A Guide To Antigua, Guatemala | The Basics

Guatemala is fairly simple to navigate, even with limited Spanish. It can be as cheap or as expensive as you’d like depending on how you travel, but it’s important to note that your money can go a long way here. Convenient transportation like tuc tucs and chicken buses or meals at the local market rather than at restaurants are both ways to stretch your money.

Getting There

You’ll arrive to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. If you’re heading to Antigua, the ride is between forty five minutes to an hour and a half depending on traffic. I arranged a taxi through my hotel; however, there are many taxis waiting directly outside the airport to take you where you need to go. My taxi to Antigua cost $50USD, which is 400 quetzals (GTQ) in local currency.

Getting Around

Antigua is a walkable area, so your best bet is going to be walking. If you don’t prefer to walk, you have a few other options depending on the distance you’re going:

Tuc Tuc

These open air buggies are the most plentiful and are the equivalent of a taxi. You’ll want to use these the most to go anywhere within a few miles radius or perhaps just over to the next town. It likely will not cost anymore than 15GTQ or 20GTQ and you’ll need to pay in local cash. The rides are a bit bumpy over the cobblestone, but they get the job done for close vicinities.

Taxi

A taxi will take you a bit further than a tuc tuc; for example, a ride to the airport. If you need to go to a few towns over, a taxi will likely be your best option.

Chicken Bus

These are American school buses that have been purchased, refitted with new parts, and decorated with brilliant paint, lights, etc. You really can’t miss them. Chicken buses are public transportation that go between cities. If you’re comfortable with public transportation and can determine where you need to get on and get off, this option is likely going to be cheaper than a taxi for longer distances.

Currency

The currency in Guatemala is the quetzal or GTQ, named for the national bird. 1 quetzal is about 7 US dollars.

If you need to use an ATM, you can ask around to find one nearest you. In my case, the taxi driver stopped at a local strip mall and service station, but I also stumbled upon one in a grocery store near the main local market in Antigua. Look for yellow ATM machines that have 5B on them.

I arrived in Guatemala with $150USD and withdrew 1700GTQ while there. In total, this was about $370USD or 2870GTQ, which covered my meals, tuc tuc and taxi rides, and souvenirs.

The Water

Do not drink tap water anywhere in Guatemala unless expressly stated. You’ll want to purchase bottled water or carry a reusable water bottle that you can refill at designated areas. I stayed at the Good Hotel Antigua, which happens to have tap water you can drink.

Communication

The official language is Spanish; however, if you are visiting the other villages, over 20 different Mayan languages are spoken. In a location like this, it is extremely beneficial to stay with a tour guide the entire time, and it may even be helpful to have translation apps on your phone.

Accommodations

I stayed at the Good Hotel Antigua, which is a lovely sustainable property in central city Antigua that began as a charitable organization years ago and evolved into several properties in different countries. I loved this stay in particular because the profits are invested in the local community in a number of ways. The profits go to Niños de Guatemala to provide education and improve the lives of local children. They also employ local children graduating school and parents, especially mothers. Read more about my stay here.

Things To Do

What you do in Guatemala largely depends on what you’re interested in and the reason for your trip. For me, Guatemala is a photographer’s dream for portraiture, anthropological studies, and cultural immersion. There are opportunities to be in nature like kayaking and hiking volcanos, but I was particularly interested in visiting local markets and Mayan villages, so I focused most of my time on those things; check out all of my Guatemala content here.

Getting Home

When you arrive back at the airport to leave, you’ll show your passport at the door and then continue walking straight until you see glass windows to your left where you’ll find escalators, elevators, and stairs. You’ll down to the next floor and International Departures is going to be to your right down the stairs.

Before getting in line, locate the large desk directly in front of the steps where you’ll fill out your migration form. Don’t worry if you miss this step; there’s another opportunity to fill out the form after going through security and just before migration control where you’ll show your passport one final time.

Unfortunately, there is no TSA Pre-Check, Clear, or Global Entry, so you will need to remove your shoes, hats, etc. You’ll also need to remove large electronics.

While toiletry bags do not have to be removed, keep in mind that you cannot fly with certain objects. For example, while I’ve flown many a time through several airports with cosmetic scissors, they did not allow me to keep them, so I had to toss them. Be mindful of this when it comes to things you bring into the country and things you purchase while there.