The instantly surprising thing about Antigua was the blistering heat which scorched us as we stepped out of the shuttle bus. It was a stark contrast to the constant rain we had adapted to in Lanquin and definitely not something to complain about, even if it did make carrying our bags a more advanced task. Neatly rowed colourful houses, which in fact had a slightly european feel to them, looked delicately structured but additionally well crafted and aligned with not surprisingly, cobbled streets. Attractive as these cobbles are they become tainted by the difficulty they cause in wheeling a suitcase. Usually wheels on a rucksack are a godsend although this terrain was not adhering to such thoughts. The group we had spent time with in Lanquin had all ventured to Antigua, so we headed out for dinner and drinks together. Unfortunately we were one member down due to poor decision making and drinking tap water in Lanquin….backpackers…DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER! You have been warned. We ate burgers and pizzas at Sunset Terrace, the night sky glowed with distant lightening as we sipped on cocktails. Eager for another beverage we headed to the recommended Café No Se to continue our evening. Lit only by candlelight, this quirky bar is definitely worth a visit. Obscure artefacts including dolls, rocking chairs and posters are the décor of this venue offering a slightly eerie sense. In order to reach the second bar you must duck down through a doorway that resembles the one Alice could not fit through to access wonderland. A few drinks down and we headed back to our hotel, this time two crew members down as Elliot had already left feeling unwell-dropping like flies at this rate. We had only been in our room a few minutes when Marion knocked for anything that will help settle stomachs as unfortunately Elliot was very sick. This is the non glamorous side to travelling that at some point we all experience, every backpacker we have ever encountered can tell you a tale about the more literal ‘travel bug’. We said goodbye to Marion with various pills, remedies and well wishes for Elliot, whilst at the same time crossing our fingers that we won’t soon be enduring the same fate.

The next morning we explored Antigua in our usual duo, as our new friends had set off for a different destination. We ventured around observing the Cathedral and various churches, appreciating their beautifully tainted architecture. Even the ruins of such churches had a delicacy to their time stained walls, gracefully tainted over time with a thousand secrets and stories woven into each brick. A different view around every corner, it felt that we had experienced every angle of Antigua by the end of the day. It is one of those places that is as picturesque as the postcards. A natively friendly town, we felt extremely safe and at ease here.

Most travellers opt to do the overnight trek of the Volcano, we had heard enticing stories of camping overnight and being able to look inside an active volcano, steam hitting your face and lava bubbling below. Tempting as this sounded, we decided to keep our walking boots off and hold out until Nicaragua to go ascending up volcanoes. Although if you have enough time we would strongly encourage you to allow temptation to lure you up the Volcano in Antigua, as we have heard nothing but good reports from fellow travellers.

A place recommended to us by a previous Guatemalan local was Rainbow Café. It had a quirky hipster vibe, impressive artwork filled the walls and it’s menu was inviting. Pancakes freshly made with fruit and drowned in maple syrup. We met a friendly English guy, also once a fellow backpacker until he walked into Rainbow Café and met his wife-aww! He gave us some great tips for San Pedro and got us excited at the thought of what he described as ‘the best croissants’ from a so called italian bakery.

Our time in Antigua was short and sweet, representative of this blog post. Highly recommended to all types of traveller, if you visit Guatemala the city is a must for your list. We also heard great things about the Spanish schools, and both agreed that if we had the time and the funds to learn ourselves, then we would want to reside in Antigua whilst doing so. It is more westernised, you will notice high street shopping brands and fast food restaurants, but nevertheless it definitely remains unspoilt and native to Guatemala

Find out about our next adventure at Lake Atitlan

Jonny and Hayley 🙂