Antigua Guatemala
During the colonial Years was known it as Santiago de los Caballeros of Guatemala and was once the capital of Guatemala in 1541 and 1776 the city is very popular and tourist because of his well preserved Spanish Baroque architecture with baroque facades of the new world.
In the year 1979 was named World Heritage Site by Unesco and one of the favorite cities of many devout Catholics and all that is thanks to the wonderful processions made for the holy week characterize for having beautiful handmade carpets with dyed sawdust, fruits, and vegetables from the season and dedication of devotees.
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I had the opportunity to be many times in this magical place, I love the old concept of the city, stone streets, and houses with that air of old, flowers born in each window or balcony, people selling fresh fruit in every corner. Not mention the timid sunsets, or walk to the market for breakfast and running into many options in the way that breakfast becomes the most important meal of the day.
This time I decided to stay longer and get to know the hidden corners of the old city.
I agreed with my best friends to take a whole day and explore the city of Antigua Guatemala in every possible aspect. visit restaurants, tourist sites, and the most famous city markets.
We got up early on a Sunday and we took the bus, the bus left us right at the entrance of Antigua Guatemala, walked about 3 blocks before reaching the central park where we sat for a moment to decide which restaurant we go to breakfast. After deciding and look for several minutes we agreed to go to the terrace of a house that is used as the hotel with a very colonial style of the year of 1775.
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Hotel El Carmen
Hotel El Carmen is an old house right in the center of the city of Antigua Guatemala where they offer from a cup of coffee to a tour of all the sights of the country. My goal just went for breakfast because they have a variety of very typical breakfast and exquisite coffee that is grown and processed in the region, very creative with the menu and service with a great performance.
Having the view of the city and the three volcanoes surrounding the area was the perfect place for a breakfast that had been postponed for three years ago.
After much talk, laugh and eat we decided to continue our tour in Antigua. We were very close to a very popular craft market in the area where you can buy crafts of Antigua Guatemala, ideal to buy souvenirs of my trip in this amazing colonial city.
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Craft markets
Market # 1
This kind of places is always perfect to know the culture and lifestyle of a country. I find them fascinating have all kinds of things from a bracelet to a blanket for your bed, I like this kind of places has a unique things with an artistic twist. It is definitely a must stop in each city that you visit.
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This craft market is one of the most prolific of all, that's why was my first choice, there are more than 115 places to buy with different things made by hand of the locals. It is located next to the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church which was a magnificent Catholic church in the old city of Santiago de los Caballeros of Guatemala. and it was destroyed by a strong earthquake in 1773 its facade looks intact and is a great example of the Guatemalan baroque.
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Right at the entrance of the place you can see many sales street style where you can start to see all sorts of curios or jewelry fine. Vendors make this process even more interesting, they are indigenous natives of the area. which they can be seen using their distinctive costume from the department of Sacatepequez in Guatemala,
I was fascinated with this place, ended buying a lot more than I had thought, but it is well worth it.
Market # 2
How I said before I love visiting craft markets, after the amazing experience in the market El Carmen, we went to another market that is on the famous street of Arco de Santa Catalina wich is one of the most renowned Guatemala monuments and was declared World heritage by UNESCO in 1979. it was a convent for nuns in prison.
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It is a street with more of two blocks where you can find hotels, jewelry stores, restaurants and the craft market. This market is a very peculiar because has a gallery of art, right at the entrance of the place where pictures of different local artists are presented, another thing that caught my attention is that they have a display of almost all traditional huipiles of all the country. I say almost all because Guatemala has an extensive list of traditional huipiles.
This market is completely different from all others, in this you can see a variety of huipiles, books, masks, photographs, music, and much more and everything is related to culture. even I found very curious that their his own altar to a popular idol in the area, rather than simply.
unique.
After spending most of the morning walking down markets buying, I decided to go and walk a little around town, we arrived at one of the parks located in the east of Antigua Guatemala area, this park called Tank union was an old square where people who had no way to wash clothes could come and use the water tank city where many people piled up and talk about everyday things.
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directly opposite the Union Tank are located some of the most famous and recognized ruins of the colonial city of Antigua Guatemala.
Ruins of Santa Clara
this complex began in 1699 and owes its foundation to the Poor Clare nuns from Puebla Mexico this convent witnessed three major earthquakes in the year 1773 leaving in it in ruins, in the year 1874 another strong earthquake toppled great part of what remained of the old convent.
now in day the holy convent is running by the municipality of the city making a tourist place and learning center
The convent could accommodate 46 nuns, dining room, working quarters, clinic, service area with oven, patio with a beautiful fountain in the center, surrounded by corridors and gardens.
each of the gardens looks different, but the one who takes all the attencion is the central garden, the fountain in the middle of the garden surrounded by four large corridors and a breathtaking view of one of three volcanoes that surround the city, They make the place even more amazing.
One of the very authentic details of this convent is that their gardens vary depending on the season, making it one of the favorite places for couples around the world as a stage for spectacular weddings.
after spending time at the central garden , I went to the second floor and it was even more spectacular, that view to mountains and the blue sky made evething more spectacular
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This place made my trip even more perfect how I imagined. I could see much of the wealth that exists in such an old city.
To finish my trip around Antigua Guatemala decided to go a little further from the city and travel to the border between the department of Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango and meet one of the hot spots that offers a different scenario around the area.
This place has a short history but with lot to offer, I had Interested in a place thanks to all my local friends sharing photos and showing the beautiful surroundings, a previous night to my trip I decided to check their website and they a saying that this is a place 100% committed to helping environment.
hobbitenango
Many friends told me about this place, I saw many pictures and read many comments referring to the place with no down words that amazing, relaxing and incredible it could be, I decided to take the time to visit this famous and magical place.
What it made this trip more interesting was how tricky it could be to get to the place that is more than an hour from the capital city and twenty five minutes from antigua Guatemala. We had to stop several times to ask locals for directions to take us to a place, they were all very kind to give us directions and guiding us in the right direction toward the place, I drove twenty minutes between the mountains and villages, the view each once it becomes more impressive definitely worth it.
We arrived to a parking
just in a corner of the village Los Hatos, it was another tricky part there two options to get to the place;
- I think walking for those who love mountaineering andhave a very good physical condition, it could be the best option since the walking could be something unique in life.
- right at the entrance of the parking is a phone number of the place you can call and to be pick up, this opcion gets tired when at weekends the place is full of people.
The place is right on top of a mountain, every step you take makes better and unique the view with three volcanoes around, two of them active, one inactive for over two hundred years ago and a great range of mountains functions as a protective city wall.
The place is inspired by the books of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, trying to represent the shire, the place where hobbits lived.
the concept is nice, very ecological, rustic and simple, the place has an hotel, restaurant, bar, café, shady forest, a gazebo and many other physical activities.
I really liked the place, the service was very good, the staff showed us every detail of the place and we could appreciate the best views of the place.
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The food was fine, nothing extraordinary but the names used in the menu caught my attention for a moment. the talk was very entertaining with my friends, waiters were attentive always to our needs, areas are well marked with their respective information or even the pets of the place are friendly with famous names.
Having visited Hobbitenango was an amazing experience, it was worth it every mile we walked on foot and by a car with my loved ones, the view would take your breath away and think about how graceful with life you should be and can live this kind of experience which they are perhaps only once in life.
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My trip ended successfully for Antigua Guatemala, I learned new things, I made new friends, take new pictures, and most importantly I enjoy until the last moment of my trip to Guatemala. I have to definitely come back soon and visit one of many unique places around Guatemala
