A great little town plagued by earthquakes, colonial-era churches and drunk ex-pats, Antigua was first on the forefront of globalization when the Spanish made it their American Capitol in 1543.  A few devastating earthquakes later, the capital was moved to modern day Guatemala City, and Antigua languished for a couple centuries, but now she´s back in the saddle. She boasts relatively low prices, three looming volcanoes, great restaurants, decent bars and many beautiful places to stay, as well as a fledgling art scene and more spanish schools than you can shake a stick at.  We think it´ll increasingly be an international destination in the years to come.  That´s not to say it´s not already chock full of people from all over. We´ve never been to a town where it´s easier or more fun to trade ideas with people from other countries. Globalism ain´t all bad.  Check out or blog for places around town that we recommend.  And more on the history of Antigua here.