Guatemala English language Magazine
Written by. Julie Potvin An oasis of literature in Guatemala City’s Historical Center Just behind the Palacio del Gobierno, in Guatemala City’s zone 1, on 5a calle at the corner of 5a avenida, art meets literature under the roof of a cultural center that promotes fair trade, as well as a more inclusive and sustainable economy for Guatemalan society. Since […]
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Written by. Julie Potvin An oasis of literature in Guatemala City’s Historical Center Just behind the Palacio del Gobierno, in Guatemala City’s zone 1, on 5a calle at the corner of 5a avenida, art meets literature under the roof of a cultural center that promotes fair trade, as well as a more inclusive and sustainable economy for Guatemalan society. Since […]
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April 1 — Palm Sunday: Procession of Jesús Nazareno de La Merced, La Merced church. April 2 — Holy Monday: Vigil of Jesús Nazareno de La Merced, La Merced church. April 3 — Holy Tuesday: Vigil of Jesús Nazareno del Perdón, San Francisco El Grande church. April 4 — Holy Wednesday: Vigil of Señor Sepultado, Escuela de Cristo Church. 2pm […]
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In Poland were able to get 209 people inside a bus. That was the Guinness World Record until yesterday when in Jocotenango they were able to get 221 people and one chicken inside the chicken bus. This will be the first Guinness World Record for Guatemala according to the Mayor of Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez. Above you can see a time-lapse video […]
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Extraordinary sunsets in the Volcanic Heights of the Mayan Highlands
Read moreIn 1946 Gore Vidal purchased the property adjacent to the elaborate façade of the Church of El Carmen Mystery tantalizes the memory of Amelia Earhart, who disappeared somewhere over the Pacific during her attempted flight around the globe in 1937, piloting her twin-engine plane with only a navigator aboard. The world watched and waited as communication broke, came again, broke […]
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The tradition dates to 1543 when the conquistadors named the community Santiago de Guatemala (St. James of Guatemala) after the apostle who was the conquerors’ patron saint and is the patron saint of Spain today. His feast day is July 25. Celebrations in what is now La Antigua Guatemala have been exciting over the centuries, but the fiesta has come […]
Read moreA luxury getaway on a coffee plantation by Tanya Hughes “The hardest part is stepping off the edge,” my canopy-tour guide said encouragingly. Dubiously, I peered over the 40-foot drop. After a couple of deep breaths I took that step and I was flying through the air, held securely in place by my harness. Both youngsters and adults can line […]
Read moreWhile the city grid of La Antigua Guatemala was laid out in 1541, it seems that the concept of urban planning was abandoned after the colonial era. Over the years, many groups, including Salvemos Antigua, petitioned the mayors for an urban planning commission. For a centuries-old city, alas, we have a “new” urban planning concept today! Antigua’s City Council approved […]
Read moreMango Festival Monoloco Restaurant, an international haven for food, drink and sports in La Antigua, recently expanded its varied menu with several tasty new additions and a few specialties just for mango season. The new pulled pork sandwich, served with a side of french fries or salad, features a tasty mango-barbeque sauce that any BBQ-lover would enjoy. Patrons can also […]
Read moreThe late-night place for music and dancing in Antigua, La Casbah also offers excellent dining options, which have just gotten tastier with the addition of five new appetizers: • Vietnam rolls, filled with fresh soybean sprouts, lettuce, fresh mint, chicken, shrimp and rice noodles—all wrapped in delicate rice-paper rolls. The dish comes served with hoisin sauce sprinkled with chopped peanuts. […]
Read moreSuperman and amigos to the rescue Where can you find Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man living under one roof? At a new and unique store in La Antigua—¡Ay Robot! Comics. When co-owners Dan Terzuola and Sarah Murphy moved to Antigua, they originally planned to open a hostel but soon realized there was already too much competition. When the […]
Read moreThe carpets, floats and sorrowful dirges of Semana Santa carry centuries-old tradition reserved for the holiest period of the Catholic calendar. But, in Guatemala during this special season, you’re also likely to encounter sights and sounds that are common year-round. Before you panic thinking there’s a shootout down the street or a UFO hovering nearby, here’s a brief rundown of […]
Read moreBirdwatching and hiking at El Pilar, Antigua’s little-known nature reserve written by Kate Witt photos: Thor Janson We hop out of the 4×4 truck to finish our ascent, cool in the luscious cover of the mountain vegetation until we reach the peak, a refreshing 10-minute hike. The view was incredible—I was astounded to see Lake Amatitlán with a spread of […]
Read moreLegendary liquid spreads to La Antigua A drink of legend and mystique, absinthe is making a global comeback that’s also reached Guatemala. Said to be the spirit that induced Van Gogh to lop off his ear and perhaps tainted the captain of the Titanic, absinthe was concocted in the 1790s by a French doctor living in Switzerland and promoted as […]
Read moreCostumed revelers — and at least one pimped-out piñata — provided Antigua’s down-sized but festive version of Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday night at the second annual Antigua Masquerade Ball. An eye-catching assembly of plumed, beaked and beaded guests converged outside La Merced for a parade to the ruins of San José El Viejo, where the Venetian-style charity event was […]
Read moreInternationally known blues guitarist Steve James traveled from Austin, Texas, to perform for an appreciative audience at Ocelot, the blues & jazz joint in La Antigua Guatemala. The intimate setting, limited to just 50 guests, was the perfect venue for James’ flawless fingerpicking on the guitar and mandolin. Singing old standards and newer favorites from his latest CD, ‘Short Blue […]
Read moreRevelers enjoyed fireworks, music, dance and drinks as the New Year arrived. In La Antigua, visitors packed Parque Central to hear live music and dance. Restaurants and bars rocked as champagne flowed to usher in 2011. Happy New Year!
