Colonial Street Glow at Dusk in Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala's streets follow the grid laid out by Spanish colonial planners after the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala in 1543. The cobblestone paving and low, thick-walled buildings with tiled roofs are typical of the city's colonial construction, much of it rebuilt after repeated earthquakes, including the 1773 quake that eventually led authorities to relocate the capital to present-day Guatemala City. UNESCO designated Antigua a World Heritage Site in 1979, citing its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture. The city lies in a valley bordered by the Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango volcanoes, all visible from various points along its streets.