Guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala

The Church of San Francisco in Antigua Guatemala holds the tomb of one of Central America's most remarkable figures: Hermano Pedro de San José Betancur, who was canonized as a saint in 2002, the first from this part of the world.

Hermano Pedro arrived in Guatemala from the Canary Islands in 1651. Too poor to complete his studies for the priesthood, he became a Franciscan tertiary and devoted his life to caring for the sick, the homeless, and the abandoned. He founded the Order of the Bethlemites and established what is considered the first hospital in the Americas dedicated to serving the poor. He died in 1667, and his tomb inside the church has been a pilgrimage site ever since.

The Church of San Francisco itself is one of the most important religious buildings in Antigua. Like much of the city, it suffered severe damage in the devastating earthquake of 1773, which led to the abandonment of Antigua as Guatemala's capital. Parts of the church complex still lie in ruins, creating a striking contrast between the restored nave (still active as a parish church) and the crumbling remnants of what was once a grand Franciscan monastery.

Antigua Guatemala is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the combination of colonial architecture, volcanic landscapes, and living history makes it one of Central America's most atmospheric cities.

If you're exploring Antigua on a Questo quest, the Church of San Francisco and the story of Hermano Pedro bring together faith, history, and the resilience of a city that refused to disappear after disaster.

San Francisco el Grande & Iglesia del Hermano Pedro de Antigua

Tanque La Unión is one of those places that looks simple but holds a story about everyday life in colonial Antigua Guatemala that most visitors miss.

Built in 1853, this public washing basin was supplied with water from the nearby Santa Lucia reservoir and designed with 31 individual washing stations arranged in a long row. For generations, women came here daily to wash clothes, share news, and catch up on the goings-on of the city. It was as much a social hub as a practical facility, a place where community life happened alongside the hard work of daily laundry.

The basin is remarkably well preserved and still stands on 6a Calle Oriente, giving visitors a tangible connection to the daily rhythms of 19th-century Antigua. While tourists flock to the grand churches and ruined monasteries, Tanque La Unión offers something different: a window into how ordinary people lived, worked, and connected.

Antigua Guatemala itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by volcanoes and filled with colonial architecture that ranges from beautifully restored to hauntingly ruined (thanks to the catastrophic 1773 earthquake).

If you're walking through Antigua on a Questo quest, Tanque La Unión is the kind of spot where the details tell a bigger story than you'd expect.

Tanque La Unión

The Cooperación Española in Antigua Guatemala is a cultural centre housed in one of the city's most historically significant buildings: the former Convent of the Compañía de Jesús, a 17th-century Jesuit monastery.

Like much of Antigua, the convent was severely damaged in the catastrophic earthquake of 1773, which led to the city's abandonment as Guatemala's capital. For over two centuries, the building lay partially in ruins. In 1998, the Spanish government restored it and repurposed it as a centre for cultural cooperation between Spain and Guatemala, a fitting second life for a building originally built by Spanish colonists.

Today, the Cooperación Española hosts art exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances, film screenings, and educational workshops, many of them free. The restored colonial architecture, with its stone archways, courtyards, and thick walls, creates an atmosphere that balances the weight of history with the energy of contemporary culture.

Located on 6a Avenida Norte, just a short walk from Parque Central, the centre is an easy stop on any exploration of Antigua. It's also a welcome contrast to the more tourist-heavy sites, offering a quieter space where you can engage with local art and culture.

If you're on a Questo quest through Antigua, the Cooperación Española and its layered history, from Jesuit monastery to earthquake ruin to cultural hub, might hold a surprise or two.

Cooperación Española

See Antigua, Guatemala with a self-guided walking tour game. Follow clues, unlock stories, and explore charming streets and secret corners on foot.

Self-Guided Walking Tour Game in Antigua, Guatemala

Exploring Antigua and the Legend of La Tatuana

Michael Wilder

United Kingdom

London

Romania

Bucharest

United States of America

New York City

Australia

Sydney

Washington D.C.

