#TravelThursday 48 Hours In Antigua, Guatemala
Last week I headed to Antigua, Guatemala. My trip was from Thursday-Sunday, but by the time I arrived on Thursday it was midnight and we left early Sunday. I was pretty much in Antigua for 48 hours! You can have a full trip in 48 hours and feel great about your trip! Food, amazing drinks, great sights, volcanoes, & markets equals a great jam packed weekend.
TIP: First thing first to make your trip a great one, learn SOME Spanish! Always learn the main language of a place before you go. Having some Spanish knowledge helped me out alot when communication was hard. It will be helpful anywhere you go in Antigua to know some Spanish.
Markets
Head to one of the local markets. There were many in Antigua. My favorite was the Mercado de Artesanias El Carmen. We found the best prices here. Firstly, EVERYONE sells the exact same things. When you find something different and super quality, buy it!! Everything else…:sigh: ……everything else is the exact same. At this point it’s about the best deal. You will hear over and over “Business is business” from the sales people. They just want the sale. You can haggle with them. I spent waaayyy too much money in the markets—but I haggled everyone down first.
I LOVED the pillowcase above! It had brown children hand sewn on them and we didn’t see this at any of the other 100 vendors we saw over the weekend.
Was everything made in China? Ehhh..debatable! One thing everyone mentioned to tell us was that everything was handmade, everything was made by their mom/grandmother, and that it wasn’t made in China… :/
This top below I think was actually handmade. It was SUPER quality and quite heavy. It definitely seemed like some hand work. I actually purchased that. I think I spent too much…but whatevs! She was super sweet.
Food
Breakfast at Cafe Condesa
Huevos Ranchero and tea at this quaint cafe in a hotel in the city center was a perfect location to start off the day. We sat in the beautiful garden and had free wifi!! Oh and they allowed separate checks! lol
Lunch
There are several opportunities for street food and also fast food favorite Pollo Campero in the Park area. (You can even do Wendy’s or Burger King if you want). I had everything from fried chicken to chicken empanadas for snacks.
Dinner– Head to Los Tres Tiempos. This restaurant is super cute near the center center in front of the infamous Arc. I like to try new things so I got an amazing shredded beef simmered in a tomato based soup. It was muy delicioso!
Dessert- Sobremesa Helados Exoticos
Exotic Icecream?!? I HAD to be there! OMG when we finally found this place I was sooo excited to try it out. With some “exotic” flavors, I got the Mi Amor which had coffee ice-cream with amarula & chocolate chunks. It was sooo good. They even had a Beer & Bacon icecream!?! I wasn’t brave enough to try.
Visit Pacaya Volcano
Head to the Pacaya Volcano! About a 45 minute ride away, take a morning or afternoon shuttle and join an English speaking guide. I purchased a walking stick from a kid for $1 USD. Let me tell you, trust the reviews. It’s tough!! I thought I was a little in shape…but after less than 100 feet I was out of breath. I hopped up on a horse for $30 USD for up and back. It was even hard with the horses because they can easily slide as it’s rocky throughout alot of the ride. Even if you rent the horse (or “taxi” as they say), there is about an hour portion that you will have to walk because it’s too slippery with the ash. When you get to a certain area, you can roast marshmallows on the ground because it’s so hot. You can literally FEEL the heat when you walk.
The views….SPECTACULAR! When you get up there and see Guatemala City in the distance and several other volcanoes, it is one of the best moments.
Take a Tuk Tuk
We took tuk tuks everywhere! They run around $2 to get around Antigua. For long legged people like myself, your knees might get bumped alot lol. It is a super cheap alternative to taxis. You ride on cobblestone so you can imagine how it might feel. When in Antigua….
Just Walk Around
Get lost! Be free! We met so many people that were expats or on vacation. We found pretty much everything we did in Antigua just by walking around and talking to people. We never felt unsafe in Antigua so walk around and see where your journeys take you!
Guatemala was never on my list of places to travel, but the Deal Gods blessed me with a great deal to Guatemala so I HAD to try it out! I am so glad I made the journey to this majestic place. No wonder so many Americans live there… They come to visit and decide to stay.
