Great history – Antigua was the former Spanish colonial capital of Guatemala from 1543 to 1776, so it is steeped in tradition – traditions they work hard to maintain through, for example, not allowing modern day commercial branding to deface the facades of the beautiful buildings.
Great vibe – there are a series of markets selling local goods and plenty of international visitors not just from tourism, but also as many people travel to the host of language schools located here.
Nice place to stop and recharge your batteries after travelling or hiking nearby. One day enough though.
If you’re keen for an easy hike and half day trip, you can head up to the Pacaya Volcano. Unfortunately, the weather was poor the day we went, which meant we couldn’t really see much, but being able to see the lava flowing near(ish) was very very cool.