Walk Antigua Like A Local

Casa Mandarina

Main Square

This park or "town square" is the heart of Antigua. It is surrounded by the Municipal building, Palace, important religious building, and The Cathedral. During the colonial Spanish time, it became the principal meeting point and place of reference. It is the center of activity day or night. It has lots of venders and people all day long. On the weekends it livens up even more. Great place for people watching or to grab a cup of coffee or juice.

San Francisco & Hno. Pedro Museum

After being abandoned, it was damaged by the earthquakes of 1874 and 1917. The church was rebuilt during the second half of the twentieth century, after the Guatemalan state allowed the regular orders to have property in the country again. The church was returned to Franciscan friars in 1960, who began a controversial restoration process, as they focused on rebuilding a structurally healthy church. Our visit is particularly taken to discover the tomb of Pedro de San José de Betancur, the only Saint of Guatemala, a Franciscan monk who founded a hospital for the poor in Antigua. San Francisco Church is one of the biggest attractions in the city and is an opportunity see a restored colonial church.

Santo Domingo Restoration

In the seventeenth century, the Convent of Santo Domingo was one of the largest in America, and in 1773, the Santa Marta earthquake destroyed it almost entirely. Progressively, Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santo Domingo emerged where each corner is a page lost in time that joins others to form a beautiful chapter of the great book of our history.

La Merced Church Frontage

La Iglesia de la Merced is a Catholic church located in the city of Antigua Guatemala in Guatemala. La Merced Church in Antigua stands out for its Baroque-style architecture. One of the unique things about the church is the low height of its two bell towers - it is designed to withstand the frequent tremors in Guatemala.

Santa Catarina Arch street

The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the distinguishable landmarks in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. Built in the 17th century, it originally connected the Santa Catalina convent to a school, allowing the cloistered nuns to pass from one building to the other without going out on the street. On a clear day, you can see the entire Volcán de Agua through the arch—an appropriately dramatic background for such a historic landmark.

Chocolate Museum

Learn about the history of cacao, the cacao tree and cacao in Guatemala. ChocoMuseo has its own artisanal chocolate factory which makes chocolate from organic Guatemalan cacao beans.

Jade Museum

Jade has been used to make a variety of products, and has acquired the reputation of being a good luck charm. For more than 5,000 years in China and Mesoamerica, jade has been used as material to manufacture utensils and ornaments; It has also been used to make weapons and tools due to its hardness and resistance.