But, that’s how the cookie crumbled, and now that I’ve picked up the pieces, I’m here to share with you seven travel mistakes I made in Guatemala. May these help you to avoid traveling as I did in Guatemala – or wherever – and plan it better than me!

This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated for the accuracy of links and content.

Note: If you are traveling to Guatemala and came to this post to learn how to travel in Guatemala, this is probably not the article for you. You’ll get some pointers contextually, but this article is less about Guatemala and more about a bunch of mistakes I made, for better or worse.

7 Travel Mistakes I did in Guatemala

Not Researching Enough

Funny thing: I got by well in my first decade or so of full-time travel without particularly researching the place I was about to visit. Instead, I followed my nose when an opportunity presented itself, (usually in the form of creative/free accommodation) – perhaps house-sitting, volunteering, filming a tv show (no, really! That happened – a few times), or just visiting friends. From there, the rest of the trip would somewhat organically unfold.

But more recently, I’ve strayed away from free accommodation gigs, as I’ve wanted a bit more freedom; the kind of freedom that tending to somebody else’s home and pets can’t offer.

In some ways, it has introduced a whole new set of travel difficulties; difficulties that most “normal” travelers are probably accustomed to facing and know how to circumvent – such as the very ordinary difficulties of booking accommodation. This exercise in having my travel stripes stripped off has been humbling, to say the least. Here are a few of the ways that not researching enough got me into trouble in Guatemala.

Booking Accommodation in the Wrong Place on Lake Atitlan

After almost a month in  Antigua, Guatemala where my boyfriend and I ate ourselves silly and enjoyed the ambiance of this UNESCO-rated walkable town, we headed to Lake Atitlan where we had reserved an AirBnB in a residential area of Panajachel.

While our Guatemala travel itinerary was already on the rocks (for reasons that will become clear later), arriving at Panajachel was the end of the line.

Lake Atitlan is rumored to be one of the most gorgeous lakes in the world; on par with Italy’s Lake Como. Lake Atitlan (which is an ancient caldera of a volcano) is dotted with small towns rich in Mayan history and traditions, many of which are only accessible by boat, and which feature unique indigenous languages/dialects and cultures.

Unfortunately, researching a destination from afar isn’t easy, and it was difficult to determine which town on Lake Atitlan was best to commit to as a base for two months. (Committing to a base for two months from afar was also a travel mistake, but we’ll get to that later).

Our research revealed that Panajachel was the most popular town on Lake Atitlan for tourists. It is the best town in terms of accessibility (which felt important for ease of getting in and out), as well as having facilities like well-stocked grocery stores and other accoutrements of a comfortable life. Panajachel is also the largest town but appeared to be pretty small on a map, still allowing me to conjure up visions of a quaint picturesque lakeside town.

So we booked an AirBnB in a residential area of Panajachel, resting assured that we would be staying in a very quiet area that would be comfortable for a little personal retreat of sorts.

Problem is, no sooner than the place was booked, did a gaggle of people come out of the woodwork (many of whom were Guatemalan) with disapproving scowls on their faces.

None of them liked Panajachel as a destination (for various reasons), but given that I’d already made the arrangements, they shrugged and said it would be a good place as a base for exploring other towns on the lake. It wasn’t the best of Guatemala, but it would do, they supposed.

They were right. Panajachel did nothing for me. I was staying on the opposite side of a river that runs just beside Panajachel’s center, and there were clouds of smoke from people burning their garbage on the river’s banks; the river itself is a giant excavation site for sand. 

By mid-afternoon, the smoke was so thick I couldn’t even see the gigantic volcanoes on the other sides of the lake. None of this was particularly attractive….or aromatic (or healthy).

I later learned that Panajachel is the center of commerce and a destination for weekenders from Guatemala city who want to drink and party. It’s a jumping-off point for every other town on Lake Atitlan. But for the most part, it’s not the place to stay.

WHAT I LEARNED: Feel free to book a place in Panajachel, but more as a place to stay on your way into or out of other towns around Lake Atitlan. Towns to consider (and research!) include San Pedro, San Marcos, Santiago Atitlan, and San Juan.

