Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ciudad Vieja
Seven kilometers southwest of Antigua along the Escuintla road is Ciudad Vieja (Old
City), near the site of the first capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Founded in
1527, it met its demise 14 years later when Volcán Agua let loose a flood of water that had
been penned up in its crater. The water deluged the town with tons of rock and mud, leav-
ing only the ruins of La Concepción church.
The actual site of the former capital is a bit to the east at
San Miguel Escobar
; Ciudad Vieja
was populated by survivors of the flood. The pretty church on the main square has an im-
pressive stucco-work facade, though it's about two centuries newer than the plaque by the
door boasts it to be.
The NGO Niños de Guatemala, which runs a school for low-income kids above the
town, leads alternative
tours
(adult/child Q200/100; Tue, Thu & Fri)
of Ciudad Vieja that really
get beneath the surface of the community. A half-day tour takes you through the poorer
section of town, then focuses on two of the town's principal industries: 'chicken bus' re-
building and coffin-making. At the end of the tour, local chefs prepare you a traditional
meal.
Your best bet for accommodation in Ciudad Vieja is
Hotel Santa Valentina
(
7831-5044; 2a
)
, offerring rooms with private bathroom and TV.
Av 0-01, Zona 3; s/d Q150/250;
Valhalla Experimental Station
Between San Antonio and Ciudad Vieja, near the village of San Miguel Dueñas, is this
macadamia farm
( 7831-5799;
www.exvalhalla.net
; 8am-4:30pm)
raising 300 species of the
remarkable nut. You can tour this organic, sustainable agriculture project and sample nuts,
oils and cosmetics made from the harvest. Be sure to sample the macadamia-nut pancakes,
served amid lush tropical foliage.
Finca los Nietos
Java junkies in this neck of the woods should investigate this
coffee plantation
( 7831-5438;
www.fincalosnietos.com
;
8-11am Mon-Fri)
for a tour and a taste. The hour-long tour (Q50 per
person, minimum two people) answers all your nitty-gritty coffee questions, from how
seedlings are propagated to how beans are roasted.
