Antigua, Guatemala: Cerro San Cristobal

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

My airbnb hostess told me about two mountaintop destinations. I was a little confused about which was which and how to get to them and what I'd see at each; it was all kind of a jumble of information. If I'd done any kind of research at all, I'd have got it figured out, but I didn't. Instead, I chose the stumbling-through-almost-cluelessly touristic plan. I don't particularly recommend this strategy, but it worked out reasonably well.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

One of the two mountaintops I visited was Cerro San Cristobal. It's the site of an organic farmlet and a restaurant.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

When it's not hazy out, the view must be magnificent.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

I enjoyed my tequila and lime.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

And I enjoyed walking about some paths in amongst the organic goods.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

You get to Cerro San Cristobal by going to Antigua's fair-trade artisanal market called Nim P'ot. From there, you'll be escorted around the corner to a waiting shuttle van, which will take you up the mountain.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.

The meal offering was over my budget, so I didn't partake.


The good thing about the shuttle is that it's almost free, it gets you to your destination without any muss or fuss. The not-so-good thing is that you've got to wait til there's a down-going shuttle before you can return.

In my case, I had wrung every util of pleasure out of Cerro San Cristobal I wanted, and found myself cooling my heels for quite awhile waiting for the shuttle to return to Antigua.  In all fairness to Cerro San Cristobal, they are a relatively new operation, so they are still in the process of developing the experience.

An alternative is to hitchhike back to town with an independent visitor to the restaurant, something I'd probably do if I were to return.

Cerro San Cristobal, Antigua, Guatemala. April 2016.