It would seem a rather stupid place to build a city. Santiago de los Caballeros, now Antigua Guatemala, sits in a valley surrounded by active volcanoes, routinely subjected to major earthquakes. It isn’t exactly where I’d think that a Spanish regional colonial capital – the only one between Mexico and Panama – would be placed.

The city that is now Antigua Guatemala is actually the third such city. The first Santiago de los Caballeros (all of them had the same name) was built atop an exciting Mayan city, and abandoned due to conflict with the locals. The second was at the base of Volcan de Agua, the volcano just south of Antigua, and destroyed by an eruption from that mighty mountain in 1541 after serving only fourteen years as capital. The new town was constructed only a few miles away, and while it would last as the colonial capital until 1773, it wouldn’t have an easy go of it.

This part of Guatemala is rife with volcanoes, and some of these are vibrantly active. Every few minutes, Volcan de Fuego spits out some smoke, which is sort of eerie to see from the town at its base. (Climbing next door Acatenango to stare down at the lava from Fuego at night is the most popular tourist activity in Antigua.) And that is to say nothing of the earthquakes. Santiago de los Caballeros was hit by major earthquakes probably a dozen times in its 200ish years as capital, but it is three eighteenth century tremors that we will focus on.

In 1717, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck, destroying much of the city. While there were apparently voices in favor of moving the capital again, it was decided to rebuild. In 1751, another major earthquake hit, and while the town largely survived, damage was severe. Finally, a huge 7.5 magnitude quake hit in 1773, again basically destroying the city. This time, the town was abandoned and the capital moved to what is now Guatemala City, leaving the ruins here as Antigua (old) Guatemala.

Today’s Antigua is known for a lot of cool things, but one of them is ruins. There are more than a dozen sets of ruins one can visit in the city. Most are of churches and convents, as those are the things the Spanish seemed to build. And basically all are remnants of that 1773 earthquake, as basically all of the ruins from the 1717 variety were rebuilt. (And basically nothing survives from before that, giving you an idea of just how bad these two earthquakes were.) While the history of destruction is a terrible one, the touristic experience of wandering ruins is exciting, and can be hauntingly beautiful.

With so many ruins to choose from, it is important to prioritize some over others. I decide for the purposes of this article to explore three of varying sizes and shapes, though that doesn’t mean these are definitively the “best.” If ruins are your thing, you can easily spend a full week or two seeing nothing else here besides those. (If you do, please tell me which are your favorites.)

Some ruins can only be walked past. These are mainly small and likely still unsafe for visitors to enter. Those that can be entered have been retrofitted, though not exactly restored, to be safe. They all seem to have entrance fees, ranging from Q20-50 ($2.50-6.50 or so).

On the small end of the spectrum is the church of St. Augustine, which apparently just opened to the public in 2024. A beautiful facade visible from the street draws visitors into a small church with a fairly large pile of rubble.

There is a museum connected, though artifacts aren’t the most impressive. But the view from upstairs through a sheer curtain meant to protect from wind is pretty great.

On the larger end of things, Antigua Guatemala has several full convents in ruins. I choose to explore the convent of Santa Clara. This imposing complex was first built in 1699, destroyed in the 1717 quake, reopened in 1734, and ultimately abandoned in ruin in 1773. (That is a common theme, with only the rebuilding dates varying.)

The convent contains a stunning courtyard with a two-storied archway surrounding it, most of which survives, and a fountain in the middle. Nuns would have lived and worked along three sides of this.

The fourth side contains the complex’s church, which had two doors open to the street for the public, and one – much more ornate – from inside for the nuns. That facade is only visible after entering, and alone is almost worth the cost of admission.

The main church itself at Santa Clara has had reconstructed domes put on top, sheltering a vast chamber and the crypts below. But I still find that the highlight is the gardens and open spaces.

It is so easy to see the peak of Volcan de Agua from most points inside the convent grounds, and that adds to the eerie beauty.

But if you decide to visit just one ruin in Antigua Guatemala, make it the city’s cathedral. A small portion and one facade have been fully restored to host mass, but the remainder has been left destroyed from 1773. Upon entering, your gaze will be drawn upwards to the holes where the building’s monumental domes once were. And, well, wow.

If you like geometry, this is the place for you. Each glimpse brings new fascinating shapes, shadows, and angles, all playing together to make the most haunting beauty.

At one point, the cathedral would have been covered with ornate tile, beautiful frescoes, and altarpieces in gold and wood. Today, it is bare stone and brick playing against blue sky and clouds. And it is awe-inspiring.

It is a sort of macabre tourism to explore ruins of devastating natural disasters. But those are the things that have shaped Antigua Guatemala. Whether it was by earthquake or volcano, this city has been destroyed multiple times, and the remnants of that in contrast to the vibrant tourist hub today make for a truly wonderful, and terrible, experience.

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