Antigua, Guatemala
Walking down the quaint cobblestoned roads, gorgeous bright colours jump out at you in every direction. Antigua has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and is well known for its preserved architecture. Every building is painted an individual colour, with intricately painted tiles decorating the pavements and corner blocks of the road. With a combination of arrangements in place at most hostels, mixed with multiple pubs, shops and stores that clearly provide an efficient and environmentally friendly service, gives you this wholesome feeling of being completely looked after, by literally everyone around you. The quality of life here feels unmatched, as you walk down the streets and numerous people greet you (and not in the cat calling kind of way- even the ladies say hello with a grin from ear to ear). In this article, I am going to write about the amazing business's that I have come across, that have all inspired me and have made me completely fall in love with the city.
Antigua Brewing Co.
Antigua Brewing Company reflects a hip modern bar and restaurant whilst surrounding you with the beauty of the 16th century architecture. They have a 360 view of Antigua from their rooftop and you feel as though you are in the mountains surrounding you - they are overpowering, but in the best way possible.
Their 'Frida Kahlo' initiative is so easy to put in place but this is the first time I have seen it since travelling Central America. On the back of the bathroom doors there is a sign explaining; that if you are on a date and it is not going well, for whatever reason, order the Frida Kahlo. The staff will get you out, and escort you to your home or hostel. They really value the safety and happiness of their guests and it was so clear that it was a priority of theirs.
Fermento
Fermento is not a place I would perhaps usually go to eat whilst travelling on a budget. It is a fine dining, style restaurant - however when walking around the streets of Antigua on a late Monday night, it is nearly impossible to find a restaurant that is open. When we dined here, we were the only people in this gorgeous 16th century building. The food was amazing, and the service was faultless. However, what flooded my body with happiness was the self-care pack in the bathroom. There was a cupboard, filled with sanitary products, hair grips, hair bands and a body spray. It's such a simple touch.
El lugar del Te & chocolate
I stumbled across this amazing store, which has revolutionised me in teas, chocolate, honey and skin care products. We actually bumped into the owner, Carolina, when walking past a bakery and she encouraged us to go in as, 'they're the best croissants in the world.' She didn't even mention that her business was a 30 second walk down the road. She then found us in her shop and explained her brand to us.
Carolina, is from Copan Ruins, Honduras and but ended up opening this store because she had to lock down in Antigua for covid. The store has a sister venue in Copan that is based outdoors and gives you a chance to see the amazing fauna they are farming for their products. Carolina's father is David Sedat, an archaeologist, featured in the National Geographic for his Mayan discoveries (VOL. 192, N0.6). Carolina worked with her family to create every product in her store with their own hands. With a degree in archeology her passion is combining nature with healthcare and is a believer in 'miracle' plants, like 'Noni' which is found in this Antigua store. Noni is known to cure everything, from diabetes to cancer. In 2000, they reintroduced plants of the Mayan world into their Honduras farm and it has grown from 1 acre to 25 acres now in 2022. They want to support the important reforestation work, in order to combat issues surrounding deforestation. They only make products from the plants they grown - if they don't grow it, you will not find them selling it.
Carolina has described her father, David, as a feminist and runs the business with her sister and mother. They believe in empowering women and have all women staff (other than David).
Adra Hostel
We have stayed at Adra Hostel for a total of four nights. Adra's objective is to generate a space where differences are respected and where attention and care for others in need is the rule. The staff are super welcoming, and with breakfast included in your stay, it is one less worry in your day (especially with a coffee refill). With a gorgeous courtyard in the middle of the building, filled with sunshine and endless vines, you feel relaxed and in nature, instead of being in the middle of the city. Their courtyard is designed to represent the flower of life, a series of overlapping circles that can build infinitely outward, forming a flower-like grid and reminds us of the unity of everything. Adra is strongly committed to help the environment on a daily basis, by serving only organic produce grown by local communities, by using water saving devices in showers and sinks, recycling the majority of waste and using biodegradable products for cleaning purposes. This is highlighted around the hostel, through simple stickers - asking you to follow simple rules to make the hostel as environmentally and socially friendly as possible:
- -hand painted tiles
- -use only what you need
- -the lights will turn off by themselves
- -we are constantly working on reducing the environmental impact
- -Reduce up to 5 minutes, will save 10 gallons of water each day
- Shower hours, 6am-9pm
Spanish School
Here in Antigua I attended Spanish School, through, Antiguena Spanish Academy. My tutors name was Emy and the whole experience was super enjoyable (even though I did feel super frazzled by the end of it). I met Emy at the schools office and we walked for 10 minutes to go to a park to learn. The park was gorgeous, spacious and filled with people learning and exchanging cultures with their own personal tutor's. I have found that here, through word of mouth, Antigua is the place you should go to attend a Spanish School. It's really amazing how many people decide to take part in the classes, as a backpacker because it isn't a super cheap activity (around £150 for a week of lessons). As a traveller I believe it is respectful to give the native language a go and this was the perfect place for me to strengthen my broken Spanish.
Chicken buses
Chicken buses are the local transport in Central America mainly in Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras. They are the old, yellow school buses from the United States. Once they have racked up enough miles, they get auctioned off and driven down to Central America. Individuals buy these buses and then repair and paint them in the most bonkers yet brilliant designs and then drive them around as a means of public transport. They fill the streets with fantastic brightness and encourage the community to spend money on being creative - which isn't seen enough anywhere.