Antigua, Guatemala: What to Do, See, and Eat for 3 Days in the City
- Hannah Nietfeld
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
Guatemala has been on my bucket list for a long time, and this July I finally made it there. Kicking off two months of backpacking through Central America, Antigua was my first stop, and it turned out to be exactly the soft landing I needed. Colorful colonial buildings, cobblestone streets, volcanoes framing every view, and some of the kindest people I've met on the road. Here's how my first few days of another crazy adventure went.
Arrival in Antigua
I landed in Guatemala City, my 27th country, and I was thrilled when I got a physical passport stamp, adding to the collection in my favorite book. It was simple getting a shuttle from the airport to Antigua, they had a couple options and I found a shuttle for $20 that would bring me straight to the city. Otherwise, you can also book a private shuttle for more comfort. It's about a 1.5 hour drive, and I spent most of it just watching the scenery change as we drove into the highlands. I was in shock that I was in another country, let alone one that I've been itching to travel for a couple of years now. I didn't want to take this travel opportunity for granted, so I dedicated the first hours of my trip absorbing the feeling of being in a new country, traveling adventurously and solo again, and appreciating the scenery around me, even if it is just driving through chaotic roads of a big city.
I was lucky because my flight down went incredibly smooth. I had an hour long layover in Atlanta, and thanks to my cousin and sister's friend who travel through Atlanta often, had given me tips for navigating the Atlanta airport right before I left, which saved me a lot of stress. I spent the second flight watching the new Michael movie and it was absolutely brilliant. I started listening to Michael Jackson seriously three months ago that I have a feeling he will be a top 5 artist of mine by the end of the year. The remainder of the flight I read my book, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, landing feeling relaxed and excited.
Once we pulled into Antigua, I checked into my hostel, dropped my heavy bags, and wandered the streets with my camera in hand and heart over the moon. I stopped for a lunch/dinner at Samsara, a vegetarian restaurant and tried their tamales, needing some Guatemalan food for my first meal here. I was antsy to take some photos, so I made my way to the bright yellow arch and the colorful buildings that Antigua is famous for. I didn't meet anyone right away, but I wasn't worried. That's part of the deal with solo travel. Sometimes you get an evening to yourself, and sometimes the universe hands you a friend at exactly the right moment.
That night, I got back to the hostel and met Jenna because we both walked in the front door at the same time. She looked nice so I complimented her on her outfit, she asked me what camera I had, and the rest was history. We made plans to hang in the common area for the evening, maybe getting drinks at a rooftop. But, we could not stop talking in the hostel that I spent my entire first night chatting with my new friend from Washington D.C. on the comfiest couches in the most adorable hostel, Maya Papaya. It was one of those instant friendships that just clicked, and I knew straightaway that my time in Antigua was going to be bundles of fun.
Day Two: Exploring the City
Jenna and I had made plans the night before to spend our day exploring the city again, as there is not much more to do outside of wander the streets. Plus, now we both had someone to take photos of us! She had a film-like camera, making for super cool, retro looking photos. We ate breakfast together, free with our nights stay at the hostel ($20/night) and then we set off to explore.
We started at the Iglesia de la Merced, a beautiful bright yellow church for the first photo opp as it was the closest to our hostel. Next, we made our way to Santa Catalina Arch, the iconic yellow archway that's on every Antigua postcard. Jenna wanted to check out some shops so we popped into the biggest and best one, Nim Po't, a shop packed with handmade Guatemalan textiles and souvenirs. If you're looking for one stop to get gifts for everyone back home, that's the place.
We grabbed coffee at Café Condesa on the main square and ended up in a long conversation about language learning, prompted by the kind and clear pronunciation from our server. As a language learner myself, there is nothing better than someone speaking to you in the language you are trying to practice, and doing so in a slow, clear, and easy way to understand. Jenna also speaks some Spanish, combining her knowledge of French and Tagalog (Philippines).
From there we wandered all about. The city is small enough to walk in a day but full it is of little corners worth discovering. We stumbled onto the famous Antigua Starbucks, widely considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and I can confirm the hype is real. A gorgeous open courtyard, cozy seating nooks, and architecture that makes you forget you're in a chain coffee shop. We didn't actually order anything there, just took photos. I'd already had at least five Starbucks drinks this month so far, so the company was doing just fine without my business that day.
One of our stops in our wandering journey was a tattoo shop. The night before, Jenna had mentioned wanting to get a new tattoo and she only likes to do so in foreign countries because they are more meaningful and affordable that way. So, the first shop we spotted, Jenna got one. I helped pick the design, three small flowers to represent her and her two closest friends. It was an instant flashback to my three friends all getting tattoos in Siargao, spending hours in the shop but not getting a tattoo myself. I am free spirited when it comes to travel, but I have to force myself to draw the line somewhere, and this is the somewhere.
