Guatemala’s tourist showcase is home to a magnificent colonial heritage. It is built on a grid pattern, at an altitude of 1 500 m at the foot of Pacaya volcano, and bears the traces of earlier earthquakes.

Antigua (also called Antigua Guatemala) was founded in 1543 by the Spanish conquistadors and has inherited a superb colonial style from these times. UNESCO did not fail to recognise this important testament to the history of Central America and included the town on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. Antigua was the former capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala and was built, like many colonial towns, on a grid pattern. The streets, lined with Baroque and Renaissance buildings, cut across each other at right angles around the central square. A simple stroll through its streets will take you to the former National Palace, the finely worked façade of the Church of La Merced, the ancient fountain and St Catherine’s Arch, spanning one of the main streets. Unfortunately, several earthquakes, like the 1976 quake, have destroyed many buildings and, as you stroll round the town, you will see the vanished beauty of former colonial dwellings. Indeed, it was after the 1773 earthquake that the Spanish authorities decided to move the centre of power to the current capital, Guatemala City. Antigua, with its 40 000 inhabitants, is also a trade and commercial city. Its streets, with their brightly painted casetas (houses), at the foot of the Pacaya volcano, are home to specialist chocolate makers and several language schools. Many North Americans come to learn Spanish in Antigua. In the outskirts of the town, the countryside has a reputation for its excellent coffee. Several plantations offer guided tours.