Antigua Guatemala


World Heritage Identification Number: 65

World Heritage since: 1979

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇬🇹 Guatemala

Continent: Americas

UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

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A Historical Journey Through Antigua Guatemala: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Antigua Guatemala, often simply referred to as Antigua, is a captivating city nestled in the central highlands of Guatemala. Established in the early 16th century, it served as the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 until 1773, leaving behind an impressive legacy of Baroque-influenced architecture and urban planning. This rich historical heritage earned Antigua the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1973.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century. Built 1,500 m above sea-level, in an earthquake-prone region, it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773 but its principal monuments are still preserved as ruins. In the space of under three centuries the city, which was built on a grid pattern inspired by the Italian Renaissance, acquired a number of superb monuments.

Encyclopedia Record: Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala, commonly known as Antigua or La Antigua, is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala. The city was the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 through 1773, with much of its Baroque-influenced architecture and layout dating from that period. These characteristics had it designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Antigua Guatemala serves as the capital of the homonymous municipality and the Sacatepéquez Department.

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Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 14.556504 , -90.73381

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Image of Antigua Guatemala

© Chad Davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

National Archaeological Park Tak’alik Ab’aj
108 km — Guatemala
Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site
168 km — El Salvador
Maya Site of Copan
175 km — Honduras
Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
199 km — Guatemala
Tikal National Park
319 km — Guatemala

Country Information: Guatemala

Flag of Guatemala

Official Name: Republic of Guatemala

Capital: Guatemala City

Continent: Americas

Population (2024): 18,406,359

Population (2023): 18,124,838

Population (2022): 17,847,877

Land Area: 107,160 sq km

Currency: Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Antigua Guatemala are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Antigua Guatemala, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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