We rounded out the day with a coffee plantation tour just outside the city. It ran a lot longer than I expected, about four hours instead of the quick 45-minute one I'd done before in Bali. Beforehand, I grabbed a veggie and tofu stir-fry at Rainbow Café, and thankfully I did because I was hungry after so I could only imagine how I would've felt during the tour, in addition to consuming all the caffeine we did. While we waited our meeting point, we ended up chatting with a couple from Ohio who'd just finished the Acatenango hike. They kindly answered all my nervous questions about it. Seeing them doing it, gave me the confidence I can too.
I loved learning from our guide Manuel, a local guide who welcomed us into his home for the tour and walked us to his land where he grows coffee beans. Manuel hand-picks his coffee cherries and sells them to a co-op in order to get the best price for the delicate care and work he puts into growing and harvesting the beans. He doesn't roast them in house because nowadays its only done by machines because it requires constant and consistent stirring for the perfect roast. But, his wife did give us a demonstration on how they used to roast them the traditional way. Manuel didn't speak English, so there was a translator there, likely what also contributed to the longer tour. My Spanish got a serious workout that day (seven years of studying it finally paying off, even if a little rusty), and it was one of those experiences that reminded me why I love learning a language beyond the classroom.
Both of us starved after the tour, we headed straight to dinner, selecting La Bruja. We chose a table on the rooftop where I tried hulachiles, a Guatemalan dish that tasted a bit like tomato soup, and Jenna had pepian. Jenna ordered alafajor for dessert, a traditional South American sandwich cookie made of two delicate, crumbly shortbread rounds filled with a thick layer of creamy dulce de leche, and I couldn't let her eat alone so I ordered one myself! With full stomachs and happy hearts, it was a perfect day two in Antigua, joyous about having a kind friend to share in the experience of Guatemala.
Day Three: Chores, Views, and One Last Splurge
With my Acatenango hike coming up the next day, day three was part sightseeing and part getting my gear together. We addressed sightseeing first, making sure we checked out the last few places we had on our list. So, Jenna and I hiked up to Cerro de la Cruz, the lookout point over the city, for sweeping views of Antigua with the volcanoes as a backdrop. We stayed there for a while to enjoy the overlook, grabbing some shaved ice loaded with mango, fruit juice, and condensed milk while taking in the view.
That little climb up to Cerro also gave me a preview of what was coming with Acatenango. I was already winded just from that short hike, and I remember thinking, if this is hard, just wait until I add a 25 pound bag and a few thousand more feet of elevation.
We spent the rest of the day running errands: buying water and snacks for the hike, pulling cash, one last round of shopping. I treated myself to a fresh coffee at Cafegraphia, a sweet little shop that blends its love of coffee with photography (they even have a photo booth, though it seemed to be broken the day I visited). That morning, a cafe in Antigua had seen one of my posts on TikTok and reached out to me about coming to their shop and trying anything I want on the menu! Not being able to pass up the offer, Jenna and I headed to Cafe Raiz for a free lunch. Wow! Is this what it feels like to be an influencer? I could get used to this. I sent Cafe Raiz some edited photos and made a reel about the experience afterward as a thank you.
I also had to move into a 14-bed mixed dorm from my 8-bed female dorm that night since my original room had booked up. While settling in, I met a nervous solo 18-year-old German traveler who was just starting her own long trip, empathizing to her and passing along my greatest kindness as she embarks on a very exciting journey.
I also got my nails done that evening (pink, per usual) for just $25, a fraction of what it would cost back home. Jenna joined me to get her hair washed so we were separated. Therefore, it was the perfect opportunity for people-watching other Acatenango hikers coming in for post-hike massages and practicing my Spanish with my nail tech.
Jenna and I capped off the night with dinner at Once Once, an upscale vegan restaurant that instantly became one of my favorite meals of the whole trip. We'd planned to catch the sunset from the church tower first, but the salon stop ran late and we had to skip it. The cauliflower bites alone were worth the visit. They came with a Korean-BBQ-style sauce and ranch for dipping, and I could have eaten a whole plate. I also ordered a vegan burger, which was filling but nothing special. Jenna raved about her nutty horchata, and of course I had to try a vegan dessert, choosing the rich cinnamon roll, which they even heated up fo me. I was already full but I couldn't stop eating the warm and gooey roll.
Saying goodbye to Jenna that night was bittersweet. We'd only known each other a few days, but it felt like so much longer. Over dinner we'd even started talking about maybe planning an East Coast trip together this fall. Thankfully, it wasn't really goodbye. We had plans to reunite in Lake Atitlán after my hike.
I went to bed early, knowing I would have an early wake up call for Acatenango. Stick around for my blog on that hike!
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