PUERTO QUETZAL, GUATEMALA

Antigua Guatemala, is the most important and enchanting cities of Colonial Guatemala. Founded by the Spaniards in 1543, nowadays Antigua is a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in colonial style

Antigua Guatemala, is the most important and enchanting cities of Colonial Guatemala. Founded by the Spaniards in 1543, nowadays Antigua is a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in colonial style. Antigua was declared “A Monument of America” in 1965. Our first stop on this fascinating tour will be to the Filadelphia Coffee Estate, an exceptional plantation located on the edge of the city of Antigua. At an altitude of between 5000 and 6500 feet the Filadelphia Coffee Estate produces one of the finest coffees on earth, and products from the estate have won the “Cup of Excellence” award 3 times since 2001. Two hundred acres of “arabica” coffee has been grown here for several generations under environmentally friendly conditions. We shall visit the museum where we can explore the history of coffee in this area of Guatemala.We will then be taken into the city of Antigua, where we will be given a guided tour of this fascinating city. We shall visit Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala’s first permanent capital, destroyed in 1541 by earthquakes and flooding.Lunch will then be served in a local Hotel before we visit the Central Plaza, surrounded by the antique Cathedral, the Municipal Government Building, and the Palace of the Captains General. We shall also see many colonial churches and monasteries, primitive foot looms where colourful textiles are woven, and a jade factory where we can see how the jade stone is made into beautiful jewellery.We will then head back to our awaiting ship in Puerto Quetzal.This tour involves a moderate amount of walking and a few steps will be encountered.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2007 CARIBBEAN SEASON