1 destination · 10 things to do

Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala is a colonial capital that earthquakes unmade and visitors keep rediscovering. Laid out on a tidy grid in a highland valley, it sits between three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, and its cobbled streets run past pastel facades, ruined convents and the yellow Santa Catalina Arch framing Volcán de Agua. This guide books Antigua properly: the overnight Acatenango climb to watch Fuego erupt, the Pacaya hike with hot springs, a day on Lake Atitlán, the Maya market at Chichicastenango, a seed-to-cup coffee tour in the hills, and a small-group walk through the old town, then pairs them with the free and cheap sights that make the city, from the Capuchinas convent and the museums at Casa Santo Domingo to the Cerro de la Cruz view. It then matches you with a hotel, from a monastery-turned-museum hotel to garden courtyards and a sociable hostel, because in a compact UNESCO city where you sleep decides how quiet your nights are.