In short
Antigua was the capital of Guatemala until the 1773 earthquake, which caused it to be abandoned. Its ruined churches and convents were left as they stood, and the whole town is a World Heritage site.
Three volcanoes frame it. Acatenango is climbed over two days with a night camped facing Fuego, which erupts several times an hour.
What it really costs
Guatemala is among the cheapest countries on the continent, and Antigua is its most expensive town — which is still modest. Decent housing in the centre costs a third of a European capital.
Spanish schools here are a long-established industry, with one-to-one lessons and homestay accommodation for a weekly rate covering both.
What nobody tells you
The streets are uneven cobbles and the pavements narrow and high. It is not a comfortable town for wheeled luggage or reduced mobility.
The Acatenango climb reaches three thousand nine hundred and seventy-five metres and the night drops close to zero. Many agencies hire out the gear; not all provide it.
Fuego volcano is genuinely active and its alert level varies. Camps are sometimes moved or cancelled, and that is not negotiable.