Not Checking the News

I seldom check travel alerts, because generally speaking if you take them too seriously you’ll never leave the house. However, after buying my travel insurance for the trip, I received a list of travel alerts. Volcan de Fuego had been acting up recently; not only that, but the latest eruption was act two – it erupted violently earlier in the year, killing 200 people. Not only that, but Volcan de Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America, and is near to Antigua, where we were staying for almost a month.

I evacuated Bali for less volcanic activity than this.

So in the weeks leading up to our departure, I seriously considered pulling the plug on the trip. I asked a few questions via email to some people living in Antigua, and they blew off my concerns, ultimately convincing me to disregard the beginnings of a wee inner voice urging me to cancel the trip.

Volcanoes aside, when my Dad (and others) said they’d seen Guatemala in the news and that it wasn’t good, I also blew that off, dismissing the headlines as being about dramas near the border to Mexico that I would have been unaffected by.

But when my Guatemalan friend in Toronto emailed me the night before I was to leave, saying there were political troubles and that rumors indicated there would be a coup and state of emergency, I wavered. 

By the following morning, she replied to my rapid-fire questions by saying it seemed the rumors were just rumors, and that I would be fine even if there was trouble – which would be isolated to Guatemala city.

While I did persevere in taking the trip, my inner voice was developing some actual ammunition for not being in Guatemala.

WHAT I LEARNED: I still don’t read travel alerts. But in the future, if I’m visiting a country I’m not already very familiar with, I’ll do a quick search for that country/destination in the news, just in case there’s something I need to know that would affect my decision to go.

Random Rookie Travel Mistakes

While the mistakes above fall into the overall category of not researching enough, I don’t necessarily categorize them as rookie mistakes – especially since my little head-in-the-sand and free-accommodation approaches served me well for so many years.

But the travel mistakes below? Yeah, I have no excuse.

Booking Too Much, Too Far in Advance

When I lived in the Sacred Valley of  Peru, I watched travelers of all ilks come through the area. Some were on short fixed-duration vacations requiring efficient use of time; thus, their trips were pretty intricately planned. No problemo.

Other travelers were on much longer trips; it was common to meet people who had dedicated up to a year for a big trip around Central/South America. These people would arrive at the Sacred Valley of Peru and fall in love with the place (as I did). But because some were on a tight schedule, they couldn’t stay, much as they were desperate to. I could tell how far into their trip they were by the physical evidence of travel fatigue; dark circles under their eyes and slumped shoulders from bearing their backpacks for too long without enough rest.

These people overbooked their trips to see everything everywhere, allowing no flexibility to rest and/or take more time in a particularly magical place.

While I didn’t pack my trip to Guatemala with too much activity, I did create too many “commitments” too far in advance. With 90 days in mind, I booked the first month in Antigua, and the remaining two on Lake Atitlan in Panajachel. The division of time between Antigua and Panajachel was arbitrary; my thought being that Antigua would be the more active of destinations, and Panajachel would be a quiet lovely retreat type of experience.

As you’ve already read, Panajachel was the wrong choice of destination on Lake Atitlan; on top of that, the accommodation itself left a lot to be desired; it wasn’t quiet, the bed was minuscule, there was no comfortable seating or workspace (ergonomics is very important for digital nomads), and the place smelled of mold.

Had other factors (to be divulged later on) not been in play, I might have been able to bear – enjoy, even – this accommodation in Panajachel. But as it turned out, it was the final straw pushing us to cancel the entire trip. Problem was, we were at the mercy of a hefty cancellation policy, and despite staying only two of the eight booked weeks, we had to pay for four weeks.

WHAT I LEARNED: I already knew what I learned; it was simply an unsavory reminder. Unless you’re sure of a destination and/or specific accommodation, leave your schedule open. Book the first few days, even a week or two. But not two months, sight unseen.

The problem is, it’s a very fine line, the other side of the equation entailing getting stuck paying a last-minute premium to stay somewhere you want to spend some time but didn’t book in advance, or worse yet no accommodation being available at all. A friend of mine ran into exactly that problem in Oaxaca Mexico during high season; after her pre-booked week, she wanted to extend but couldn’t. And when she searched for apartments, she had trouble finding something suitable/reasonably priced.

But experience has also taught me that most places available online (especially on sites like AirBnB) are categorically overpriced. With a little bit of work, you can find a place to stay on the spot that will cost less than anything you can find online in advance. I did it all over Asia and it worked a charm. (See also: How to Find an Apartment in Chiang Mai).

