7 Reasons To Spend Christmas In Antigua Guatemala

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Don’t worry though I have narrowed it down to the top 7. So in no particular order here they are;

Las Posadas is a fantastic celebration that starts on the 16th of December and ends on the 24th. Each night the locals will dress up and take to the streets stopping at houses along the way to sing songs.

The idea is that they represent the journey of Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to stay and being rejected everywhere they stop. That is, until the final stop of the night when they will be accepted inside for a big party in the final house.

We saw many groups singing and dancing down the streets, enjoying Las Posadas. We love that this part of their culture is shared with other countries such as Mexico.

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Baile de los Gigantes, otherwise known as Dance of the Giants, was the other tradition we witnessed while in Antigua. Celebrated on Christmas Eve this is a parade where the local people dress in large costumes with enormous paper heads.

The costumes and parade are meant to represent the Spanish conquest of the Americas, however, the exact origin of the tradition is unknown.

Regardless we really enjoyed following the parade and watching them dance for hours in front of the Iglesia de la Merced.

You won’t get to see any snow if that is what you are used to around Christmas time but trust me the days are lovely. You can easily walk around in a T-shirt and then spend the evenings getting cosy under a blanket or two.

Tamales are corn flour parcels, stuffed with meat in a tomato sauce, with olives and peppers etc. They are then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

You will be able to try these at most cafes and restaurants as well as from local street vendors around the city.

We loved seeing the local women arrive every lunchtime to sit on the sides of the streets with their large pots of homecooked food to serve out to hungry passers-by.

This is the night that the Las Posadas celebrations come to an end, usually with lots of drinking and dancing in the streets.

You will also find all the churches in the city open for Midnight mass, where all are welcome to attend. This is an important part of local celebrations.

Christmas Eve is the night of the Dance of the Giants parade. So there is no shortage of fun to be had while exploring the city.

All day long the city is filled with the sound of fireworks and this just increases as the day goes on. If you want to join in you can buy them easily from the local market by the bus station.

Many of the bars around the city have parties you can attend but the main party on New Year’s Eve is out on the streets! The best place to be is the main street from Central Park up past the Archway.

At midnight there was a big countdown in Central Park which in true Central America fashion didn’t quite go as planned when the lights didn’t work but it was very fun to be a part of.

Compared to its neighbours Mexico and Belize, you will pay a fraction of the prices for your accommodation, transport etc. So if you are looking for a special Christmas vacation without breaking the bank then Antigua will tick all of the boxes.

We spent 2 weeks in Antigua over Christmas and New Year and we spent a total of – $1050 (not including flights).

The city is decorated with streetlights and Christmas trees. There are Nativity Scenes on display everywhere you look. There is music and partying. It felt really special every time we left our AirBnB we experienced more and more of the local way of celebrating this wonderful time of year.

If you spend an afternoon sitting in Central Park you will see many locally dressed women selling their crafts, as well as people selling homemade food and drinks. Wander up past the famous archway and there is a local street food market each afternoon.

One day there was a local band putting on a concrete in the main square. Another day there was a HUGE craft fair out in the streets. There was always something new to explore.

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📍 Budget Option – Selah Hotel & Coffee

This beautiful modern hotel is ideally located just a short walk from the centre of the city. You get lovely clean rooms with big beds and breakfast is included too.

✔️ Book your stay at Selah Hotel for Christmas Here!

📍 High-End Option – Hotel Las Camelias Inn by AHS

This stunning hotel is also located just a 5-minute walk from the city centre but the main attraction is the gardens. The hotel has the most amazing gardens and terrace where you will get the best views of the neighbouring volcanos!

✔️ Book your luxurious stay in Hotel Las Camelias Here!

TOP TIP*** Book your accommodation as soon as you can because Antigua is a popular destination over the holiday period and places will fill up fast!

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It is an overnight hike up to the base camp near the top of Acatenango. From here you will spend the evening watching as the neighbouring volcano Fuego periodically erupts bright red lava and enormous ash clouds!

It was pretty spectacular. You can read more about our experience here.

There are many different tours you can join but this is a great site to find one that works for you.

we really liked wandering through the exhibits and learning about the different displays. Luckily for us, they are all presented in English too.

One of the perks of visiting this Museum is the views out of Central Park from the upstairs balcony.

If you have more time in Guatemala then don’t forget to check out Tikal and Lake Atitlan. Two more places we visited and loved.

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We had the best time and we hope you do too!
Happy Travels 😊