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Antigua is a beautiful town surrounded by picture-perfect volcanoes. One of the best ways to appreciate Antigua’s natural beauty is to hike up to the Cerro de la Cruz.
At the top of Cerro de la Cruz, you will have perfect views over the top of Antigua. It is an easy walk from downtown and a must-do while in Antigua, Guatemala!
QUICK OVERVIEW
🛺 Walk or tuk-tuk to start
🥾 10-15 min up
🎟️ No entrance fee
☀️ Best at sunrise or sunset
How to get to Cerro de la Cruz Antigua
To get to Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) in Antigua you can take a tuk-tuk or walk. Entrance is free!
A tuk-tuk should cost around 30 Quetzales (4 USD). There are not a lot of tuk-tuks around Antigua but you will definitely find one close to the Santa Catalina Arch.
To walk there simply find the Hill of the Cross path on Google Maps. It is a 20-minute walk from the center of Antigua and what we did.
It is an easy walk along cobblestone streets. The colorful colonial streets of Antigua are always great to walk around and something that we really loved about the city.
Just before you arrive at the start of the path you will pass the Candelaria Church Ruins. Antigua is filled with ruins of buildings destroyed by earthquakes in the 1700s.
There are much more impressive ruins around Antigua but they are still worth stopping to take a photo. So we recommend walking if you are not in a hurry.
Check out: 11 Best Ruins in Antigua 📸
Cerro de la Cruz Starting Point
At the start of the path, you will see some stairs leading up the hill. These stairs will take you all the way to the top and it takes 10-15 minutes to get there.
If you are not used to the altitude you may get a little out of breath. But if you are in decent shape it will be no trouble. The stairs are also nicely shaded by trees so if it is a hot day you will still stay relatively cool.
Read here: 16 Cheap Things to do in Antigua 🤩
Hill of the Cross Antigua View Point
The viewpoint at the top of the hill has recently been renovated. Which is great because it used to be a dusty lookout with no seating.
But now there are large areas with concrete seating to relax and enjoy the view. It is a super popular place for locals to come and hang out, especially on weekends.
At the very top, there are toilets and a few vendors selling snacks and souvenirs. But the food did not look appealing to me so I would bring my own snacks or eat in town. Find the best cheap eats in Antigua here.
On a clear day, you can see Fuego smoking away. Fuego is the most active volcano next to Antigua. It erupts on average every 15 minutes the whole year!
So while you are at the top you have a good chance of seeing an eruption. But the best place to see Fuego erupting is from the summit of Acatenango Volcano.
You can do an overnight hike to the summit which is one of the most amazing things you can do in Antigua, Guatemala!
👉 Book a Acatenango Hike here 🌋
When to go?
I recommend going to the hill of the cross viewpoint close to sunset or sunrise. If you are an early riser then going for sunrise is great because you can walk through Antigua without the crowds and take some cool photos on the way.
On a clear day, the view from Cerro de la Cruz during the day is also amazing. But the air quality in Antigua can often be quite hazy so try to go when the air is clear.
But if it is a cloudy day there is almost no point going up. You will not be able to see any of the volcanoes and the view will not be that great.
If you happen to be in Antigua for New Year that is also a great time to go. On New Year’s Eve, there is a music festival on Cerro de la Cruz so it is a great place to celebrate.
Check out: New Year’s Eve In Antigua 🥳
Is Cerro de la Cruz Safe?
If you decide to go up to Cerro de la Cruz for sunset I recommend leaving shortly after sunset before it gets dark. On Google reviews, multiple people mentioned getting robbed while returning late after sunset.
Police are stationed at the bottom of the path to Cerro de la Cruz. But on Google Maps, it states that the path closes at 6 pm. So I would try not to leave too long after 6 because the police might not be there after that point.
Book: Flexible cheap travel health insurance with SafetyWing ✈️
Enjoy Antigua’s View from Cerro de la Cruz!
Cerro de la Cruz is only a short walk by hikers’ standards but will reward you with amazing views over Antigua and the surrounding volcanoes. It is one of the best things to do in Antigua and I am sure you will enjoy it.
Leave a comment if you have any questions or say thanks with a coffee if this article has helped you out 💛 Also, make sure to check out our other articles on Antigua which we have linked below for you!
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