Antigua Guatemala - where the stones come to life

Up and down. Up and down the cobbled streets of Antigua Guatemala. Women, men, children, jumping up and down, exuding energy and excitement, as if they had received great news or even won some kind of prize money. However, the reason is different, the wealth is internal, it's divine.

Respect for religion, in Guatemala, is… sacred. Notwithstanding the corruption problems that have affected the church in this small Central American country, the majority of the population rigorously follows the rules dictated by the institution. More than 50 percent of Guatemalans are Catholic.

Whether it's sunny or rainy, summer or winter, success or failure, whether we celebrate birth, life or pay homage to the dead, faith remains firm, even unalterable. There is, however, a moment when this conviction in something greater reaches epic proportions - Holy Week, Easter week.

From the countryside, vans, taxis, carts and buses full of believers, workers and vendors arrive in Antigua Guatemala - because Easter business pays for a large part of the year.

The women, wearing vibrant and colourful traditional dresses, carry sacks in their hands, wicker baskets on their heads and small children on their backs. The balance and physical effort are stupendous. Covered in dazzling fabrics, inert in the sun and high temperatures.

The façades of the elegant colonial houses, with their wide ornate balconies, iron gates and arcades, offer a respite from the stifling heat. Almost as if it were an obligation, imposition or segregation, foreign visitors walk through the shaded areas of the façades, while on the opposite side of the same street, the local inhabitants and citizens circulate hurriedly in the sun.

To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question

Arriving from a long trip (and drive) from Mexico, I look for the “hotel” where I will be staying. I left booking a place to sleep too late and was left with what was left.

And if the images already showed that the comfort was going to be poor, the cleanliness wasn't as bad as I realised as soon as I entered the "hotel". There was little hotel about it, apart from several rooms for rent, in an old house with several rooms, with a sign outside calling it a "hotel".

The room, dark and cold, was good for sleeping. The bathroom, however, was frightening. The pavements were cleaner than the bath itself. I'm a bit picky about hotels, as long as they fulfil the three main rules I define in my criteria: cleanliness, price and, in cities, location.

In this case, the location was irrelevant, as Antigua is small and you can walk anywhere, the price was within my budget, but in terms of cleanliness, the "hotel" failed miserably.

I got in and got out straight away, but I didn't cancel the booking straight away because I knew how difficult (or impossible) it would be to find an alternative. I was going to stay three nights in Antigua and, for lack of a better option, I could stay there for one night, but not three.

My plans included a climb up one of the volcanoes surrounding Antigua — the Pacaya volcano, but to do that I needed to find a travel agency to book an excursion.

I asked around at two agencies to compare prices, but still unsatisfied, I walked a little further through the streets of Antigua Guatemala and entered the agency closest to the centre, next to the Santa Catalina Arch. There were still a few places left for me to join a group the next day and climb the volcano's crater.

Without much hope, I decided to ask if they had a place to stay that was clean and not too expensive. The answer, to my surprise, was positive. And, to my even greater astonishment, it was on Antigua's main street. There were two rooms available.

I had a look round, the rooms were spacious, clean, with an excellent terrace at the back and away from the hustle and bustle of the front of the building. I agreed the price with the owner and stayed there for lunch and a nice Guatemalan beer: Gallo.

A great place, discovered by chance and without the possibility of booking online. I was lucky or, as a Guatemalan would say, divinely intervened.

Antigua Guatemala - the city to which UNESCO surrendered

Antigua was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, due to its impressive Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture and 16th-century churches. La Antigua was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773 and ceased to be Guatemala's capital shortly afterwards.

Despite this, the city, in the department of Sacatepéquez, has retained the integrity that characterised it in the past. That same year, in 1979, UNESCO also recognised the sublime Mayan ruins of Tikal.

Antigua is praised as an example of urban planning. The cobbled streets lined with brightly coloured colonial buildings and beautiful, lively squares give this Guatemalan city a beauty that is unusual in Latin America.

In some areas, Antigua is similar to Trinidad, the museum city of Cuba. One of the places from where you can appreciate the layout and beauty of Antigua is from Cerro de la Cruz – an exceptional panoramic view of the city.

Founded in 1543 as the seat of Spanish power in the region, Antigua Guatemala served as the cultural, religious and economic centre for more than two centuries. Despite its historical significance and its importance in the religious festivities of Holy Week, Antigua is not stuck in the past.

Many nightclubs give the city a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. At the same time, public events are on the increase, with theatre plays, music concerts, ballet and an international jazz festival being the highlights.

The colourful pavement that springs up and dies in a few hours

Trinidad, the museum city of Cuba. One of the places from where you can appreciate the layout and beauty of Antigua is from Cerro de la Cruz — an exceptional panoramic view of the city.

Founded in 1543 as the seat of Spanish power in the region, Antigua Guatemala served as the cultural, religious and economic centre for more than two centuries. Despite its historical significance and its importance in the religious festivities of Holy Week, Antigua is not stuck in the past.

Many nightclubs give the city a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. At the same time, public events are on the increase, with theatre plays, music concerts, ballet and an international jazz festival being the highlights.

The colourful pavement that springs up and dies in a few hours

In 2014, 5,000 volunteers, using 54 tonnes of materials, built the largest carpet of its kind - with the right to be entered in the Guinness Book of Records - two kilometres long without any interruption through the streets of Guatemala City.

Unbelievable, but it symbolises the faith and conviction of those who take part in the ceremonies. In neighbouring Mexico, there is also something similar in Huamantla, Tlaxcala.

In Antigua, thousands of national and international visitors transform the cobbled streets, albeit on a smaller scale. It's a religious invasion of people taking part in processions and re-enactments of the crucifixion and other Easter ceremonies. The tradition of decorating the streets in this way allegedly began in Europe and was taken to the Americas by the Spanish.

Processions run through the streets from morning to night, believers dress in purple costumes, put on masks and try to pay penance. The faithful defy high temperatures, wearing clothes that cover their bodies from face to foot, while carrying huge floats, often barefoot. A collective sacrifice in the name of faith.

See these 22 unforgettable photographs of Guatemala and a travel guide for Guatemala.

Next articles

Revolut and Wise - the right cards for withdrawals and payments abroad?

Via Algarviana - from the heart of the Serra do Caldeirão to Salir

How to visit the Panama Canal - easily (and cheaply)