Row of Storefronts on 1a Calle Poniente, Antigua

Antigua Guatemala's historic core, laid out by Spanish colonial planners after the 1773 earthquakes destroyed the former capital at Ciudad Vieja, still follows its original grid of narrow cobblestone streets. UNESCO listed the city as a World Heritage Site in 1979, citing its preserved Baroque-influenced colonial architecture and townscape. Municipal preservation rules restrict building heights, paint palettes, and signage along streets like this one to maintain the low, single-story facades typical of the 16th- and 17th-century layout. Many of these street-level units, once colonial residences, now hold small shops and boutiques serving the city's tourist trade.