ANTIGUA: A CATACLYSMIC HISTORY
Few cities in the world can claim such a cataclysmic past, founded on disaster and punctuated by periods of glory and seismic destruction. Antigua was actually the third capital of Guatemala and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The Spanish first settled close to the modern town of Tecpán, near the ruins of their allies, the Kaqchikel Maya, at Iximché, but quickly moved to set up a permanent capital near the town of Ciudad Vieja in 1527. Disaster soon struck here, though, and after torrential rain, a massive mudslide from nearby Volcán de Agua destroyed the settlement and killed the widow of Alvarado the conquistador. The site chosen for the third capital, in the Panchoy valley, just 5km (3 miles) away, is where Antigua stands today. Originally called Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, Antigua grew steadily after it was founded in 1543 to become the most important city in the Americas between Mexico City and Lima. Santiago expanded further following the 1717 earthquake, which demolished many weaker buildings and necessitated the strengthening of those remaining. Many of Antigua’s colonial structures date from this period, built in a uniquely ‘squat Baroque’ style with colossal walls in an attempt to resist future seismatics.
The city prospered again until 1773, its population growing to around 75,000, when a six-month long series of tremors all but crippled the capital. Damage and disease epidemics forced the government out of the city, and the king of Spain ordered it to be evacuated in favor of a new capital (Guatemala City) some 45km (28 miles) away in the valley of Ermita. But Antigua was never completely abandoned, and the fertile hillsides proved the perfect conditions for the production of cochineal dye and coffee, the latter of which is thought to be some of the best in the world as a result of rich volcanic soil and low humidity.
Wealthy enthusiasts renovated colonial mansions, and middle-class Guatemalans again repopulated the city. Today, Antigua is one of the most international cities in the Americas, and it is estimated that at least 80 percent of its economy is dependent on the booming tourist trade and language-school industry.
The three spectacular volcanic peaks near Antigua – Volcán de Agua, Volcán de Fuego, and Volcán Acatenango – can all be climbed, offering unrivaled views of the surrounding landscape. Many tour and adventure sports agencies in Antigua offer guided hikes.
Textile enthusiasts may want to head for San Antonio Aguas Calientes 5 [map] , just 2km (1.2 miles) from Ciudad Vieja, which is the premier weaving center in the Antigua area. The sprawling village is mainly Maya and is the base for a number of different collectives and stores selling textiles from all over the country, some of which also give weaving lessons. The local huipil design combines elaborate floral and geometric patterns on a predominantly red background.
Western Highlands
This is the heartland of the Guatemalan Maya, a place of living traditions amid the most beautiful landscape in the country. The absorbing Maya culture – that’s still vibrantly alive – in the rugged mountains of the Western Highlands is the apex of most visitors’ experience in Guatemala. The natural setting rivals the culture, epitomized by the chain of volcanoes that strides through the heart of the land. There is Lago de Atitlán, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, the Cuchumatanes mountain range to the north, and the hot springs and market villages around Quetzaltenango.
The strength of Guatemala’s Indigenous culture is apparent in the peoples’ costume, fiestas, religious practice, and language – a dozen different tongues (plus Spanish) are spoken in these mountains. Visit as many markets as possible: the spectacle of Chichicastenango, the tranquility and hushed tones of Chajul, the frenetic hustle and commerce of San Francisco El Alto.
Lago de Atitlán
Of all Guatemala’s natural attractions, perhaps the most beautiful is the volcanic caldera of Lago de Atitlán 6 [map] and its unforgettable highland setting, which have seduced travelers for centuries. Its various bays and inlets give the lake an irregular shape, but it measures about 19km (12 miles) long by 12km (7.5 miles) at its widest point. Atitlán is transcended by three towering volcanoes, its shores are dotted with Maya villages, and its 305-meter (1,000ft) deep waters conjure up a spectrum of shifting color changes.
While Panajachel is the main resort, Santa Cruz is supremely peaceful and relaxing, San Pedro is a backpacker haven, Santiago Atitlán has a traditional feel, and San Marcos is a ‘new age’ center. Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó are different again, both villages specializing in textile weaving, while tranquil San Juan has some excellent community tourism projects.
The Maya probably first settled in the Lake Atitlán area around 2000 BC when they formed small farming and fishing communities on its shores. The region around Lago de Atitlán has likely been volcanic in character for at least 12 million years, when a colossal caldera, much larger than the present lake, extended several kilometers farther to the north. More eruptions around 9 million years ago then formed another, slightly smaller, bowl-shaped caldera.
Lago de Atitlán’s present outline is the result of a third volcanic explosion 85,000 years ago. This eruption blocked all access to the sea, so that the three rivers that tumble into the newly formed crater formed today’s vast, high-altitude lake, some 1,562 meters (5,125ft) above sea level.
Panajachel
Dubbed Gringotenango by the locals because of the heavy influx of tourists and the high density of Westerner-owned bars and cafés, Panajachel 7 [map] or ‘Pana’ has become something of a boomtown since the turn of the millennium. Yet, despite the vast kasbah of traditional textile stores and the dozens of hotels, restaurants, cafés, and new-age services, Pana’s great appeal is all about its location overlooking the lake and volcanoes, and its inimitable laid-back atmosphere. Transportation connections are also superb, with regular buses and shuttles running up to the Interamericana and a flotilla of boats linking Pana with the other lakeside villages.