Antigua, Guatemala: Best Things to Do, Where to Eat, and Stay

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Antigua is a very popular city for digital nomads, and after leaving I definitely understand why! It has everything you need from a bigger city, while it still maintains the charm of a small town. My guess is that you’ll probably consider staying longer as well.

I’ve put together a guide with my favorite spots in Antigua—what to do, where to eat, where to stay, and why this colorful little city should definitely be on your Guatemala itinerary.

If you’re anything like me you want the best parts first, so let's skip right to the best things to do. If you need more practical tips like the best places to eat, where to stay and how to get there you will find all that further down the guide.

Best Things to Do in Antigua, Guatemala

Climb a volcano or two

Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes, and if you’re even a little bit outdoorsy, you have to hike a volcano. There are multiple hikes to do and the most famous ones are Acatenango and Pacaya. The hike up Acatenango requires an overnight stay and is definitely a hard hike. However hard it is, the view from the top, especially as the sun rises, is absolutely insane! How hard it is really depends on how you handle the altitude. We were four people traveling together where two of us had trouble and two didn’t. You really don’t know until you try.

If that doesn’t sound like something for you then Pacaya might be a good option. I hiked Acatenango and that was more than enough, so I can’t give any personal details about Pacaya, but I’ve heard it’s a great option if Acatenango seems a bit too much.

👉🏻 Guided tours to Pacaya

👉🏻 Guided tours to Acatenango

Hiking Acatenango Volcano: My Hour-by-Hour Breakdown of Guatemala’s Most Epic Adventure

Wander the streets aimlessly

Antigua is made for wandering. The streets are lined with pastel buildings, old ruins, lively squares and some wonderful views. Walk without a plan—you’ll find colonial churches, quiet courtyards, and maybe a new favorite café around every corner. If you want a plan then you’ll find some of my favorites below. Or you can choose to go for a guided walking tour to learn some of the history along the way.

👉🏻 Guided Walking tour in Antigua

Arco de Santa Catalina

It’s the icon of Antigua for a reason. The view with the volcano in the background is amazing and it feels just like stepping into a postcard. This is the most popular spot in Antigua so if you for some reason want to see it without the crowds you should get there early in the morning. And by all means avoid it on Sundays before Easter, which is when we visited and the whole city filled up with Easter parades. Definitely a fun experience though!

Explore the ruins

Antigua is packed with beautiful ruins and you can easily fill up a whole day just exploring some of them. My favourites were Iglesia de San Francisco, Convento Santa Clara, La Recolección, and Convento de las Capuchinas which are all very well preserved with beautiful gardens surrounding the ruins. They all have a small entrance fee so if you’re on a tight budget maybe choose one or two you prefer to visit.

Marvel at the beautiful churches

There are so many stunning churches to explore in Antigua that you will probably get tired of churches after a while. However, here are my favorites that I don’t think you should miss - Iglesia de la Merced and San Jose Cathedral Antigua. When you visit the Iglesia de la Merced make sure to walk to the top for an amazing view of the city and the Santa Catalina Arch.

People-watch at the Parque Central

This beautiful park in the center of Antigua is perfect for relaxing and people watching. You will find vendors selling everything from handmade chocolate, coffee and ice cream. This is a perfect place to start you day in Antigua.

Shop at the local markets

Head to the Mercado Municipal for everything from fresh fruit to handmade textiles. I’m usually not a huge fan of souvenir markets, but this one was actually pretty good and even had decent prices. If I wasn’t travelling full time I definitely would have picked up something to take home. They sell everything from art, handmade Mayan clothing, leather goods to things you might need for your Acatenango trek.

Do a coffee tour and/ or Chocolate workshop

Unfortunately I was sick the day we had planned to do this so I had to skip it, but my friends went and had a blast! There are a couple of places in the city you can do chocolate workshops, but we found a farm outside the city that was stunning and had both a coffee tour and a chocolate making workshop. I’m truly sad I missed it because it looked amazing! The farm is called Finca la Azotea. Just send them a what’s app message and arrange for a time and date. It’s easy to take an uber there from the city. If you just want to stay in the city another option is the ChocoMusco where you can also do a chocolate workshop. Alternatively if you want a guided tour with transport included there are lots of options to choose from.

👉🏻 Guided chocolate tours

👉🏻 Guided Coffee tours

See the city from above

As mentioned above you will get an amazing view of the town if you head up the Mercado church. For a more adventurous view you can choose to hike up to Cerro de la Cruz. I’ve heard it’s amazing for sunset. We had way too much clouds every evening for us to attempt the sunset view, but it’s nice to know in case you have better luck with the weather. The trip is supposed to take around 25 min each way. If hiking isn’t your thing you can also opt to do a sunset ATV tour up here. I personally haven’t done it, but I’ve heard its super fun!

👉🏻 Guided ATV Sunset tour

Hobbitenango

This is another ting I unfortunately missed when I was sick. I really wanted to go here so this gives me a great excuse to come back some day! Hobbitenango is a theme park inspired by Tolkiens fantasy realm from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it’s just a 20 minute drive from Antigua.

Yes, it has lots of different activities you can do like axe throwing, archery and a huge swing. However, I was mostly looking forward to it for the views of Panchoy Valley and the surrounding volcanoes.

