Discovering the rich history through the churches and ruins of Antigua
Welcome to the beautiful Antigua, where you can travel through time. These cobblestone streets and colonial buildings will tell you all the tales of the past. As of today, Antigua belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site with its rich history of churches.
Antigua, which was once the capital of Guatemala, is home to an impressive collection of churches. Each has its own charm and leaves a captivating impression on you. Join me to unravel the secrets of these sacred places and see what this city has to offer!
You might also like: Exploring Antigua: 5-day Adventure Through History And Culture
For your information, all these pictures were taken in April 2023.
Table of Contents
The history of Antigua
Antigua, formerly called ‘Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala’, was once the capital of Guatemala. Founded in the 16th century, the city had a strategic location between three volcanoes. This made it an ideal center for trade and commerce, but that changed in 1773.
There were many earthquakes, but after the Santa Marta earthquake, which destroyed much of the town, the Spanish Crown ordered the removal of the capital to a safer location. This is now Guatemala City as we know of today.
The churches in Antigua have distinguished Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture. These architectural styles reflect the city’s diverse history. Ornate facades and grand interiors characterize most churches. The city of Antigua was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Religious festivals in Antigua
The most famous religious celebration is definitely the Semana Santa (or Holy Week). We missed this festivity with only one week and were quite bummed out, even though this would make the trip harder (think about finding accommodation).
The Holy Week attracts visitors from around the world and that’s totally understandable! The streets of Antigua come to life with processions, music, and religious ceremonies. Also, intricate carpets made of colored sawdust, flowers, and other natural materials fill up the streets. Also, the churches play an important role in these celebrations, as they serve as starting or gathering points for the processions.
Practical information about the churches and ruins
Visiting these churches and ruins can daily, mostly between 9 AM to 5 PM. But it’s best to check beforehand as times can differ. Mostly to enter, you will have to pay a small fee and this will be higher for foreigners than for Guatemalan or Central American citizens.
You can visit all these places on your own, but if you want to have more information about the background of these buildings, you can find many guides who will show you around.
Best churches and ruins to visit in Antigua
1 | Convento la Recoleccion
The Convento la Recoleccion is a former church and monastery of the Order of the Recollects and was completed in 1717. The story behind these ruins is a bit sad as it took two friars fifteen as it was denied many times to get the royal decree to agree on the building of the monastery.
But after a few months of the inauguration, the churches and cloisters were afflicted by the 1717 earthquakes. The complex suffered again in 1751 and again in 1773 with the Santa Marta earthquakes. The reconstruction didn’t happen anymore, and the building was left the way it was.
As of today, the ruins are surrounded by parkland and are a protected national monument with access to the public. The most prominent piece of the monastery is the arch that’s still standing after all those years. It truly feels like you’re walking in an apocalypse movie or the video game ‘Assassin’s Creed’.
Opening hours: Daily from 9 AM to 5 PM
Entrance fee: Q40 for foreigners
2 | Iglesia de la Merced
This was the first church we spotted in Antigua, as we had the most beautiful view over this from our hotel balcony. And probably is also the most famous and photographed church in Antigua because of its convenient location, which is near the famous Arco.
The Iglesia de la Mercad was completed in 1767 after building it for 15 years. The style traces back to early 13th-century Barcelona, which is Spanish seismic baroque. Because of its young age and overall good condition, the building didn’t suffer as much as the others from the earthquakes. Although, it still had to be renovated.
Opening hours: open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM
Entrance fee: Q7 for nationals and Q15 for foreigners
3 | Ruinas de la Iglesia de la Candelaria
Of this church isn’t much left, only the facade is still standing, but as you will probably pass it on your way to Cerro de la Cruz, it’s still worth mentioning. But I imagine that this place would’ve been so much better if it weren’t for the basketball court right next to the ruin.
The church of Candelaria was constructed in 1548 and is seen as one of the first churches to contribute to the work of Christianization.
The ruins of the temple reveal the irreparable damage caused by the earthquakes. After the earthquake of 1717, the church of Candelaria was rebuilt. But was hit again by the earthquakes of 1751 and remained completely in ruins after the 1773 earthquakes.
