Antigua Guatemala

ntigua Guatemala is the colonial capital of Guatemala, Central America's most populous country and a likely jumping off point for any visit to the country. This city of 42,000, ringed by three majestic volcanoes, is a haven of cobblestone streets and Spanish-language schools, of open-air cafés, gardens, and atriums hidden behind the heavy wooden doors of restored Spanish mansions. "Antigua is a walker's paradise," says writer Carl Hoffman. For the May/June 2008 issue of Traveler, Hoffman and photographer Peter McBride join an expat living in Antigua to embark on a back-roads adventure to find the hidden Guatemala, going far off the tourist trail.