Day trips from and restaurants in Antigua, Guatemala
 

Does anybody have any recommendations for what to do after seeing the major sites in Antigua.? We will be there for 4 days in Feb. after touring the major sites in Guatemala. Does anyone have any recommendations for off the beaten track day trips from there that could be done by taxi. We are not renting a car while in Antigua. Also, any restaurant recommendations would be appreciated.

www.aroundantigua.com good info

Las Palmas best dining value

I did a volcano hike (to Pacaya, I think) - which I really enjoyed. Go for the afternoon hike - sunset up on the volcano was great.

As for eats in Antigua - Fonda de la Calle Real is for all the tourist praise - truely good Guatemalan cuisine.
Cafe Sky has great views over the city and the guacamole was delicious - be sure to have a Zacapa rum. There is a tapas restaurant called Sangre - very competent international cuisine. I found a lot of the international cuisine in Antigua to be over done and insipid.

I 2nd La Fonda de la Calle Real, the one right by the arch (there are 2 or 3 in Antigua). The photo representing the Antigua collection here:

http://flickr.com/photos/staceyholem...7602167607514/

is of the delicious pepián there.

I enjoyed the Pacaya hike which we also visited in the afternoon. It's not for sissies, though, if the volcano is really active. My shoes have melted areas on the bottom and walking down in the dark through lava fields was challenging.

We enjoyed the walk up to the cross, too, guided by the police - wonderful view.

We didn't do other day trips away from Antigua but loved exploring the museums and ruins. Don't miss the Santo Domingo and textile museums or Las Capuchinas ruins if you like that sort of thing. A highlight was people watching in the parque central so be sure to leave plenty of time for that. Please post a travelogue when you get home. Happy trails!

Elizabeth Bell has what sounds like an interesting trip to villages outside of Antigua. I haven't been to Guatemala yet but will be going in Feb.

Thanks for your replies. I am especially looking forward to dining at Fonda de la Calle Real. As much as I would like the hike up Pacaya, I think the hike down in the dark sounds a little too daunting. Hope I can find a hike that is safe as well as in daylight, once I arrive in Antigua. If not, I'll be happy to do general sightseeing and people watching for a few days.

We were in Guatemala last December and stayed in Antigua for a few days. One night we went to Panza Verde for dinner – it’s a lovely place – but other meals were much more economical, including Fonda de la Calle (excellent), La Pena del Sol and Café Condesa. Condesa has a very nice patio, great for lunch.

We had taken Elizabeth Bell's walking tour when we first arrived in Antigua and enjoyed it. That's how we decided to stay at the Posada Santo Domingo for our last night - the tour ends there, and we decided to splurge for our last night in Guatemala. We also ate our dinner there, as well as breakfast the next day. The food was fine and the ambience was fabulous.

We really enjoyed Antigua. Lots of nice little courtyard restaurants, very picturesque, good shopping. I'd go back any time. An excellent shop is Casa de Artes - it's pricey, but the quality is very good. There's also a wonderful place that sells handmade chocolates - Chocotenango. We saw it shortly after arriving and then had a terrible time finding it, even though we had the address. But we finally found it and were able to bring back some great chocolate.

The Pacaya hike is also available leaving in the morning and returning early afternoon. I think it would be safer then and you'd be less likely to see heavy rain. Keep us posted!