Antigua Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Antigua, Central Highlands, Guatemala)

Antigua is all about old buildings and churches. It is not to everyone's taste and families with young kids may find it tough going, yet those with a penchant for monuments, ruins and churches will have a ball, with plenty of historic tourist attractions awaiting visitors.

The Casa Popenoe, the Convento de las Capuchinas (Capuchin Convent) and the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Captain General's Palace) are all noted old attractions in the city, while the Antigua Market is good for handicrafts on a Monday, Thursday, or Saturday.

The Parque Central (Central Park) is a popular tourist hangout during the day and is a pleasant spot for walking, people-watching and for escaping the afternoon heat, being flanked by many attractive buildings.

Guided Tours

If you want to quickly acquaint yourself with the offerings of the city, then a tour of some description is the simplest way to begin your explorations. A good place to start a self-guided walking tour is to catch a taxi to the northerly Cerro de La Cruz, an elevated spot with great views of the city and the Volcan Agua volcano. From here, follow the downwards pathway to the:

• Iglesia de la Candelaria - a historic ruined church with many interesting features remaining
• Templo de Santa Rosa de Lima - a small and very pretty church, with an ornate facade
• Las Capuchinas - an old church and convent known for its unusual tower
• Iglesia El Carmen - featuring a line of imposing columns and conveniently located alongside the city's popular handicrafts market
• Convento de Santa Teresa - a handsome building formerly used as a local prison
• Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Merced - boasting a bright yellow bell tower
• Arco de Santa Catalina - the leftovers of a convent from the 17th century
• Parque Central - a green oasis packed with attractions and surrounded by ostentatious buildings
• Palacio del Ayuntamiento - the City Hall, with great views available from its balcony
• Catedral de Santiago - a famous city landmark with a history spanning some five centuries
• Universidad de San Carlos - the city's university, home of the Museum of Colonial Art
• Tanque de La Union - a spacious plaza with lots of palm trees and street vendors selling cheap eats
• Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara - another church, where a peaceful cloister and convent reside
• Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco - a busy complex, where the tomb of Hermano Pedro is a particular draw card

If you have less time on your hands, then consider opting for a guided tour starting from the Parque Central, taking in a number of convents, churches and museums along the way. Cultural walking tours are also available and last around three hours, being best booked up at the Antigua Tours office.
Open hours: daily - hours vary according to guides and tour
Admission: free, charge for guides

Captain General's Palace (Palacio de los Capitanes Generales)

Address: Calle 5a Poniente, Antigua, Guatemala, GT
The Captain's Palace (Palacio de los Capitanes) is located within the Parque Central and hails from 1558, being a major political player during its day. Surprisingly for many, this was actually originally the nerve centre for the whole of Central America in the 1700s, yet today the palace is a humble tourist office and police station. The grand arcaded facade does, however, suggest otherwise, and in recent years the building has enjoyed much restoration work.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Antigua Market (Calz de Santa Lucia Sur)

Address: Calle 4a, Antigua, Guatemala, GT
Located between the Avenida de la Recoleccion and Calzada de Santa Lucia, within the city centre, is the funky Antigua Market. This bustling, colourful market sees locals come in from surrounding villages to ply their wares. You can pick-up some natty Guatemalan items, but do bear in mind that things tend to be rather marked up for tourists, with little variation in products. Although this may not be the best place to pick up holiday souvenirs, the adjacent Craft Market (Mercado de Artesanias) comes with an abundance of gift ideas.
Open hours: Monday, Thursday, Saturday
Admission: free

Capuchin Convent (Convento de las Capuchinas)

Address: Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza, 2a Avenida Norte / Calle 2a Oriente, Antigua, Guatemala, GT
Tel: +502 7832 0184
The Convento de las Capuchinas, to the north of the Plaza Mayor (Parque Central), hails from the 1730s and is a stunning convent. Although abandoned after Antigua's hefty earthquake of 1773, when the resident nuns fled to safer pastures, the structure has been thoroughly renovated and remains sound, offering an insight into the lives that the nuns once led, when they ran a orphanage and hospital from this very convent. Las Capuchinas comes with beautiful gardens and courtyards, and an intriguing tower-like structure where the nuns once lived, while the views of the city from the roof are unrivalled.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for students and children under 12

Casa Popenoe

Address: 1a Avenida Sur 2, Antigua, Guatemala, GT
Tel: +502 7832 3087
This cute home from the 1630s was built by Don Luis de las Mendoza and taken on by William Popenoe in the 1920s. It sat for more than a century and a half in disrepair following the 1773 earthquake, although today has been beautifully restored. A visit to the Casa Popenoe will allow you to step back into 17th-century Antigua, for an authentic taster of how royalty must have once lived.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 14:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge

Central Park (Parque Central)

Address: Parque Central, Antigua, Guatemala, GT
Central Park (the Parque Central or Plaza Mayor) resides in the heart of the city and is a sizeable, leafy haven to head to. The park features a network of paths with lots of tree cover and fountains, and also has several noted colonial structures flanking it. The most obvious of these include the Palacio del Ayuntamiento (City Hall), the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales and the Santiago Cathedral, as well as many eateries, touristy shops and an outlet of Antigua Tours - within the Cafe El Portal.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free