Places of Interest - Guatemala

Downtown "Antigua":

Parque Central (with the 1936 replica of the fountain of the mermaids) which is an oasis of peace and is flanked by many colonial gems is one of the great sights of the city. Palace "de Los Capitanes Generales" from which almost entirely Latin America was governed is built on the south side of the park. Other important sights are the Cathedral de Santiago, the University of San Carlos museum, churches of La Merced, San Francisco and las Capuchinas, Casa Popenoe (restored colonial house), museum and hotel Santo Domingo and the viewpoint Cerro de la Cruz . Probably the most photographed object in Antigua is therefore the "Arco de Santa Catalina" - a stone arch in "5a Av Norte" that runs from side to side. 

In nearby Jocotenango is the La Azotea museum with an overview of coffee cultivation and a beautiful collection of musical instruments that the Mayas used. The Franciscan monk Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancourt (1626 - 1667) worked in the San Francisco convent and was concerned with the fate of the sick and needed. In 2002 he was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II. His grave is a place of pilgrimage and is situated next to the San Francisco church. In the city there is a hospital for the poor that bears his name.

Volcano "Pacaya":

The Pacaya volcano lies about 29 km east of Antigua and is 2552 meters high of alititude. The volcano was formed mainly in the last 23,000 years and is part of a chain of volcanoes along the western coastal region of Guatemala. Since 1565 the "Pacaya" has erupted at least 23 times and is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. Since 1965 the volcano has been active almost continuously and it erupted in 1998 and the last time in 2010 when three people died and thousands were evacuated. The volcano is a tourist attraction because visitors would like to see and experience an "active" and/or "working" volcano. An ascent of the volcano consists of a 1.5 to 2 hour walk up the volcano and about 1 to 1.5 hours back down. Lunch and an English guide are also included. Costs vary and can cost up to Q350 including transport and the entrance fee of the park (Q40).

Before the (Colonial) Spaniards decided to move the capital to the current "Antigua Guatemala" it had already been located elsewhere twice. "Iximche" (now an archaeological site) was preferred because it was the capital of the "Kaqchiquel" tribe with which they had a "fragile" understanding. When this failed, the Spaniards turned to "Ciudad Vieja" which disappeared during a land and mud shift of the globe. Antigua was founded by the Spanish conquistadors in 1543 under the name Santiago de los Caballeros. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the city as the capital of New Spain, which was governed from southern Mexico to Costa Rica, was embellished with schools, universities, churches, monasteries and hospitals. There was no cutbacks in architecture and the population rose fast. 

At its peak, Antigua would contain no fewer than 38 churches, as well as a printing press, a private newspaper and a very lively political and cultural scene. However, the city was hit by epidemics several times. Various earthquakes also took their toll. In 1773 in particular, large parts of the city were laid in ruins. After these earthquakes, the capital was officially moved to the safer Guatemala City in 1776, after which the name of Santiago de los Caballeros changed to "La Antigua Guatemala" (old Guatemala). Antigua was plundered and stripped of building materials but it was not completely abandoned. On the contrary, during the coffee "boom" the city started to grow again. Renovation took place despite the government's disinterest. In 1976 another heavy earthquake occurred. Three years later the city was put on the UNESCO list and the renovation got a decent "boost". When many Spanish (language) schools started to settle here, the international tourists came to Antigua. They took their tourist money with them and again the city came to light.