Arriving in Guatemala, day 1 in Antigua

We arrived in Antigua about 15 hours after leaving our house. We flew into Guatemala City and the worst part of the trip was the 2 plus hours it took us to get to Antigua. There was a ton of traffic and the fuel fumes were not nice. However, we arrived safe and sound, though tired.

Our airbnb is one large very room (studio) with a kitchen, sitting area, desk, and 2 beds. The highlight is a rooftop terrace which overlooks the neighborhood and has fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and volcanoe. We are in a gated community about 15-20 minutes from the Central Park which is a very lively place. Being a distance away makes it much quieter.

Our first full day here was spent getting our bearings. We walked to the park and took in the shops around it. The park was very busy, maybe because it was a Saturday, and maybe because they are still celebrating the Christmas season. The Christmas season is until Jan 6, the feast of the 3 kings. That day is celebrated with church and family dinners, and then they take down their decorations. School doesn't start again until mid January.

We started our day at a nursery with a cafe/restaurant. The food was great and the setting was beautiful. We had our first coffee in the park and enjoyed the people watching. There were many, many vendors in addition to tents that were set up for the season.

We walked around a little more and found a grocery store to get some basics. We returned to our apartment for a few hours, spending part of that time on the rooftop.

Later we had dinner at the Antigua Brewing Co, where they make and serve craft beers, followed by another walk through an even busier park. Tomorrow we are taking a history based walking tour to learn even more about this cute town.Read more