Antigua was founded in 1543 and was once the capital of a huge Spanish colony covering most of Central America. The city was designed in a grid pattern — every street runs either north-south or east-west — so it is very easy to get around. In the centre sits a lovely park with a fountain where people gather to chat, eat, and relax.
The buildings in Antigua are famous for their thick walls, arched doorways, and flower-filled inner courtyards. Churches, convents, and old mansions line the streets. Some of the beautiful old ruins have been left just as they are, with flowers and trees growing inside them, making them like open-air gardens.
Antigua is surrounded by three volcanoes — Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Volcán Fuego, which means 'Fire Volcano', sometimes puffs little clouds of smoke and ash, which you can see from the city's streets. Watching a living volcano from a café while eating breakfast is quite an unusual experience.
The city is also famous for its chocolate. Guatemala has grown cacao (the plant chocolate is made from) for thousands of years — the Maya were among the very first people in the world to drink chocolate. In Antigua today there are museums and workshops where you can watch chocolate being made from the raw beans.