Antigua Guatemala

Population
History
Tourism
Spanish Immersion Schools
Volcanos

Antigua Population

Antigua Guatemala had a peak population of some 60,000 in the 1700s; most of the population moved away in the late 18th century. According to the 2002 census, the city has some 33,000 inhabitants.

The history of Antigua, Guatemala begins when Antigua was founded on March 10, 1543, as the third capital of Guatemala, after the nearby town of Ciudad Vieja was destroyed in a flood, Antigua was for more than 200 years the seat of the military governor of the Spanish colony of Guatemala, a large region that included almost all of present-day Central America. The conquistadores named the city La Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala ("The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Santiago of the Knights of Guatemala") but it was known just as Santiago de Guatemala, in honor of their patron saint, Santiago, after Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Antigua history is rife with catastrophic earthquakes. In 1773, a series of earthquakes destroyed much of Antigua. The Spanish Crown, in 1776, ordered the removal of the capital to a safer location, where Guatemala City, the modern capital of Guatemala, now stands. The badly damaged Antigua was ordered abandoned, although not everyone left.

Antigua Tourism

Central Park is the heart of Antigua. The reconstructed fountain in particular is very beautiful. People enjoy this park from early in the morning to late at night. Nowadays, Antigua is noted for its very elaborate religious celebrations for the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Tourists come to see all that Antigua has to offer, including nightlife, bars, restaurants, markets selling Mayan goods, and excursions via shuttles to surrounding sites.

Spanish Immersion Schools in Antigua

There are many Spanish language schools located in Antigua. Because of 1 on 1 intensive Spanish immersion classes and reasonable fees Antigua has become one of the most popular places in Latin America to learn Spanish in Spanish language schools. Students are usually housed with local host families, an arrangement called "homestays". In Antigua the homestays include room and board, which is usually a private room and 3 meals a day. Spanish immersion students typically study intensive Spanish lessons with a private Spanish teacher in the morning. Tourism activities around Antigua are then scheduled in the afternoon.

If you search on the terms "spanish school guatemala antigua" or "spanish school antigua guatemala" you will find listings for the various schools. There are at least 30 Spanish immersion schools in Antigua. The following is a partial list:

Academia de Español
Academia de Español InterContinental
Academia de Español Sevilla
Academia Guatebuena
Centro America Spanish School
Centro Linguistico de la Fuente
Centro Linguistico Internacional
Centro Linguistico Maya
Centroamerica Spanish Academy
Cooperative Community of Teachers
CSA
Don Pedro de Alvarado
Escuela Barcelona Spanish School
Guate-Linda Language Center
Guatemaya – Antigua
Instituto Antigueno de Español
Instituto de Español Enlaces
Interactiva
Ixchel Spanish School
Iximche Spanish School
La Merced
La Union - Spanish Language School
Los Capitanes Generales Spanish Academy
Mayense – Antigua
PROBIGUA
Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin
Proyecto Linguistico XXI
San Jose El Viejo
Tecún Umán
Zamora Academia

Volcanos

Three large volcanoes dominate the horizon around Antigua. The most commanding, to the south of Antigua, is the Volcan de Agua or "Volcano of Water", some 3766 meters (12 356 feet) high. It is so named because the crater atop it was formerly filled with water. Shortly after the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, the first capital was on a site part-way up this mountain. It was destroyed by a flood and mudslide when an earthquake let loose the water from the crater, and the capital of Guatemala was moved down the valley to the current Antigua. The original site is a village now known as "Ciudad Vieja", ("The Old City").

To the west of the city are a pair of peaks, Acatenango, long inactive, some 3976 meters (13045 feet) high, and the Volcan de Fuego or "Volcano of Fire", some 3763 meters (12346 feet) high. "Fuego" is famous for being almost constantly active at a low level. Smoke issues from its top daily, but larger eruptions are rare.

Wikipedia article "Antigua Guatamala"

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