4 | Convento Capuchinas
The Iglesia y Convento de las Capuchinas is one of the more famous ruins in Antigua due to its gardens. This was the last building that to be erected in 1736. This building differed from the rest as it was built to resist earthquakes. And it did, as it’s still standing to this day! But because of the movement of the capital, the convent served other purposes, like drying coffee.
Opening hours: open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM
Entrance fee: Q5 for nationals, Q40 for foreigners
5 | Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
The history of this church goes back to the year 1683 when the council gave permission to built Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Because of the earthquakes of 1717, 1728, and 1773, the building got destroyed and left for abandonment. So there isn’t much left of the church, except the facade with the huge cracks. You can’t visit from the inside, but it’s still very beautiful to admire from afar!
6 | Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús
The construction of Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús was carried out as a request of the religious Jesuit to found a school. The establishment took place in 1580, but there was no permit. The school was allowed to happen, but the temple was only initiated in 1626.
As a result of an earthquake, the building had to be rebuilt in 1689. The Jesuits were expelled from the colonial town by an order in 1767, so the church and convent were abandoned. Later on, it became a ruin by the earthquakes of 1773 and 1976.
7 | Catedral San José
The Cathedral of San José is a place you will not miss seeing when in Antigua, no worries about that! It’s located right off the main square in Antigua, called the Plaza Mayor, which is such a vibrant part of Antigua.
What not many people know is that there are not one, but two Cathedrals! The first one is the newer facade which you see when you’re standing at the square. The second is the ruins behind this facade, as the Cathedral was destroyed by the 1773 earthquakes. You can visit the newer Cathedral for free, so it’s fun to take a look around. But if you want to visit the ruins, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee.
Opening hours: ruins are daily open from 9 AM – 5 PM
Entrance fee: Q20 for foreigners (the ruins) and free entrance to the cathedral
8 | Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol
The construction of Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol dates back to 1654. Like the rest of the buildings, it suffered various damages from the different earthquakes. However, it never collapsed and some restorations made it the church we know it today. The facade of the church is at the right angle to the entrance of a Hospital.
9 | Convento Santa Clara
The Convent of Santa Clara was founded in 1699 by nuns from Puebla in Mexico. It was run by the nuns and it became a popular place as they earned a reputation by selling bread to high society.
The original convent was wiped out in 1717 as the second in 1773 (and you guessed it correctly, because of the earthquakes). The building that’s left today was spared in 1976 and the facade remains intact.
This was my favorite ruin to visit, as you wander around a beautiful garden, with plants and flowers. This building has the original bread oven, embedded pila (or a washhouse), a courtyard with its fountain in the middle, and underground tombs.
Opening hours: 9 AM to 5 PM
Entrance fee: Q40 for foreigners
Some extra monuments to visit in Antigua
10 | Tanque La Unión
Only the big houses had a place where they could wash and for this reason, the housewives went to public laundries. The Tanque La Unión was one of the most representative washing places in the city. It was used since 1853. After the earthquake of 1976, the tank was rebuilt while preserving the original neoclassical style as it looks like today.
The Tanque la Unión is located next to a park with palm trees and in between Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol and Convento Santa Clara. This place was considered to be a daily social meeting point for the people.
11 | El Arco de Santa Catalina
The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the most prominent landmarks in Antigua! The arch was built in the 17th century to connect the Santa Catalina convent to a school. This way, the cloistered nuns could pass from one building to another without going out on the street, thus complying with the vow of seclusion.
The clock was added later on top of the arch, in the 1830s to be exact. This was in the era of the Central American Federation. The clock was damaged during the 1976 earthquake and stopped working, but it was repaired. It requires winding every three days.
Helpful information: Come here very early to be here all alone and without any cars in the street! Otherwise, it will be way too touristy and cars will drive in this street.
12 | Starbucks
This is an odd one on the list, but I have to include it! It’s just way too stunning not to share, even though it’s not a ruin, a church, or another historic monument. It’s just a Starbucks, a corporate business. And normally I wouldn’t recommend going to something like this, but this is just a different story.
As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Starbucks was designed with local artists to fit in with the rest of the historic city. The café has a lot of different paintings depicting the Mayan culture. It’s something you have to see with your own eyes. And the same goes for Mcdonald’s and Taco Bell!
Opening hours: 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM (10 PM on a Friday and Saturday)
Entrance fee: It’s free to visit, but it’s expected to buy a drink
Map of churches and ruins of Antigua
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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