Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hind the attached church. Marroquín arrived with Alvarado and temporarily assumed gov-
ernment leadership in the wake of the death of Alvarado's wife, Beatriz de la Cueva, who
assumed power after his death. He also assumed a great deal of responsibility for the con-
struction of the new capital at Antigua. The palace interior is quite lovely and still contains
original furniture in addition to a 16th-century portrait of Marroquín and religious artwork
imported from Europe. There is also an ornate baroque chapel. There are some nice views
of Antigua and the valley from here, just south of town. Buses leave hourly from the An-
tigua bus terminal, taking about 20 minutes to get here.
Ciudad Vieja served as Guatemala's colonial capital before its destruction by mudflows
fromAguaVolcano in1541,after whichthecapital wasmovedtopresent-day Antigua, six
kilometers north.Itsformergloryislonggone,itsonlyoutstandinglandmarkbeingtheco-
lonialchurchontheplaza.BeatrizdelaCueva,DonPedrodeAlvarado'ssecondwife,per-
ished in the ruins of a nearby chapel while seeking refuge from the storm, which brought
mud and water clambering down the slopes of the volcano.
Just beyond Ciudad Vieja, on the road to San Miguel Dueñas,
Estación Experimental
Valhalla
(Km 52.5 Carretera a San Miguel Dueñas, tel. 7831-5799,
www.exvalhalla.net
, 8
A.M.-5 P.M. daily) is an experimental macadamia nut-farming operation. You can tour the
organic plantation, sample macadamia chocolates and macadamia oil skin-care products,
or eat delicious macadamia nut pancakes served with blueberry jam and macadamia butter
8:30 A.M.- 3:30 P.M. The owner is a visionary who sees macadamia trees as a sustainable
agricultural and ecological alternative to coffee harvesting and may be on hand to show
you around.
Thistowniswellknownforitswonderfulweavingsincorporatinggeometric/floralpatterns
and for handicrafts, including
petates
(reed mats), wooden masks, reed dolls, and kites. At
the time of its founding in the 16th century, San Antonio and other adjoining communit-
ies were lakeshore villages on Lago Quinizilapa, which has long since been drained. The
town'sprominenceasahandicraftsproductioncenterhasmadeitrelativelyprosperousand
it enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the Guatemalan highlands. There are frequent
buses to San Antonio, just six kilometers from Antigua.
Antigua Tours
(3a Calle Oriente
#22, tel. 7832-5821,
www.antiguatours.net
) includes a stop in San Antonio Aguas Cali-
entes as part of its “Antigua Villages” tour.
