GoGo
All UNESCO SitesGuatemala

Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala · Guatemala

Background

World Heritage since
1979
Type of site
Cultural
Colonial capital
1543–1773

Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century. Built 1,500 m above sea level in an earthquake-prone region, UNESCO says it was largely destroyed by the earthquake of 1773 but its principal monuments survive as ruins, and that in under three centuries the city, laid out on a grid inspired by the Italian Renaissance, acquired a number of superb monuments.

Capital from 1543 to 1773 under the name Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, it was ordered abandoned in 1776 after the capital moved to the new Guatemala City, and became the Old Guatemala. Wikivoyage says the ruins were declared a national monument in 1944 and that most sights lie within an eight-by-eight block grid crossed on foot in 15 minutes.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1543Santiago de los Caballeros becomes the capital
  2. 1773The Santa Marta earthquake destroys the city
  3. 1776The capital is ordered abandoned for Guatemala City
  4. 1944The ruins are declared a national monument
  5. 1979Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Santa Catalina Arch
    The yellow arch with Volcán de Agua behind it; the GoGo guide is there at sunrise.
  2. 2
    Parque Central and the Cathedral
    The main square and the cathedral ruins.
  3. 3
    Las Capuchinas and La Recolección
    The earthquake-ruined convents.
  4. 4
    La Merced
    The wedding-cake yellow church.
  5. 5
    Cerro de la Cruz
    The cross on the hill with the city and Agua below.
  6. 6
    San Francisco el Grande
    The cheapest of the ruins to enter, says Wikivoyage.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

An Hour from the Airport
Wikivoyage: Guatemala City's airport is 45 minutes to an hour by taxi or shuttle; there are no flights to Antigua.
Ruins Charge
Entrance fees for the ruins are steep apart from San Francisco, and signs are mostly in Spanish.
Safe in the Centre
Tourist police keep the centre safe by day; outside it and at night, do not show valuables.
Fifteen Minutes Across
The whole grid is walkable; the cobbles are rough.

Arch, Ruins and Volcano View

From the GoGo Antigua Guatemala guide · Open the Antigua Guatemala Guide ›

  1. 07:00
    Santa Catalina Arch at Sunrise30 min
    The arch and Volcán de Agua.
  2. 08:00
    Parque Central and the Cathedral1 hr
    The main square.
  3. 09:30
    Las Capuchinas Convent1 hr
    The ruined convent.
  4. 10:45
    La Recolección Ruins1 hr
    The collapsed church.
  5. 14:00
    Iglesia de La Merced45 min
    The yellow church.
  6. 16:00
    Cerro de la Cruz View75 min
    The city from the hill.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Nov–Feb. Rainy season May–Oct.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Sep (243 mm), driest Jan (5 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Tak'alik Ab'aj is 109 km away and Joya de Cerén in El Salvador 166 km; Lake Atitlán and Pacaya volcano are the day trips.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 65 · Wikipedia: Antigua Guatemala · Wikivoyage: Antigua Guatemala (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Antigua Guatemala guide · UNESCO listing