Antigua has exceeded our expectations. We came here as it was a cheaper flight than to Mexico or Costa Rica, but we are so glad we did. A friendly town of 60,000 people, a UNESCO Heritage site, and with the year round weather of eternal spring. We chose an excellent location, adjacent to a nursery and cafe.
View of Agua volcano from our rooftop. It has only been this visible for several days of our 6 weeks here.
Cafe de la Escalonia was a delightful locale, very close to our Airbnb. Great for breakfast, lunch or a later afternoon tea while playing cards or reading.
We were fortunate to connect with Adam, son of Robin’s best friend, Debra Jean.
Iglesia San Pedro
Museum, churches and ruins are spread throughout the town.
Iglesia de La Merced
Deet is the Ambassador of Antigua. The 86 year old has lived here for 34 years, and greets everyone and invites them to local get togethers.
Catedral San José
Celestino took us on a walking tour of Antigua, filled with history and culture.
Cathedral of Santiago
Quincieras are very often celebrated on the scenic streets.
We joined a local gym.
Meet up group (left)
Fuego Volcano is still active.
Marvin at King’s Barber Shop gave Randy the most incredible shave and haircut, complete with aromatherapy, hot face towel wrap and shoulder and neck massage.
Fuego volcanowould poof every 15 minutes or so.
Cerro de la Cruz
400 year old public laundry. We saw some still being used in another town.
Christmas was on full display from mid November here in Antigua.
Halloween Party at Caoba Farm
We were surprised to find a Halloween celebration and even more surprised to find it had a kinky BDSM theme 😆.
Flower Festival
The flower festival is a recent phenomenon where all the businesses come together to celebrate. The theme this year was Alice in Wonderland.
Giant Kite Festival
The giant festival is held annually in both Santiago and Sumpango. We went to the larger one in Sumpango, but would suggest the smaller one as there was an insane amount of people. The kites are supposed to connect with the souls of the dead.
Tombs at the local cemetery, decorated for Day of the Dead
We are already planning our next trip to Antigua. The food was amazing, the people, cheerful and friendly and a very budget friendly location.
Randy and Robin's Roving Retirement 