The grand plan was to go from Flores to Guatemala City, and then on to Panajachel, so that I stay at a lakeside cabin and admire the beautiful Lake Atitlan. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out as planned. As I got to Antigua, the tour agent said that all buses to Lake Atitlan are not running, as the roads are blocked by strikes. I was told to go back and check at 11 am, but I was too lazy and tired, and decided to just stay in Antigua, which is quite a charming town.

I believe Antigua’s claim to fame is one of the earliest intact Spanish towns. Although I have never been to Spain, the architecture certainly reflects this – the town has very rich colours, alike Flores, and cobblestone streets. There are also many churches, quite a number of which lie in ruins due to the great earthquake.

I ended up staying in D’Leyenda Hotel based on recommendations on Tripadvisor. Most of the good hotels in Antigua did cost quite a bit, so I thought this was a pretty fair price (around USD 60-80). It was a small hotel with about five rooms, and excellent, personal service. My three night stay here was very enjoyable.

The rest of the day was spent randomly walking around town. It was pretty rainy, so it didn’t take much for me to decide to retire for the day. I also gave up my plans to head to Panajachel. It is a shame, but missing my flight back to the US will be no fun either.

Antigua

Cool restaurant with knick knacks of all sorts

Hotel D’Leyenda

A nice touch.

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