Antigua was the capital of Guatemala from 1543 until 1776, when it was destroyed by an earthquake. After the earthquake, a new capital was built 30 km to the northeast, on the site of present Guatemala City. Antigua is one of the oldest cities in the Americas and its setting is magnificent. Antigua is dominated by the three volcanoes of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Most of the city's colonial buildings have lived through 16 earthquakes, countless floods and several fires and despite that, many of them still stand.

Antigua's churches have been altered and repaired numerous times. The post-earthquake modifications have destroyed much of the churches' Baroque splendor, but many of them are still impressive. The city's most interesting churches are La Merced, the Iglesia de San Francisco and Las Capuchinas, which has been converted into a museum. An excellent museum of Mayan music, ceremonies and related artifacts is the Casa K'ojom.

Every Sunday a bustling market is held in the Parque Central and during Semana Santa (Easter), Antigua's streets are beautifully decorated with colored sawdust and flowers.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Antigua Guatemala, but most people prefer to stay in Guatemala City and visit Antigua on a day trip.