Things to Do in Central Highlands

Canary yellow with white trim, the baroque La Merced Church (Iglesia de la Merced) is one of Antigua’s few colonial churches to survive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Inside its thick walls are notable artworks such as a sculpture of Jesus carrying a golden cross, which is paraded through the streets on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

This small museum is devoted to jade, the precious green gemstone that has been mined and revered in Mesoamerica since ancient times. Exhibits provide information on ancient mining of the mineral and include pre-Hispanic jade pieces. It also encompasses a workshop where jade jewelry and decorative objects are created and sold.

Set on an elevated ravine-surrounded site, this Maya city was built with defense in mind, with its inhabitants—the Chajoma people—having battled against neighboring Maya groups before finally succumbing to Spanish forces. As well as being of historical interest, Mixco Viejo also offers spectacular views of the surrounding valleys.

The Maya were among the earliest civilizations to cultivate cacao for culinary use. At this chocolate-focused museum and shop in Antigua, exhibits detail Guatemala’s long-standing legacy of cacao cultivation as well as documenting chocolate-making processes, such as harvesting, roasting, tempering, and molding.

Constructed in 1904, long before Google Earth, this huge 3-dimensional outdoor map of Guatemala offers a grand-scale viewpoint of the mountainous country from above. A family-friendly attraction, Mapa en Relieve contains all the country’s volcanoes, rivers and lakes (some with running water), as well as its cities, roads, bridges, and railroad tracks.

One of the best-maintained zoos of Central Asia, the La Aurora Zoo is located next to Guatemala City’s International Airport. Established in 1924, the zoo also houses the relics of an ancient viaduct. This zoo has three distinct areas- African, Asian and American where animals from the respective continents can be found.

The Popol Vuh Museum located within the Francisco Marroquin University campus exhibits one of the largest collections of Mayan art in the world. Extraordinary artifacts are here, including masks, ceramics, pre-Hispanic statuettes, traditional fabrics, and more. One of Guatemala City’s must-visit destinations, some pieces date back to 9000 BC.

Each year, thousands of pilgrims journey to the multi-domed Church of San Francisco to offer their prayers to Saint Brother Peter (Santo Hermano Pedro), a Franciscan monk who opened a hospital for the poor of Antigua. Pope John Paul II made Brother Peter a saint in 2002, and today the monk’s tomb is one of the most visited and venerated holy sites in Antigua.

This 18-century neoclassical church in Guatemala City’s historic center rose to fame after the Virgen del Rosario was dedicated here in 1933. Join the pilgrims who come to visit the venerated image along with celebrated sculptures such as El Senor Sepultado and Jesus de la Buena Muerte. The splendid gold stuccoed altar is one of the best preserved in the country.

For more than 200 years, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales was the colonial headquarters for the Spanish viceroy that governed the entire Central American region, housing the royal court, post office, treasury, and horse stables until the capital was relocated from Antigua to Guatemala City. After an extensive restoration, the palace now hosts cultural exhibits and performances.

After being ravaged by an earthquake in 1773, Antigua’s Catedral de Santiago was never fully rebuilt. Behind the imposing white facade and modest-sized present-day church—which occupies what was the cathedral’s entrance hall—you’ll find roofless remains including pillars, archways, and altars with plants sprouting among the ruins.

Constructed in the mid-16th century, this Dominican monastery was one of the largest and grandest in all of the Americas until it fell victim to a series of ruinous 18th-century earthquakes. It was later converted into a luxury hotel, though large parts of the complex—including a series of fascinating museums—are open to the public.

The 15th-century capital of the Kaqchikel kingdom, this Maya city is of a smaller scale than the more heavily-visited Tikal. A sacred site for modern-day Maya, Iximché remains uncrowded and tranquil, and its pretty setting—with temples, plazas, and palaces situated on an elevated plateau amid steep valleys—makes exploring a pleasure.

One of Antigua’s most visited ruins, Las Capuchinas (Convento de las Capuchinas) is a Guatemalan convent with a past unlike other convents—women were not required a dowry to join. The building, featuring the work of architect Diego de Porres, is a perfect example of colonial architecture, and there’s an art museum on the convent’s second floor.