Unique Places in Antigua Guatemala

María Eskenasy is an internationally reknown guatemalan artist of mayan k'etchi' heritage. Her studio and gallery attract many tourists as she has private collectors in 35 countries in 4 continents and displays her contemporary neo-figurativist fantastic work, studio life and the artworks of outstanding artists expressing life in latinamerica. The garden has a truly mayan flavor
and has been designed by her. The studio gallery is located in San Bartolomé Becerra a 2 minute drive from Antigua, or a 20 minute walk from Alameda Santa Lucía taking the Ciudad Vieja Road, one block past the San Bartolo school. You are not allowed to photograph the artwork as many of these pieces have not been exhibited yet and are original works, nevertheless you may photograph the gardens. The artist attends in person with her small Yorkshire Muffin. You may acquire the artwork in the studio and are welcome to bargain!!

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One of the quaint and endearing sights in Antigua is the lives of people who live there. So often we get wrapped up in the tourist life, taking small glimpses of the world as we pass through. But on the outskirts you can sometimes find a connection. There are several small pools in Antigua where local people do laundry. It reminds me of my laundry sessions while traveling and backpacking; it was one of those small connections. The pools are beautiful, often framed by gardens, archways, and of course the massive volcanoes that have ringed around Antigua since it was established. But it makes the case for exploring outside of the town center.

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This museum specializes in examining the thematic content of pre-Columbian art and artifacts, mostly from the highland people who inhabited this area before Spanish expansion. It is a nice collection, if a bit small for the price, comprising stone sculpture, ceramics, and other artifacts that are paired with modern art pieces by indigenous peoples that relfect similar ideas and motifs. It is an interesting juxtaposition, and can be a worthwhile side-trip if you're interested.

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Visiting Casa Popenoe in Antigua is like taking a step back in time. It is a preserved 17th century colonial house, full of vibrant colors and artifacts abound. If you scout around the upstairs, you'll find a secluded pigeon aviary, which they used to actually send messages. An interesting historical trip in Antigua.

Note the short hours: It is only open 2-4pm, Monday through Saturday. You can find it at the corner of 6aCalle and Calle de la Nobleza.

The Museo de Santiago de Los Caballeros is a museum dedicated to artifacts from Antigua's colonial times. It has a collection of everyday life objects, but it has a wide variety of weapons used by the colonists and government. It is trying to bring more about the indigenous people who lived and fought there, but as of right now that selection is thin. But it is a worthwhile short excursion in the city of Antigua.

4a Calle Poniente, Poral de Ayuntamiento No. 6

If you can ride Motorcycles and like discovering you would just love a DIRT BOY RIVER TOUR!
135 kms off road riding, like it says Rivers and lots of great riding and off road exploration.
This is a day full of action and really seeing what is off the beaten track.
You will get great Bikes 175DT Yamaha 2 Stroke, you will get safety equipment and great tips about stying and riding safe.
You will have a great day to see what is out and about around Antigua, don't be shy discover your spirit of adventure 99.9% Guaranteed.

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We joined a shuttle tour that took us until the official national park entrance from where we continued uphill by walk. We weren't that lucky as it was a cloudy day so view points were not enjoyable as they promised they might be.

Real excitement came one hour after, once we started walking on burned ground still warm since last erruption. We stayed there until night time so the experience with seeing smoke and active lava light was awesome.

Tour cost was US$10 including park entrance. Local guides were kind of useless - all we were hearing from them was "look there is lava there" - like we couldn't see it ourselves. Obviously tour leading is not taken seriously in Guatemala yet.

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ON THE NORTHSIDE OF ANTIGUA ON A HILL THERE'S A HUGE CROSS OVERLOOKING THE TOWN. TO REACH IT, YOU CAN EITHER WALK UP THE STEPS LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL ON THE NORTHSIDE OF ANTIGUA OR YOU CAN DRIVE ON A LITTLE ROAD THAT COULD TAKE YOU UP THERE.

UPON REACHING THE CROSS ON CERRO DE LA CRUZ, YOU'LL SEE A SPECTACULAR VIEW OF ANTIGUA AS WELL AS OTHER SURROUNDING SETTLEMENTS AND A FULL VIEW OF THE AGUA VOLCANO WITH THE ACATENANGO AND FUEGO VOLCANOES TO THE RIGHT.