Antigua and Western Highlands

Antigua and Western Highlands Travel Guide

Filled with vestiges of its colonial past -- cobblestone streets, enchanting squares, and deserted convents -- Antigua, one of Latin America's loveliest cities, instantly transports you back hundreds of years to when the Spanish ruled this land. The city lost out on its role as colonial capital in the late 18th century, and yet with the reverence shown here to the past, you may think Antigüeños don't realize that era is over. No matter -- Antigua likely relishes its role as the capital of Guatemalan tourism far more.

The region that locals call the Occidente (west) or the Altiplano (high plain) is the Guatemala that everyone comes to see. The highlands begin near the colonial capital of Antigua and run all the way to the border of Mexico, in a spectacular stretch of territory where grumbling volcanoes rise above broad alpine lakes, narrow river ravines, subtropical valleys, misty cloud forests, and pastoral plains. The combination of natural and cultural beauty leads us to use an oft-overused term to describe the highlands: the region is Guatemala at its most fabulous. We wager you'll agree.

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