Spend Easter in Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Semana Santa (Holy Week), and thousands of visitors flock to the city to witness the event.
The festival is extremely colourful, with streets covered carpets (alfombras) of flowers, pines, clover and fruits, and people dressed in purple robes with white waistbands carry revered images of Jesus and the Holy Virgin of Sorrow through the street at shoulder height.
This itinerary combines Antigua with the dramatic beauty of Lake Atitlán, and the world-famous highland market of Chichicastenango.
Suggested Holiday Itinerary
Saturday 16 April 2011: Private transfer from Guatemala City airport to Antigua, and stay for 4 nights at the Hotel Villa Colonial which.is situated on a quiet, tree-lined street, 15 mins' walk southwest of the main plaza.
Antigua lies in a highland valley, and is flanked by three volcanoes - Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Until it was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1773, it was the capital of Guatemala, and one of the great cities of the Spanish Empire. It remains one of Latin America’s most delightful colonial jewels, and since 1979 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sun-Tue: At leisure in Antigua, enjoying the Semana Santa festivities.
Wed: Private transfer to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, a scenic two hour drive through the highlands. Stay for 3 nights at the Villa Santa Caterina Hotel which is located 4km from the tourist resort town of Panajachel, in the small village of Santa Catarina Polopó
Panajachel is the largest and most developed of the shoreline settlements of Lake Atitlán, once described by English novelist Aldous Huxley as "the most beautiful lake in the world". The early Spanish impact is evident in its narrow streets, plaza and church, which lies about a kilometre from the lake.
Thu-Fri: At leisure.
Sat: Private transfer to the highland village Chichicastenango, about an hour's drive from Panajachel. Stay for one night at the Hotel Santo Tomas. a friendly, family-run hotel is situated just two minutes walk from Santo Tomas Church
The highland town of Chichicastenango is the commercial hub of the Maya-Quiché highlands. On Thursdays and Sundays, indians from the surrounding hills flood into town for the largest open-air market in the country. Chichi’s focus is around the main plaza, dominated by two colonial churches where one can observe the Maya performing a mixture of Christian and pagan religious ceremonies on the steps of Santo Tomás or at the shrine of Pascual Abaj on the outskirts of town.
Sun: Private transfer to Guatemala City airport, 3½ hours from Chichicastenango.
Our Comment
"Antigua is a naturally atmospheric city, but when the streets are coloured with carpets of petals and sawdust, and the air is thick with incense, it’s a magical place to be."
Rafe Stone, Product Manager
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