bistro. Big wine list and Sobremesa: Unicorn steak! Gourmet ice cream! absinthe. Sunday brunch. Lunch and dinner.