My real problem was not having the energy to risk getting stuck somewhere without a plan. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

Setting Expectations / Trying to Recreate Old Experiences

Visiting a new town is like having a conversation. Places ask questions of you just as searchingly as you question them. And, as in any conversation, it helps to listen with an open mind, so you can be led somewhere unexpected. The more you leave assumptions at home, I’ve found, the better you can hear whatever it is that a destination is trying to say to you.”  –  Pico Iyer

Expectations are always dangerous; they’re a cosmic set-up for disappointment. Thus, I erred in setting expectations that Antigua would be like Cuenca Ecuador, and that Panajachel would be like Pisac (the town I lived near in Peru). While Antigua was far from disappointing, I think some of my disappointment with Panajachel was in realizing that it was nothing like Pisac.

WHAT I LEARNED: Again, this is a lesson I preach regularly but needed to be slapped with for good measure. Expectations are bad. And recreating old experiences is worse. It’s bad enough if you try to recreate an experience by returning to the same destination; it’s madness if you try to do it elsewhere.

Listening to too Many People About Guatemala Travel Safety

This one is a real can of worms. So before I get into questions like “is Guatemala safe”, I will note that everything is relative. And safety depends largely on location.

I had a friend who wouldn’t visit me in Peru because travel alerts told her there was trouble at the Peruvian border with Ecuador; it didn’t matter that it was thousands of miles from where I lived – the whole country was a no-go zone for her.

I’m not a particularly skittish traveler. And I’m pretty careful about whose advice I heed. Before I left for Guatemala, some acquaintances in Florida warned me of the dangers of Guatemala. They’d never left their county, much less the country, so I wasn’t concerned about their advice.

But the woman I met in Antigua who had made studying Guatemala her life’s work and who had visited Guatemala consistently over the last 40 years? I figured she knew a thing or two.

The problem is, she loved to pepper every conversation with gruesome tales of violent crimes and murder – many of the victims thereof being unsuspecting tourists. After informing her of our plans to take a day trip to the coast from Antigua with some ex-pat friends, she relayed how many deaths happened along that very stretch of road, like she was talking about how many roadside fruit stands there are along the way. 

For good measure, she threw in a few other tales of bus drivers being attacked weekly and a French tourist being killed for not giving up his wallet while being mugged.

I canceled the day trip.

I let this woman get under my skin. Now, perhaps I wouldn’t have, if hers were the only tales of violence in Guatemala. The problem is, I’d already heard about violence in Guatemala, a lot.

I even met a man with a very mashed-up face. He had been attacked and robbed outside a bar in Antigua just a few days prior. As an ex-pat living in the area, he was extremely nonchalant about it. 

He seemed to think he got what he deserved for being out in Antigua late at night. The group of ex-pats I was with at the time all nodded in agreement at this; it’s the cost of being out after dark, especially on empty streets, in Guatemala.

While this man was my only first-hand account of violence in Guatemala, wherever I went I found myself no more than two degrees of separation from somebody who had been robbed, attacked, or even killed. It seemed to be a fact of life in Guatemala. People consistently told me Guatemala city is generally to be avoided at all costs, and the rest of the country is hit and miss.

Generally speaking, if you stick to tourist-friendly places, don’t go out at night, and never go walking by yourself somewhere without many people, you’ll be fine.

But the “edge” of this edgy place did nothing to help me relax.

WHAT I LEARNED: If you’ve made it this far into this article, you’ve probably figured out that my trip to Guatemala was a perfect storm. These tales of violence, threatening my sense of safety and security – regardless of how founded or unfounded my concerns were, threw me over the edge. I was uncomfortable in every single way.

My REAL Mistake

All the above travel mistakes were definite factors, but superfluous ones to the real reason why Guatemala was a bust for me.

The bottom line is: I didn’t want to travel. I was still too burned out from years prior of pushing too hard for too long with no home base to recover in. I had only just moved into my apartment in Toronto when, paint still proverbially drying, I left for five months. A variety of circumstances (including the encroaching winter) had dictated that it was time to hit the road again, so despite having reservations, I figured “why not”.