Melbourne

Mexico

Mérida

Playa del Carmen

Cancún

Panama

Panama City

About the London Transport Museum

The Royal Opera House

The National Gallery of London

Chinatown London

Trafalgar Square in London

Palace Theater

The Ten Bells Spitalfields

Truman Brewery

The Tabernacle

Notting Hill Bookshop

Green Park

Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

St Paul's Cathedral

Kensington Palace

Seven Dials

Goodwin's Court

Clement Danes Church

Stavropoleos Monastery

Macca-Villacroise Passage

Muzeul Satului Dimitrie Gusti Bucuresti (Village Museum)

Muzeul de Stiinte Naturale Grigore Antipa (Museum of Natural Sciences)

Rockefeller Center

Grand Central Station

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bow Bridge

Cherry Lane Theatre

Washington Square Arch

Chrysler Building

New York Public Library

NYU Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

Fiorello H. LaGuardia Monument

Strawberry Fields

American Museum of Natural History

Hans Christian Andersen Monument

 Bethesda Terrace

Central Park

Central Prk W

Belvedere Castle

Oak Bridge

 Borough Hall

Columbus Park

Hyde Park Barracks

Robert Brough Memorial Fountain

Forgotten Songs art installation

Tank Stream Plaque

Brown Bear Lane Mural 

Cockatoo Island Ferry Wharf

Coal Bunker

Sutherland Dock

Dog Leg Tunnel

Historic Residence Precinct

Customs House

Tank Stream Fountain

Cadmans Cottage

Campbell's Stores

Observatory Hill

Hickson Rd

Sydney Cove Map

Jack Mundey Sculpture

Foundation Park

First Impressions Sculpture 

Hyde Park

Matthew Flinders Statue

Il Porcellino

Dobell Memorial Sculpture

Lloyd Rees Fountain

Richard Johnson Obelisk

Il Porcellino 

Lloyd Rees Fountain 

Thomas Sutcliff Mort

Lloyd Rees Fountain Sydney

St James’s Square Sydney

Cenotaph

Royal Clock

Queen Victoria Statue

Cupid Statue

The Wishing Tree

Folly for Mrs Macquarie

Commissioner’s Steps Circular Quay

Campbells Cove

Girra Girra Steps

United States Capitol

Supreme Court of the United States

Library of Congress

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

International Spy Museum

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

National Museum of the American Indian

The Washington Monument

National Gallery of Art

Connecticut Avenue Overlook Park

Chesapeake And Ohio Canal Historical Park In Georgetown

Flinders Street Station

Parliament House

The Princess Theatre

Her Majesty's Theatre

Hotel Windsor

AC/DC Lane Graffiti

Meyers Place

Coles Fountain

Cook's Cottage

The Faeries Tree

St Paul's Cathedral 

Chinatown 

Larry La Trobe

Cashmore On Collins

St Paul’s Cathedral

Federation Square

Chinatown

Queen Victoria Market

La Mama HQ

MCC Museum and MCG Tours

Sir Donald Bradman Statue

Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago

Crown Fountain

Cloud Gate

BP Pedestrian Bridge

Chicago History Museum

Lincoln Park Zoo

 Ping Tom Memorial Park

Tribune Tower

DuSable Bridge

Old Chicago Water Tower District

Holy Name Cathedral Rectory

Flying Dragon

Founders Wall

Oz Park

N Lincoln Park W

Metro Theater

The Riviera Theatre

Wrigley Field

Farm in the Zoo

Grandmother's Garden

Children's Fountain

Chicago Historical Society

Second City Main Stage

Midwest Buddhist Temple

Wooden Alley

Chinatown Square Plaza

Chinatown Gateway

Berlin Wall Monument

Waters Garden

Davis Theater, Chicago

The Untitled Picasso

 The Miró's Chicago Sculpture

Buckingham Fountain

Philadelphia

Liberty Bell

Benjamin Franklin's Grave

Christ Church

Elfreth's Alley

Penn's Landing

National Constitution Center

The African American Museum in Philadelphia

Dorrance H. Hamilton Bulding

Philadelphia Muses Mural

Forrest Theatre

Lubert Plaza

Perth

The Big Cactus

The Bell Tower

Mondo Butchers

The Lincoln Street Ventilation Stack

Elizabeth Quay Bridge

Los Angeles

The Dolby Theatre Los Angeles

Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Musso & Frank Grill

The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood

Discover Antigua, Guatemala through a Gamified Adventure

Toate quest-urile din Antigua, Guatemala

New Quests in Antigua, Guatemala: Be among the first to play

Exploring Antigua and the Legend of La Tatuana

Cum să te alături unei experiențe Questo

1. Pick Your Quest.

2. Get the App.

3. Start & Have Fun.

Explore 10 Antigua, Guatemala landmarks: The best way to discover Antigua, Guatemala

San Francisco el Grande & Iglesia del Hermano Pedro de Antigua

Tanque La Unión

Cooperación Española

San Francisco el Grande & Iglesia del Hermano Pedro de Antigua

Tanque La Unión

Cooperación Española

Explore More Cities

Despre Antigua, Guatemala