A Week in Antigua: A Travel Story from Guatemala
In May 2023 we flew from Cancún to Guatemala City and took a shuttle to Antigua, the first stop in our second country of the trip. We planned two days and stayed a week. This is how it went, with the traffic jam, the Spanish lessons with our teachers Marina and Maritza and the volcano we climbed instead of the one we wanted.
Looking for the 10 best things to do, hotels and prices? Read our Antigua travel guide. This is the story of our week in Antigua
Arriving in Guatemala
After travelling through Mexico, we finally made it to our second country of the trip.
We flew from Cancún to Guatemala City and took a shuttle to Antigua. We had been told the journey would take around 40 minutes.
It took more than two hours.
Traffic was terrible, but eventually we arrived, and all the frustration disappeared pretty quickly when we started walking through Antigua. We immediately thought it might be the prettiest town we had seen in Latin America.
Two Days of Exploring
For the first two days, we simply wandered around.
There was no big plan. We walked through the old town, explored the markets, visited churches, stopped for coffee and tried different restaurants.
On day one we joined a free walking tour, which is a good way to get your bearings.
We loved discovering the gardens hidden behind the simple colonial facades. You could walk past a building without thinking much of it and then discover a beautiful courtyard once you entered.
And yes, we also found the beautiful Starbucks and McDonald’s.
A Week of Spanish
After two days, we decided to stay longer and spend a week learning Spanish. We had originally considered staying with a local family, but eventually chose private lessons in a beautiful garden at Antigüeña Spanish Academy.
My teacher was Marina, who was 70 years old. She understood my level very quickly and adapted the lessons accordingly. But the best part was that our conversations went far beyond Spanish grammar.
She told me stories about her life, Guatemala’s traditions and the country’s recent history. It made the lessons feel much more personal and gave me a completely different perspective on Guatemala. One evening, after the lesson, we had the chance to learn more about corn, in Spanish. It was more interesting than we initially thought, as corn is a main ingredient in the Guatemalan Cousine and they use different types of corn, not known to us in Europe.
Our Week in Antigua
Apart from the Spanish lessons, we didn’t do a huge amount.
And honestly, that was exactly what we wanted.
We spent our free time eating, having coffee, walking through the city and enjoying the atmosphere.
We stayed at Casa Capirucho, close to the Santa Catalina Arch, and our host Rodrigo gave us good tips.
Like, for example Ulew, a bar hidden inside an other bar. There you you do not decide about what to drink, they do. And you will love your drink in any case. Even if they do not meet exactly your taste, you will enjoy the whole experience very much.
After constantly moving from one destination to another during the trip, it felt good to stay in one place for a while.
Pacaya Instead of Acatenango
We had originally considered hiking Acatenango, but the weather wasn’t great and we didn’t think the conditions would allow us to properly enjoy the views of Fuego.
So we chose Pacaya instead.
The hike was still challenging, but completely worth it.
The volcanic landscape was fascinating, and running down the volcanic sand on the way back was one of the funniest moments of our stay.
Leaving Antigua
After our week of Spanish lessons, it was time to move on.
We left Antigua having learned a lot more than just some Spanish vocabulary.
We had spent time in a beautiful colonial city, learned about Guatemala from a local teacher, hiked a volcano and, most importantly, finally slowed down for a little while.
Next stop… San Marcos, Lago Atitlán
Planning your own trip? Our Antigua travel guide has the 10 best things to do, where to stay, transport and prices.