But it wasn’t right, and I paid the price for it. After a month of bouncing around California, my boyfriend and I retreated to my friend’s place in Hollywood Florida for a month – my home away from home. 

But even while in Florida, I vocally admitted that I didn’t want to travel to Guatemala since I needed more rest. 

Creature comforts. Sushi. Netflix. And fast internet. 

I didn’t want to be in a foreign environment, trying to figure everything out from scratch. The “intrepid” part of my traveling personality was on vacation (somewhere not in Guatemala).

Leading up to the trip, I had an inner voice saying “don’t go”. It was pretty persistent, but I dismissed it as irrational fears of volcano Fuego blowing, or concerns about safety after being barraged by negative stories from afar, or….it doesn’t matter. Every time the don’t-go voice popped up, I dismissed it. The trip was booked and paid for, and I was going to enjoy it come hell or high water.

But I didn’t enjoy it. It takes a monumental amount of energy to travel – to simply exist in a foreign environment; even more so when it’s long-term and you’re balancing a full-time location independent career alongside those travels.

And in the months before my trip, I hadn’t had enough time to myself, to rest and recover following what I now understand was a pretty catastrophic episode of burnout that had been years in the making (and unmaking).

WHAT I LEARNED: The time is not always right to travel. And if that time is not right, fighting it won’t help.

I’ve said over and over again that travel is contextual, and here’s proof: I thought my accommodation in Panajachel was horrific. All I saw was the bad stuff. But my boyfriend didn’t see it that way.

Sure, he nodded empathetically when I ranted and raved that the walls were moldy and the constantly barking dogs were intolerable. But had I been in a different frame of mind, instead of staring at moldy walls I’d have seen the beautiful garden, and instead of hearing dogs barking I’d have put in some earplugs or listened to music.

Traveling in a compromised state (and/or when you simply don’t want to) is inadvisable. Only on this (failed) trip to Guatemala did I realize just how much energy it takes to travel and be abroad. And only on returning from my trip early did I realize how sweet “home” can be.

Other Guatemala Travel Advice

You can’t drink the water in Guatemala! This also affects what you can eat, and where. For more information, check out How to Stay Healthy While Traveling: Natural Preventions and Cures.

The exchange rate between the Guatemalan Quetzal and the Dollar (U.S. or Canadian) is tricky. Before you head into the marketplace to test out your bargaining skills, arm yourself with a good currency conversion app. Here are some of the Best Travel Apps out there.

Booking your trip to Guatemala? Use the widget above to search for some digs (and I’ll earn a small commission, which helps me to keep this site running). I stayed at the Posada San Sebastian in Antigua and and highly recommend it for its great location, easy access to public transportation, eclectic environment, and super-friendly staff.

And remember, don’t go out alone! The hiking in Guatemala is epic, but it’s important to do it in groups. Here are some opportunities below:

Addendum: Now please. You can see from the string of comments that this post struck a chord with many people who love Guatemala and see this post as an attack on the country or some of the places I mention in Guatemala. Then there are other people who have hurled a variety of insults in my direction regarding my travel experience, personality, and much more.

Before you join this club and leave a negative comment, please reread this post, starting with the very first paragraph, which states very clearly that Guatemala was not the problem. Then, please practice empathy before you write me off as a ding-dong, and consider that 13 years of full-time travel coupled with severe burnout might have put me in a position the likes of which you may not be familiar.

This post Traveling to Guatemala: 7 Mistakes I Made appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

When a sailor friend (on whose boat I lived for a while in the Caribbean) sent me a message asking where my traveling hat was currently parked, I wrote back “Guatemala! I’m currently in Antigua. It’s gorgeous.”

“I don’t get it,” he replied. “Where are you – Antigua, or Guatemala? You just said you were in both.”

Written like a true sailor, his version of Antigua is a Caribbean island. But if you go to Guatemala and head inland a few hours, you’ll find Antigua, Guatemala – an exceedingly charming town that I had the pleasure of visiting for almost a month.

Many things struck me about Antigua, but the food was the most surprising. Here’s what I discovered, including where to eat in Antigua Guatemala.

This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Go Hungry.

Antigua Guatemala is an incredibly touristy town that feels more local than the preceding words might indicate.