Flores, Guatemala: Best Things to Do, Where to Eat & Stay

Where to Eat in Antigua

I always do my very best to test as many places as possible, but it’s impossible to try it all. I therefore have a mixed list of places I’ve tried and loved as well as a few places I’ve got recommended or have saved in my maps and want to try.

Cactus Antigua

This is a very small restaurant, but the food is delicious.The first time we came here they were full so either make a reservation for dinner or come slightly earlier. They have some of the best Mexican food I had in Guatemala.

El Depósito

Go here either for a drink at their rooftop or for some delicious food. It’s on the pricier side, but the food was really good!

Cafe Boheme

One of my favorite breakfast or lunch spots! They have a super charming rooftop terrace and the food is delicious. They have lots of different bowls and salads that taste amazing.

Antigua Brewing Co.

We only had beer and snacks here, but the rooftop is amazing and you get a beautiful view of the city. They make their own beer so if you are a beer-lover this is a place for you.

Café Condesa

Great for brunch and a slice of pie. Located right on the main square, it’s got a cozy courtyard to enjoy your coffee.

La Pasta Nostre

Pasta, pasta and pasta! They probably have every kind of pasta there is! And the food was super delicious. So if you need a break from the Central American food this is a great option.

Here are some other options I didn’t have time to try, bit really wanted to:

• Frida’s
• 7A Norte Pizzeria
• Café Sky bar
• Ulew Cocktail bar

Where to Stay in Antigua

As a full time traveler I don’t always have the opportunity to book my stays ahead of time so sometimes I don’t get my first pick. I only recommend a hotel I’ve stayed at if I genuinely thought it was a good deal. Other options listed are hotels I’ve researched or gotten recommended and personally would’ve booked if they were available depending on my budget.

We stayed at Hotel La Galeria en Antigua which was just what we needed. A very cute and quiet hotel with a lovely breakfast. It’s on the outskirts of the city, but we didn’t find the walk to be any problem. You can check prices and availability for it here.

Other popular Hotels in Antigua

💰 Budget:

Maya Papaya

Popular Hostel in the heart of Antigua with fresh and clean rooms, great reviews and breakfast included.

Yellow house hostel

One of the most popular Hostels in Antigua. Located a short walk from the Catalina Arches. Breakfast is included and has great reviews.

Casi Casa

Another nice Hostel option. This has all amenities you need, including a pool. Located in the heart of the city.

Barbaras Boutique Hotel

Another highly rated Hostel in Antigua. The rooms are spacious and pretty. Guests can enjoy movie nights at the terrace or a lovely breakfast.

💰💰 Mid-range:

Ojala

This is a highly rated Hotel with a beautiful terrace and garden to relax in. Located nicely in the center of Antigua.

Cacao Boutique Hotel

A beautiful Boutique Hotel located on the outskirts of the city center.

💰💰💰Boutique & Luxury:

El Convento Boutique Hotel

This hotel has beautiful and rustic rooms, a lovely pool outside and a restaurant inside as well as a great location.

Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santa Domingo

Each room is decorated with works of art from renowned local artists as well as beautiful and detailed artistic weavings. You will also have a beautiful pool as well as a restaurant in the former convent. A true gem in Antigua.

Porta Hotel Antigua

I kept walking past this hotel and thinking «WOW». This looks like the dreamiest stay if you want a little luxury in Antigua.

How to get to Antigua?

Antigua is maybe the easiest place to get to from most places in Central America. I think almost every city we visited in the nearby countries advertised shuttles to Antigua. So getting to and from Antigua really won’t be a problem.

We headed straight to Antigua from the airport. You can prebook shuttles here. If you’re in any other city you might save a little bit by booking directly with the tour operators. Trust me, they’re everywhere. If you’re coming from Flores I do recommend flying, but other than that shuttles might be your best option. There is also the possibility of taking a local bus, often called a Chicken bus. They are pretty popular, but I personally think there are way too many accidents where these buses are involved to justify the cost over safety.

From other cities in Guatemala

If you’re just traveling within Guatemala you can easily find shuttles from places like Panajachel and San Pedro on Lake Atitlan or Lanquin, Guatemala City or El Paredon.

From neighboring countries

You can easily get shuttles here to. Of course you can opt to fly, but you will most likely have to have s stopover in Panama City which is a bit unnecessary. You can catch a shuttle to Antigua from La Ceiba or Copan Ruinas in Honduras, Santa Ana or El Tunco in El Salvador, and even directly from Leon in Nicaragua. However, I don’t recommend that last one because its crazy long and you’ll be missing out on two wonderful countries in Central America that despite their reputation for higher crime rates than Guatemala, really are wonderful countries to visit!

Transport in Antigua

Most likely you will be walking for most of the time. However if you need it, there are Ubers or Tuk-Tuks you can use here.

Final Thoughts: Why I Loved Antigua

Antigua is one of those places that balances charm and energy perfectly. You can spend your days hiking volcanoes and your evenings sipping wine in candlelit courtyards. It’s beautiful, it’s affordable, and it’s the kind of town you think about long after you leave.

Whether you’re here for a weekend or a few weeks, Antigua deserves a top spot on your Guatemala itinerary.