The town of Monterrico

The town of Monterrico is situated on the Pacific coast of Guatemala in the department of Santa Rosa. Known for its volcanic black sand beaches and annual influx of sea turtles. Monterrico is the most popular beach in Guatemala. It is a 2.5 hour drive from either Antigua or Guatemala City. The beaches are full of interesting but awkward steep angles due to the strength of the pounding surf. The ocean floor here drops off very steeply after only 20- 40 feet, making the undertow here very strong; only strong swimmers should venture out very far. This topography also provides some nice waves for surfing. The beach is 50 - 80 feet wide and stretches for miles.

Antigua (or La Antigua)

Commonly referred to as just Antigua (or La Antigua), the city was one of the grand colonial capitals of the Spanish Empire in America from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Under the name Santiago De Los Caballeros De Guatemala, it was the original "Guatemala City". A disastrous major earthquake in 1773 destroyed or damaged most of the city, and the Spanish Crown ordered the Capital moved to a new city, what became the modern Guatemala City. In 1776 this old city was ordered abandoned. Not everyone left, but from bustling capital it became a provincial town, filled with the ruins of former glory. It became known as "Antigua Guatemala", meaning "Old Guatemala". In the 20th century there was increasing appreciation for the large amount of preserved colonial Spanish architecture here, development to host visitors, and the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.