Perhaps this is because many of the tourists in Antigua are actually Guatemalan, many visiting for the day or the weekend from nearby Guatemala city. Or perhaps it’s because, despite the fact that most of the locals who work in Antigua can’t afford to live there, they live in nearby Jocotenango which is an easy bus/bicycle ride away, and thus they spend their downtime chilling out in Antigua’s Parque Central and other visible spots.

What this means, however (for better or worse), is that Antigua is largely comprised of hotels and restaurants.

What surprised me, was the sheer variety of restaurants available; it was almost easier to find international foods than Guatemalan cuisine! I ate the most amazing homemade Italian pasta and gnocchi I’ve ever had, in Antigua Guatemala (and not in Italy, as you might suspect). I also had terrific Chinese food, baked goods, and even Indonesian cuisine.

It was a stretch for me to eat such international flavours in Guatemala (I always try to eat local cuisine), but on the whole I enjoyed a great cross-section of restaurants and coffee shops that include Guatemalan fare, as you’ll see below.

Bring Money.

I was thankfully advised of the general cost of Guatemala (and Antigua in particular) by a budget-travel friend of mine who had just visited and was blown away when she calculated how much she and her hubby had spent on food ($700 US for a month of travel around Guatemala). She also said that she had trouble finding (well-priced) accommodation with user-friendly kitchens, which forced them to eat out more than they’d anticipated.

While you can certainly find cheap places to eat and stay in Antigua, you’ll likely have to stay outside of town (which poses risks when walking at night), and/or sift through the plethora of higher-priced restaurants to find the cheapies. Look.  You can do anything super cheap or super expensive. I went to Antigua with a mid-range budget, and I’m glad I did. The place was gastronomically delightful. Give yourself that gift when you visit Antigua.

And remember: everything is relative. Guatemala is the third country I’ve visited in Central America (the other two being Costa Rica and Panama). Of the three, Guatemala was the cheapest. Could I find a cheaper cost of living in neighbouring El Salvador? Yeah, probably. How about Belize, on the other side? Mmm….maybe not. But like all things about travel, it’s contextual.

Confused yet? Read this post and create your own long-term travel budget.

Best Restaurants in Antigua Guatemala

While the hotel I stayed at in Antigua (more on this delightful place later) had a shared kitchen, between the sheer variety of places to eat and not feeling particularly inspired by the kitchen, I chose to eat out for most of my time in Antigua. I would enjoy a late-morning brunch at a cafe where I could connect to the Wifi and work for a few hours, and then I’d enjoy dinner at any number of restaurants.

While I almost never write articles that summarize places to go/eat/do stuff, I was inspired to write this expose on Antigua Guatemala restaurants, because I would never have found most of these places on my own.

Instead, I was tipped off by a few different people, including a Guatemalan friend-of-a-friend, my (Antiguan) Spanish teacher, and an expat I met up with who has lived in Antigua for many years. I sampled the dozen or so insider recommendations this trio gave me, and also discovered a few places on my own. From there, I distilled this list down to the places I visited more than once. Here they are:

Remember: when you’re in a country (such as Guatemala) where the water isn’t drinkable, you must scrutinize the food you’re eating. Salads are generally out, unless you like to play with fire. Generally speaking, the adage goes “if you can’t peel it or boil it, don’t eat it.” See also: How to Stay Healthy on the Road.

Where to Eat in Antigua Guatemala – Best Places for Breakfast and Coffee

These places all had decent coffee (you do know that Guatemala is world-renowned for their coffee, right?), free WiFi, reasonably priced breakfasts, and didn’t mind when my boyfriend and I camped out for a few hours with our laptops. See also: How to Earn a Location Independent Living

Canela

There’s no way I’d have found Canela on my own, but man – it’s good. Canela is first and foremost a bakery, specializing in sourdough breads, focaccia, cookies, and daily/weekly specials that range from bagels and quiche to their homemade version of pop tarts.

They have a limited breakfast and lunch menu that involves said baked goods. Go for the breakfast sandwich (and pay the extra 10Q to have it on focaccia), or the bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and pickled red onions. Their coffee is good, but not outstanding; this is the only place listed here that doesn’t serve espresso-based drinks (and I love my cappuccino).

The seating area is lovely, especially in the garden. And do not leave before sampling their cookies – I had an untold number of their Whiskey & Rye & Dark Chocolate cookies of gloriousness.

