The two most popular tourist spots in Guatemala are undoubtedly the ruins of Tikal and the colonial town of Antigua. These locations were both on our itinerary, but we decided to combine a day trip to Antigua with a side trip to the ruins of Iximche as a “warm up” for Tikal. It was a great decision, not only to see Iximche itself, but to also enjoy the ride through the beautiful Guatemalan highlands.
Iximche
Iximche sits at a higher altitude than Guatemala City, and the cooler temperatures were noticeable (Iximche is at 7,400 ft vs. Guatemala City at 4,900 ft). I was glad I had brought a jacket along (we visited at the end of December). Iximche is 56 miles from Guatemala City, but on the windy roads it took about 2 hours to get there.
Iximche was the capital of the “Late Postclassic Kaqchikel Maya kingdom from 1470 until its abandonment in 1524” according to Wikipedia. The Spanish conquistadors arrived around this time, as did Smallpox, which decimated the native population. The ruins were declared a national monument in 1960.
You won’t run into crowds here, Iximche does not receive a lot of “foreign” visitors, most are locals. We pretty much had the site to ourselves.
A model of the city of Iximche at its peak in the late 1400’s. For the tourist, you enter the actual ruins at the lower left, and work your way to the far end of the display. only a few of the pyramid bases remain along with other foundations.
An copy of Mayan text near the entrance. The long bars and small dots represent numbers or years.
A ball court at Ximche, a common feature of Mayan cities. The games were played with a rubber ball, no hands or feet could be used.
Other views of the ruins of Iximche:
The central plaza area of Iximche.
The main structures here are known as Temples 1 and 2.
A ceremonial area at the far end of Iximche, still in use by the descendants of the ancient Mayan citizens .
Antigua
From Iximche, we then drove on to Antigua. This is where most of the tourists hang out, both in terms of day trippers and overnight stays. Even cruise ships arrange day trips to Antigua from the Pacific Coast port of Puerto Quetzal, only 71 km or 44 miles away, about 1.5 hours by auto or bus. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and was the capital of Spanish Guatemala back in the mid 16th century (it is considered Guatemala’s 3rd capital, Ximche being the first) and has an extensive amount of colonial architecture. It also is known for its setting, surrounded by steep volcanic peaks and close proximity to Guatemala City, only 40 km or 25 miles (plan about 1 hour by car).
A view of Antigua from a hillside park. The city sits in a bowl beneath several volcanoes and has been the victim of volcanic eruptions and numerous earthquakes.
Antigua’s most famous landmark, Santa Catalina Arch. The arch was built in the late 1600’s and allowed nuns to walk over the street (convents were on both sides) without mingling with the public.
Street scene in Antigua, with the brightly colored buildings and walls, and cobblestone streets.
Another street scene in central Antigua.
The main town square in Antigua.
Courtyard of the Casa Santo Domingo (aka Monasterio de Santo Domingo) in Antigua. This is a semi-ruined monastery that is now a hotel and destination wedding spot. Very cool place.
One of the chapels in Casa Santo Domingo.
On every corner in Antigua are interesting churches, some fully functional, but many in a state of ruin (some partially both!) due to numerous earthquakes over the centuries.
There are numerous beautiful churches in Antigua, this is the La Merced Church.
Early 18th century Church of San Francisco, Antigua. It is a pilgrimage site and has extensive ruins of a monastery next door.
Chapel of the Church of San Francisco, decorated at Christmas time.
Ruins of the monastery at the Church of San Francisco, Antigua, Guatemala. The monastery was huge, there is a lot to see here, including some remaining large frescoes.
Another church (known as El Carmen) in ruins in Antigua. How unfortunate, the decorative exterior must have been beautiful.
Antigua has surprises on every corner, it was fun to just wander the streets and see what we might find. Boutique shops, restaurants and fascinating sights abound.
Of course you can find a Papa Johns in Antigua! (Better ingredients, better pizza!)
If you go to Guatemala, be sure to spend a little time in Antigua!
The Independent Tourist 
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