Antigua, Guatemala with littles
What a colorful world we live in. Antigua is a small city surrounded by three volcanoes. It has cobblestone streets, the cutest boutique shops, historic ruins and delicious food. Having traveled to more than 50 countries collectively, both Michael and I agree that Antigua is one of our favorite cities.
This was also our first time traveling as a family of five to a new location. I think it takes a lot of trial and error to get the hang of an enjoyable vacation with litte kids. We learned that slower is better, and sometimes a calm afternoon at the airbnb is better than an adventurous day out. Naptime is essential (for both them and us) and packing light does make things easier. On this trip we didn’t pack any diapers (we bought them there) and did a few loads of laundry to recycle our outfits.
Without further to do – here are the top highlights from Antigua, Guatemala.
Waiting for the Taxi in Guatemala City - this trip we packed two carry on bags, a backpack and diaper bag for a ten day trip.
Casa Santa Domingo
We decided to splurge (with points) and stay at this hotel which is also a museum. It did not disappoint. Our room had a fireplace with firewood to use and a pull out couch so that Emma (2) could sleep in a big girl bed for the first time! There was a swimming pool and a treadmill which we took full advantage of and a restaurant that served a delicious buffet. We liked it so much we ate their twice! A fun surprise was a free shuttle bus from the hotel to a sculpture park and restaurant atop a hill that overlooks a city. With our girls waking up at 5 AM every morning, we took the first shuttle at 7 AM and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the empty park alone.
Caoba Farms
Phoebe turned four on our trip and we decided to spend the day with some friends at this local farm to table restaurant. There were beautiful gardens to walk through, face painting, a cute playground and a really nice restaurant with spread out seating. It even rained while we ate and enjoyed our little umbrella covered picnic bench. Our girls loved running around exploring the grounds and we loved that we could spend some time with friends in a beautiful setting.
Food!
There are so many cute restaurants and boutiques to visit along the cobblestone streets. Every time you walk through a little door, a tiny world of delight opens up full of color, beautiful décor, and the smells of something yummy. Top on our list was Patio de la Primera, a little Italian restaurant with twinkling lights and lives music. I enjoyed a solo trip to Once Once, a vegan restaurant. And we had a lovely dinner one night at Los Tres Tiempos Antigua – the interior was unlike anything I’d seen with various nooks and crannies to enjoy.
Yes, we also had a fair share of tantrums and sad faces. And yes, we were quite tired. I would say however, that the good outweighed the bad. We learned some new skills of traveling with the girls and left amazed at what Antigua has to offer. We didn’t even scratch the surface of all that could be done, but perhaps that’s the fun exploring a city full of secret gardens.