The Good
September 15 is Guatemala Independence Day. Celebrations get off to a flying start with the Running of the Torch, an Olympic flame-style relay that takes place on the 14th. Then the revelry begins in earnest, with parades, marching bands, dancing and the obligatory fireworks displays. The festivities carry on long into the night, fuelled by high spirits and Guatemalan spirits. Quezalteca is the firewater of choice in these parts.
Antigua (not to be confused with the island that is part of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda) served as the capital of Guatemala until it was flattened by an earthquake in 1773, but the city was rebuilt and today it’s the highlight of any trip to Central America. Surrounded by three vivacious volcanoes and renowned for its comfortable climate, affordable living costs, excellent restaurants and zippy Wi-fi, Antigua is a hit with everyone from backpackers to retirees. It’s also one of the safest travel destinations in the region.
Sooner or later everyone gravitates to Plaza Mayor. Enclosed by imposing Spanish colonial architecture, the square was once a gathering place for military parades, floggings and bullfights. These days, children chase each other around the fountain, canoodling couples exchange coy glances and old-timers sit around grumbling about the same cost of living that foreigners find so appealing. Handicraft sellers in traditional clothing stack their merchandise high on colourful blankets. The predominantly indigenous vendors are eager to cut a deal but you’ll have to haggle in Spanish.
Fear not if you find yourself tongue tied, Antigua has a reputation as one of the best places on the continent in which to brush up on survival Spanish. For long-term residents and travellers planning to spend an extended period in Latin America, a smattering of the language is essential. And there’s no need to scour the city in search of a school. Soon after you arrive, someone will sidle up in the manner of a drug dealer: “Psssst. Spanish lessons?”
Early morning is the best time for a 30-minute stroll up Cerro de la Cruz (“hill of the cross”), where sweeping city vistas are complemented by the profile of Volcán de Agua looming in the distance. Another must-see for photographers is Santa Catalina Arch. Antigua’s best-known landmark was built in the 17th century and contains a hidden passageway that enabled nuns to walk between buildings without venturing onto the street. Visit at dusk, when it’s lit up. Afterwards, wander over to Cathedral de Santiago, which is similarly illuminated.
Guatemala claims to be the birthplace of chocolate – linguists think the word probably derives from the Mayan xocolatl, meaning “bitter water”. Few tourists leave Antigua without visiting the ChocoMuseo, which is dedicated to the dark stuff. Entry is free and sweet-toothed sightseers learn more than they’ll ever need to know about cocoa cultivation during “bean to bar” workshops.
Talking of beans, some of the world’s best coffee is grown a hop and a skip from Antigua and it’s worth signing up for one of the coffee cooperative tours led by local farmers who talk tourists through the process of harvesting, roasting and grinding.
Energised by the double caffeine hit, it could be time to head for the hills. Volcano hiking trips are big business but aren’t for the faint-hearted or unfit. The two-day hike up 3,976-metre Acatenango includes a night in a tent, which ensures you’re in just the right place for a mesmerising sunrise view of Volcán de Fuego, smoke billowing from its crater. Don’t get too close, though.
The Bad
Fuego erupted on five occasions in 2018. In June it left 194 people dead and hundreds missing. Then, in November, the volcano blew its top again in the most ferocious eruption in more than a century. Four thousand residents were evacuated as it spewed superheated ash, lava and gas. The victims were villagers living at the base of the mountain but Antigua’s volcanoes don’t distinguish between rich and poor. In 2017, six tourists died of hypothermia during an ascent of Acatenango.
Walking up the Hill of the Cross after dark isn’t much safer. There have been reports of muggings and kidnapping. As a result, there is now a tourist police presence from 7am to 4pm daily.
Overall, however, Antigua is a safe spot in a dangerous continent. In 2018, 42 of the world’s 50 most violent cities were in Latin America, so the biggest safety issue facing overland travellers is where to go next and how to get there in one piece. You’ll need your wits about you in Guatemala City, and neighbouring El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico aren’t renowned for public safety.
If that’s not enough, poor old Guatemala is ranked among the countries most at risk from natural disasters and is no stranger to hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes and the aforementioned volcanic eruptions. Even the quake that led to the relocation of the capital in 1773 wasn’t without controversy. When the government moved, so did much of Antigua’s cultural and ecclesiastical heritage, including sculptures and art.
Guatemala has the highest proportion of indigenous people in the Americas. They suffer from discrimination, poverty, rights violations and genocide. In the 1970s and 80s, civil war claimed the lives of 200,000 Guatemalans, most of them Amerindians of Mayan descent. More than 600 massacre sites have been identified.
Little has improved in the intervening years, however, and few ethnic groups expect anything from a government in the grip of what was described as a “mafia coalition” by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala. The United Nations anti-corruption body has – surprise, surprise – since been ordered to leave the country. Keep an eye out for protest marches in Antigua, although as a tourist you won’t be targeted, except possibly by pickpockets.
In many of the world’s holiday hot spots, tourists are warned not to drink the tap water even though locals seem to carry on regardless. In Guatemala, it’s not safe for anyone to drink, brush their teeth or even cook with mains water. An estimated 95 per cent of lakes and rivers are polluted as a result of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of state funding. Large numbers of impoverished people, particularly children in rural areas, don’t have access to clean water and suffer from gastrointestinal ailments that in some cases can be fatal.
The Ugly
Quezalteca, the raw cane liquor that’s guzzled during Independence Day celebrations, is nicknamed Indita, a derogatory term that refers to the indigenous woman featured on the label. Tourists are encouraged to use the real name and should stop drinking when they can no longer pronounce it.
