Atop a montañita at the tip of Antigua stands Cerro de la Cruz. Popular amongst locals and travelers alike, Cerro de la Cruz is the view you can’t miss during your trip to the best-preserved Spanish colonial city in Central America.
Observe tile roofs, their red, yellow, and blue walls, the emerald green hills, ruins of the old churches and convents, with the majestic silhouette of Volcán de Agua, towering in the backdrop. Translated to the “Hill of the Cross”, this easy to climb mirador gives you the best birds-eye view of Antigua in town.
When to Go
Open daily from 7 am to 6 pm, the “Hill of the Cross” stands at the north end of the city. The famous stone cross was installed in 1930 after the city’s patron saint. There is no entrance fee and anytime is a good time to visit this spot.
Go right when you get to the city so you can get your bearings down. Better yet, once acquainted, scan over the city and try to spot all the nearby landmarks that you have already visited. On a clear day, you can actually see all three volcanoes that surround the city. Starting from left to right you can spot, Volcan Agua, Volcan Fuego, and Volcan Acatenango.
For us, it was best to go up in the morning, because in the afternoon it was a bit cloudy, as we visited during the rainy season. I think it may be safe to say mornings are always the best time to go. Ya never know when the clouds will roll in because often it gets cloudy in the afternoons, making the panorama a bit less picturesque. Though we didn’t have the opportunity to get it done, we reckon a sunset here would be pretty epic.
🌎 BROS TIP: The rainy season in Guatemala historically lasts from May through October. Fortunately, the rain usually appears in the late afternoon just as a quick downpour. Although on some occasions, rain lasts until the evening it’s better than all-day showers. Throughout the day you’ll even have warmth and spurts of sunny periods. For reference, June is the wettest month and the driest is January.
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Location
You can walk to the base of the hill from pretty much anywhere in Antigua within 10-20 minutes. From the center of Antigua, the trip is a short 30-minute walk uphill. After embarking on the short but steep climb, 333 stairs later and you’ll reach the beautiful vantage point.
To head up, follow the first North Avenue to the end, and you’ll locate the welcome sign, which begins the path to the hill. Tuktuk rides are available to the top from town for around 30Q.
After a monumental earthquake that struck during the late 1970s the road between Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala was damaged. When the USA provided aid, their military helicopters landed on this hill to help deliver medicine and supplies to Antigua. So there is plenty of space up top to spread out.
In 1990, the Municipalidad de La Antigua Guatemala arranged to build the staircase to the iconic cross, taking visitors from the bottom of the hill by the road, to the peak.
The Local’s move is to take a Little Ceasars Hot & Ready pizza and have yourself a picnic. But if you need a snack there are also vendors up top tucked away in the back.
From the viewpoint perched on the hilltop, you can take in the postcard-like vista of the city. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the best view of Antigua at Cerro de La Cruz during your time in Guatemala’s colonial capital.
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