Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Streets_of_Antigua.jpg
Author: Scottydude


Antigua Guatemala, which means "Old Guatemala", is a city and former capital of the Republic of Guatemala. It is located in the central highlands of the country. The city of 35,000 people (2011 estimate) has many well-preserved historic buildings within a Antigua Guatemala historic center that is today recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The history of Antigua Guatemala reflects the often turbulent nature of Guatemala, which is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This series of natural as well as man-made calamities has caused the capital of the country to be relocated a number of times.

The first capital of Guatemala was established in 1524. Sited at the Maya city of Kakchikel, which today is known as Iximche, it was named Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Goathemalan, or translated, "City of Saint James of the Knights of Guatemala". After being hit by several Cakchiquel uprisings, the capital was relocated to the Valley of Alotenango in 1527, at the site of present-day San Miguel Escobar, and retained its original name.

Santa Catalina Arch in Antigua Guatemala
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4127090048_5d9f1a1016_o.jpg
Author: Adalberto.H.Vega


The eruption of Volcán de Agua in 1541 caused lahar to envelope the capital, forcing another relocation. It was shifted to the Panchoy Valley, and kept its original name, Santiago de los Caballeros. There it remained the capital of Guatemala for two hundred years.

On 29 September, 1717, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Santiago de los Caballeros, leaving much of the city in ruins. The damage was so severe that the capital was moved to another spot. Another earthquake happened in 1773, destroying the newly relocated capital. The Spanish Crown decided to shift the capital to an entirely different location, to the Valley of the Shrine, which is the present location of Guatemala City.

Catedral de Antigua Guatemala
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antigua_cathedral_2008_06.JPG
Author: Raymond Ostertag


When it was established, Guatemala City was called Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, meaning "New Guatemala of the Assumption", and the inhabitants of Santiago de los Caballeros was ordered to move to the new city. However some chose to remain in the old city, which henceforth was renamed Antigua Guatemala.

Despite its rocky history, Antigua Guatemala, or simply Antigua for short, has managed to rebuild itself and is today a cultural and tourist hub of the country. This is where you get to witness the many religious festivities of Guatemala, particularly feast days associated with the Catholic calendar. Attracted by its charm, many people from Europe and Americans have also chosen it to be their retirement home.

The Chicken Buses, Antigua Guatemala
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antigua_stazione_degli_autobus.jpg
Author: Renato Caniatti

Visiting Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala is located about 45 km (30 mi) to the west of Guatemala City. You can get there by taking the "chicken bus", the colorfully painted long-distance bus which got its name for transporting everything including poultry.

Places of Interest in Antigua Guatemala

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Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.