Sights & Attractions in Antigua and Western Highlands

Antigua

Street naming in Antigua's city center, where you'll spend much time, differs slightly from that of other Guatemalan cities. Avenidas (avenues) run north-south, beginning with 1 Avenida in the east and increasing in number as you go west. Calles (streets) run east and west, beginning with 1 Calle in the north and increasing in number as you go south. Like New York City, avenidas split into norte (north) and sur (south) at 5 Calle, the Palacio de Capitanes Generales side of the Parque Central. Calles split into oriente (east) and poniente (west) at 4 Avenida, the cathedral side of Parque Central. Building numbering begins for both at these dividing points and continues sequentially until the street's end without regard to blocks. Numbers on one side of the street increase independently of those on the opposite side, meaning that the 40s sequence might be across the street from the 20s. Take heart: the complex system does make some sense once you see it yourself.

The Highlands

This immense region seems a bit more manageable if you envision it as four clusters. Panajachel and Lake Atitlán lie at the southeastern corner of the region, and are most visitors' first encounter with the highlands. Chichicastenango and the El Quiche heartland to the north form a second group of attractions, although most visitors don't make it past Chichi to Santa Cruz del Quiché and Nebaj farther north. Quetzaltenango, the country's second largest city, and its orbit of mountain-market towns form a third bunch of places to visit. Off toward the Mexican border, Huehuetenango and Todos Santos Cuchumatán are the final, less-visited cluster and the heart of the country's Mam culture.

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