Fat Cat Coffee House

As a coffee roaster and home to barista classes, Fat Cat knows how to make an excellent cup of coffee, any way you like it, from espresso to cold-brew and beyond. It is a bit more expensive however (a large cappuccino costs 23Q ($3USD).

Their breakfasts are simple and well-priced, although I didn’t end up trying them. I just went to drink coffee and work on my laptop with the very good WiFi.

Fernando’s Kaffee

Although Fernando’s Kaffee is a wee walk from the centre of Antigua, this coffee roaster and chocolate maker is worth it. The “typical breakfast” is delicious and a steal at 20Q ($2.50USD). The cappuccino is also absolutely delicious and very well-priced at less than $2USD.

The garden seating area is beautiful, laptop friendly, and you can watch some local Guatemalan women weaving their handicrafts for sale.

Where to go for Guatemalan Cuisine

Guatemalan food is quite delicious. Below are two places, one cheap, and one more expensive. Both are frequented by Guatemalans as well as tourists.

Rincon Tipico

“Rincon Tipico” directly translates to “typical corner”, but also implies “typical food” or “typical kitchen”. Their somewhat limited menu is authentic and delicious, and at about 30Q ($4USD) for most meals, and you won’t leave hungry. They are most known for their chicken, which you can watch being cooked over open flame in a giant purpose-built rotisserie oven.

La Fonda de la Calle Real

There are actually a few Antigua Guatemala restaurants called La Fonda de la Calle Real, and they’re all the same – just in slightly different locations. Recommended by a few locals (who go there themselves on special occasions), this is the place to have some pricey but authentic Guatemalan fare (pricey being about 80Q ($10USD) for a main dish).

Pepian is a chicken stew that is considered to be the most popular dish in Guatemala, so that’s always a winner. Also, the “fondue” to start is excellent, but erase the Swiss version from your mind when you order it; this Guatemalan dish is basically a bunch of (undiluted) melted cheese served with bread sticks.

The Rest of the Best of Antigua Guatemala Restaurants

While most of these restaurants are owned – or at least operated – by local Guatemalans, the cuisine isn’t typical of Guatemala. That doesn’t mean you should give them a miss however – these Antigua restaurants are 100% worth visiting, and compare to their international counterparts. Seriously!

El Italiano

El Italiano is my favourite restaurant in Antigua, and gives some of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to around the world a serious run for their money. Their homemade pasta and gnocchi, excellent sauces, prices (35Q – $4.50USD), ambiance, and service sealed its fate in my books.

You might have a hard time finding El Italiano, which is located in a courtyard off the street. If it doesn’t come up in a Google Maps search, look for La Taverna, which is a well-known pub/bar in the same courtyard.

(2019 UPDATE: El Italiano is closed. I’m keeping this information in this post in the hopes that they will reopen somewhere in Antigua; their food was too good not to). 

Caoba Farms

Caoba Farms is located on the outskirts of Antigua (so don’t walk there/back at night). But the location is a big part of the charm of this (literal) farm to table restaurant. You can sit on the edge of this working farm while eating the fresh produce and delicious meals. Everything is good (I went for dinner and brunch), and for organic farm-to-table produce, the prices are decent (at $10-15USD for a meal).

The ambiance is delightful and nature-filled. Caoba Farms is also more than a restaurant, with scheduled activities, Sunday yoga, a butterfly conservatory, organic store, farmer’s market on weekends, and more.

Toku Baru

Toku Baru is a bizarre place that works in spite of itself. Founded by a Dutch guy whose mother is Indonesian and a Swiss guy (whose mother is….Swiss?), this place serves (mostly) Indonesian, Indian, and Middle-Eastern cuisine. The trio of sauces that come to the table shortly after you order (no matter what you order) are incredible – order some warm pita bread to enjoy the addictive garlic sauce while you await your meal. The prices are decent (about 45Q or $6USD), and the portions are huge.

Kombu Ramen Shop

Kombu Ramen Shop blew me away completely, and unexpectedly. It is founded by a Guatemalan couple who traveled through Asia extensively before returning to Guatemala and realizing you can’t get a decent bowl of ramen anywhere (not surprisingly). So, they went to Japan and studied all things Ramen for four months, before returning to Antigua to open their restaurant.