Read moreAs our old troubadour friend Jimmy Buffett happily lamented, “If I only had a pencil-thin mustache, then I could do some cruisin’ too.” Poor guy, he should’ve been at Monoloco, the popular sports bar in La Antigua, on Thursday night, Dec. 16, for Mustache Night. Guests had Jimmy’s pencil-thin variety, while Miss Kate had a José Quervo flair. There were […]
Read moretext and photos by Jennifer Rowe If you are new to Guatemala, on a budget, or just having trouble coming up with unique ideas for gifts this holiday season, do not fret! Here are a few suggestions of what is available to you from some of the merchants in Antigua. If there’s someone on your shopping list that enjoys setting […]
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The celebration of La Concepción in Ciudad Vieja, near La Antigua Guatemala, is incredible! Everyone enjoys beginning the Christmas cycle by “burning the devil” on Dec. 7. Many will gather at La Concepción in Antigua at 6 p.m. to burn an effigy of the devil enhanced with a sign notating local gossip. After the reading of his “will,” the image […]
Read morePatrons flocked to Rainbow Café – restaurant, bar, book exchange, reading room – for its 18th anniversary celebration Saturday night, Nov. 13. A delight to travelers and locals alike in La Antigua, Rainbow offers some of the best breakfasts in town, along with salads, homemade soups, fresh-fruit smoothies, crunchy salads and desserts to die for. In addition to its menu […]
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Surrounded by an appreciative crowd, a group of musicians known as Grupo Sol Latino, were playing Andean music, which originated in the Incan Empire before the European conquest.
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What started as a blank square in the original drawings, La Antigua’s Parque Central grew and morphed in fits and starts for 467 years to meet the needs of each new generation.
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Exactly where was the center of old Santiago? Traditionally the honor has been assumed to belong to the urban center of Ciudad Vieja, the Old City. But was it? Tropical storm Agatha raged throughout Guatemala in May, déjà vu of 9/11/1541 for the hard-hit area east of Ciudad Vieja. Weeks later, the church of San Miguel Escobar still sheltered people […]
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There is a small corner of Cuba in La Antigua on 5a avenida, north of Los Arcos. Walk into Tabacos y Vinos, turn left at the entrance and face the glass-fronted case. Open the doors where the scents of the earthy Pinar del Rio, the Vuelta Abajo and other heady aromas of the finest cigars in the world are waiting […]
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9 Fri., 7pm — BEAUTY CONTEST: Elección y Coronación de Señorita Antigua 2010-2011. Q50. Salón César Brañas 5a calle poniente # 44-A. 10 Sat., 2-5pm — DANCE: Folk dances featuring municipal dance groups. Salón César Brañas. 10 Sat., 8-4pm —ART: Outdoors Painting Festival. Central Park. 11 Sun., 7pm — MUSIC: Concert by Colectivo Dharana, Central Park. 16 Fri., 7pm — […]
Read moreLight begins to shine on buried treasure Not far from La Antigua’s Central Park lies a newly refurbished Guatemalan version of Ali Baba’s cave. Walk two blocks east on 5a calle, past the original University of San Carlos and what’s now a museum. Then another half block to the ornate wooden doors and the dark red-brick exterior with a small […]
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After much anticipation, the Antigua municipality is building a training center (Centro de Capacitación Municipal) at the entrance to the city—near Santa Inés. The center’s focus on weekdays will be on arts and skills for 9th graders, the diversity of classes include everything from baking to mechanical engineering. On weekends the facility will be open to university extension programs. As […]
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written by Dianne Carofino photos by George Carofino No visitor to La Antigua—no matter for how short or long a stay— has savored the flavor of the city without a visit to the local mercado, with its stalls of colorful and sometimes unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, all separated by narrow, crowded aisles. It can be an enticing but bewildering experience. […]
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