Travel by the Calendar

La Merced cathedral

The crowds come to Antigua for Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter. For religious tourists, it’s the most holy week in the year. But for not so religious tourists, there are better times to visit Antigua. For a less touristy option, try six or so weeks later, around Mother’s Day (second Sunday in May), when there is a procession for Mary, the most well known mother of all. The streets will still be full of people, but they’re more likely to be locals watching the procession pass, or following at its rear, carrying candles. At the front of the procession, priests swing incense carriers, filling the air with thick pungent smoke. Next come the ornate floats, being carried by hooded penitents. These are followed by a marching band, then the locals, holding hands. The procession may not go as long, and the mighty alfombras are missing but so are the hoards of tourists, booking up hotels a year in advance, crowding the restaurants and ruining the spirituality of the event by talking loudly into their video cameras.

Antigua attracts tourists year round. A UNESCO city, its cobbled streets and brightly coloured buildings, as well as its comparative safety, make it a draw card and many tourists to Central America pass through. Language schools abound, and long term travellers often base themselves in Antigua for a few weeks. Many schools offer homestays to really immerse their students in Spanish. This can be challenging, but is the fastest way to improve. For time out from learning irregular verbs, there are markets to see (eg Chichicastenango), Volcanoes to climb (Volcan Pacaya is an easy half day trip) or simply soak up the laid back Antigua vibe. Antigua has been significantly altered by the tourism boom, however it is still possible to see people living their traditional lives. In particular, many indigenous women come to town in their traditional clothes, to buy goods and to sell their handicrafts. They make great souvenirs and it supports the maintenance of traditional skills, every one wins!

This post is part of Photo Friday, held over at Delicious Baby. Click on the link for travel photos from around the world.