Founded in 1543 by the Spanish, its formal name of Antigua Guatemala actually means Old Guatemala.

In 1979 it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status and it is one of the best cities we have encountered in Central America.

Located in the Panchoy valley, the city sits at a height of 1,500 meters above sea level making for a relatively cool climate.

The city has been relocated 3 times due to insurrections and Volcano eruptions.

It’s a fabulous colonial city with cobblestone streets, colourfully painted buildings and churches around every corner.

The city is framed by the now extinct stratovolcano Agua which can be seen from pretty much wherever you are,

The Santa Catalina arch below is an iconic site in the city with Agua looming in the distance behind it. Although you will need to get up early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Nearby is the lovely Church and Convent of the Merced (Mercy).

There is a small entry fee but it’s well worth it to walk around inside and go upstairs to take in the views.

Just walking around the city is a delight.

We went to the market to check out the colourful stalls and produce.

A short walk or tuktuk ride up the hillside is the Cerro de la Cruz, providing great views across the city.

The Agua volcano stands tall in the distance.

You can also see the twin peaked Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes, the later can be seen erupting every 5-10mins on a clear morning.

It’s a very impressive sight seeing a volcano erupt and became something of an obsession for us whilst we were there.

There are three rooftop bars/cafes where you can get great views, the Antigua Brewing Company is one of the best spots with great beer too!

More walking, more churches!

The Union Water Tank was build in 1853 to provide a place for the poor to wash themselves and do their laundry.

We visited the National Museum of Art just next to the main square. It’s an impressive building and has an interesting selection of modern and classical art as well as some great ancient artefacts.

We arrived on a Sunday in early March and on our way back to our hotel we noticed people gathering around the streets. We had seen a few people walking around us in purple robes and then this rather interesting mobile stall!

Then we noticed a number of these flower petal laden carpets arranged in the street.

We soon realised that we had stumbled across a pre Easter procession, a superb, near biblical scale procession through the old streets of Antigua.

The colours of the costumes and floats were fabulous, with hundreds of participants in an array of costumes.

Interspersing the religious elements, a couple of brass band passed by.

There were a number of children participating too.

This was the only roman soldier we saw!

These large floats were carried either side by a hoard of people, one hopes they are made as light as possible as they carried them slowly around the city.

Interestingly the tall poles were not just decorative, their practical use was also to lift the telegraph wires that crossed above the figures on the floats!

Our time spent in Antigua was fabulous and we felt sad to leave the city. Guatemala is proving unexpectedly wonderful so far.

Next we head up the Acatenango volcano to spend the night at 3,600 metres above sea level to watch the Fuego volcano erupt close up!