TravelDock I will connect with a place instantly and quite ferociously, or not at all! After floating between Antigua and Guatemala over the past few months it struck me, and interestingly so that I couldn’t make a decision about how I feel about this city. It’s like dating someone who is great in every single possibility and you sit there trying to work out why you don’t fancy them!
It’s great, I stayed near the English Harbour and Falmouth. It’s a natural harbour that first attracted the famous British sailor Nelson. It was he who founded the harbour and it has since become a strategic point on our globe. Back in the days where we were making trade in Sugar Cane it was the English Harbour and Antigua in the West Indies that would have secured us that trade. Nowadays though it’s a major centre for sailing (not surprising) and is majorly popular with foreign expats. With an excellent variety of restaurants and watering holes though mostly low key. Perfect for bungalow rental and my advice is to rent a car!
I like it very much. And I also can’t stand it. It’s like a mixed deck of cards. There are some really cute hole-in-the-wall places where you can go for food. But I also don’t feel safe there by myself at night. The architecture and general colour of the place is fabulous. But the alleyways are rough and cobbled. Maybe that’s personal preference? It’s culture is so fantastically Guatemalan but all tourism seems to be nothing but hoards of massive tour busses that I could do without wherever I am.
Maybe I should have stayed longer, it was the shortest stop on my tour and I only spent half the time there compared to everywhere else I stopped. Our itinerary was a whistle stop of town touring, secret restaurant finding, salsa, nightlife. I had a fantastic time but I wouldn’t return.
But you should still go! It’s an integral destination to add to your travel lists and the most important destination in Guatemala. My cautions would be don’t place all hopes on it and don’t make it the central part of your trip.