Their homemade ramen noodles are made using local non-GMO wheat, and the broth is out of this world. The menu is quite limited (only go if you like ramen), and not cheap at about 70Q ($9USD) a bowl. But as far as ramen goes, it rivals (and perhaps even exceeds) anything I ate in Japan.

Antigua Brewing Company

Antigua has a few local artesenal microbreweries, though Antigua Brewing Company is the only one I sampled. In addition to their delightful selection of locally-brewed cervezas, they have a decent food menu (though not particularly cheap at $8-10USD a plate).

What makes these guys worth a visit is their rooftop patio, which gives you some killer views at sunset.

Where to Stay in Antigua

Is Antigua safe? How about Guatemala on the whole? That’s a topic that I’m going to save for another post, as it’s a complicated question, with an even more complicated answer. The most-repeated advice I received was not to walk alone at night, especially on less-populated streets.

What this means when searching for a place to stay in Antigua, is the more central your hotel is, the more you’ll enjoy Antigua. What this also means is that you should be prepared to spend a bit of cash.

I adored Posada San Sebastian, which was rustic, small, and very friendly. It was also a museum of sorts, as the owner (Luis) is a collector and restorer of Guatemalan artifacts.

Take the entrance way, for example, unmistakable with its collection of dozens upon dozens of tiny wooden chairs. The story goes, that in Guatemala’s war-times (not so long ago), local schools couldn’t afford desks and chairs for the children. So, the kids would bring their own little chairs to school each day. Posada San Sebastian is a monument to many curious tales such as these.

One of my favourite things to do every morning was to head up to the rooftop terrace to do my daily yoga/exercise, with a 360 degree panorama of charming rooftops, including Antigua’s volcano Fuego, which is Central America’s most active volcano and inspired in me equal parts curiosity and terror.

If Posada San Sebastian doesn’t have space (they’re a small boutique hotel so they book up quickly), you’ll find plenty of centrally-located places to stay in Antigua Guatemala. 

Things to Do in Antigua Guatemala

This not meant to be a comprehensive listing of everything to see and do in Antigua; here are a few ideas, as suggested by insiders and/or experienced by fellow travelers.

Buy Second-Hand Weavings and Cheap Handicrafts at Nim Pot’

Nim Pot’ is a well-known handicraft market in central Antigua, and totally worth a visit to get well-priced authentic artisan products.

What not everybody knows about Nim Pot’ is that you can get gently used locally-woven fabrics (these are the real deal!) at incredible prices. The tables with piles of pre-priced fabrics should be on your left as you walk in. They are used, so hold the fabric up to the light and look for structural integrity. I bought material to cover my dining room chairs, make cushion covers, with enough left over to make a tote and even some scarves – all for under $20USD. I love that the material is used as well – it has a story.

Even more so, I love that Nim Pot’ does not negotiate. Everything is pre-priced, and reasonably-priced at that.

Hike Cerro de la Cruz

It’s an easy hike (under 30 mins from the centre of town) and a must-do if you’re in Antigua; you’ll get some lovely views. The best times to go are generally in the early morning (before the view gets too hazy), or close to sunset – just be aware that the road closes at 6pm.

Do an Overnight Volcano Acatenango Hiking Adventure

I didn’t do this, and I probably should have, as anybody I know who has done it attests to this excursion’s magnificence. Volcano Acatenango is the 3^rd highest volcano in Central America, and is conveniently located next to Fuego – Central America’s most active volcano. By camping near the top of Acatenango, you’ll get epic views of Fuego at both sunset and sunrise. Be warned however: the hike is very demanding and it’s cold at the summit. You must do this with a guide.

Pacaya Volcano Trek

This is a much easier excursion, which can be done in half a day or so. You’ll get some great views of Antigua’s volcanoes, and you may even get to see some flowing red lava. Roast marshmallows on steaming lava! It is recommended that you do this excursion with a group, and prices are cheap – as low as $30, all-in.

Note: If you click these widgets to Viator.com and book an excursion, I will receive a small commission, which doesn’t affect your price, and helps me to keep this website up and going. Thanks for your support!

Have you been to Antigua? Where is your favourite place to eat there? Feel free to share in the comments!

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