Our Favorite Things in Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is such an enchanting city. The surrounding volcanos provide stunning backdrops and the popularity of rooftop cafes and bars offer excellent viewing points. Everywhere you look, you’re reminded of the beauty and power of nature.
A few years ago, I spent a month teaching yoga in Nicaragua and I stopped in Antigua on the way back. It was the kind of city where I had a feeling I’d return. This spring, I finally did.
Even though I’d originally planned to be there for a wedding that didn’t come to pass, there was still plenty to do in Antigua. These were just a few of our favorite things:
Roasting marshmallows at Pacaya Volcano
Many people come to Antigua to go volcano hiking (there are four active volcanos surrounding the city.) There’s one long overnight trek you can do on Acatenango, the big prominent volcano, but that one is known to be quite long and intense. We weren’t ready to put that much time and fitness into our hiking, so we decided to do a half-day hike to the nearby Pacaya volcano. We booked it through our hostel, and a group shuttle brought us to the hike.
We started in a crowded parking lot with locals trying to sell us horse and donkey rides to the top. Some people in our group said yes, but Bryan and I were happy to get the exercise in. We found the hike heart-pumping but not terribly challenging. The hardest part was walking through the sand/gravel to the summit. Some others in our group opted for the horseback ride as we got closer to the top.
At the “summit,” which is really just a viewpoint on the lava rocks, we had the chance to roast marshmallows on lava rocks. Obviously my favorite part!
The whole trip took about 1.5-2 hours each way. And we were treated to an incredible sunset on the way down.
2. Spending the day in Hobbitville
Our next favorite way to spend a day was visiting the village of Hobbitenango. Both of us are Lord of the Rings fans, so we were excited to find an amusement park dedicated to the lives of hobbits. You can spend the night in a hobbit hole:
We played games like archery and mini golf. I swung on multiple fun swings.
We had lunch at the cafe.
And there were lots of photo opportunities (including with someone dressed as Gandalf, but we didn’t want to pay.) We had a lovely time that day.
3. Visiting Caoba Farms
We also had a great time visiting Caoba Farms, an eco farm just outside of Antigua. It was easy to walk from the city. We had lunch and then ended up staying for a bit to walk around the grounds.
There were beautiful gardens and greenhouses. We also saw lots of animals: chickens, ducks, a sweet farm dog, and mini pigs! All coexisting in sweet eco farm harmony.
Apart from these activities, Antigua is just such a cool city. There are so many great restaurants, and it has a very “European” feel with cobblestone streets and town squares. I would definitely recommend anyone add it to their travel list.