sshprints04

Hello!
Spending about 2 1/2 days in Antigua in late December and curious on everyone's favorite places and restaurants. Love great scenic spots and restaurants with nice views. We have the following itinerary:
Dec 26: Arrive in Antigua at approximately 3:30pm
Dec 27: Full day in Antigua
Dec 28/29: Lake Atitlan
Dec 30: Lake Atitlan, arriving back in Antigua at around 5-7pm
Dec 31: Full day in Antigua followed by NYE
Jan: Morning departure

We have 4 evenings and about 2 1/2 days. We will hike in Atitlan so we don't intend to hike to Pacoya in Antigua.
Do people love Hobbitenango, Cerro San Cristobal and Altamira? Which is the favorite?
Coffee tour sounds lovely as well.
Favorite restaurants? For NYE especially. Welten?

thanks so much!

hopefulist

My favorite to dos in and Antigua are people watching in the parque central, hiking (or you can take a tuktuk) to Cerro de la Cruz for the views (generally better in the morning), visiting colonial ruins - the cathedral (enter on the street on the right), Las Capuchinas, San Gerónimo, La Recolección are my favorites - and watching Volcán Fuego erupt from a rooftop terrace at night or (even better) in the hour before dawn. It was going nuts when I was there a week and a half ago. I enjoy the coffee and Maya music museum in Jocotenango, too. My favorite restaurant for breakfast is Fernando's Kaffee (Doña Luisa Xicotencatl is nice, too) and for a nice dinner La Fonda de la Calle Real (I'm fond of the one on 3a Calle Poniente), Hector's, and Epicure. For lunch I like the market stands and La Casa de las Sopas.

My photos with blog links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there (haven't had time to sort and post the photos from my latest visit, though).
Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

sshprints04

these are great recos!
thank you hopefulist