Antigua

We booked a van to drive us five hours through the mountainous jungle (or did we decide on jungly mountain?) to Antigua.  Oh Antigua.  A hot shower.  A soft(er) bed.  Promises of tamales, fresh brewed coffee*, and internet access!

*Remember, most coffee producing regions export their coffee.  Unfortunately, most Guatemalans are only able to afford instant coffee.  Likewise, in Cuba I only tasted grade B fruit.  The good stuff was sold for juice production.

I've studied abroad in Argentina & Cuba & traveled in the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mexico, Costa Rica, & Panama.  If I were to enroll in a Spanish language immersion abroad I would go to Antigua.  The Guatemalan accent is so much easier to understand!  (Dear Lord, learning Spanish in the Caribbean is rough!)  Antigua has created a really navigable system of homestays, tutors, & classes.  There are enough tourists so you're less likely to be homesick, but few enough where you have to use Spanish 90% of the time.  Big endorsement!

 The mountains and volcanoes surrounding Antigua offer a slew of adventures.  Antigua is an enchanting base.  Check out Old Town Outfitters-- they're more expensive, but by far the best operator in town.

 From Antigua you can easily book a van to take you just about anywhere. Beaches in Belize or El Salvador sound interesting?  In 2011 it cost about $12 for transport.

Get it?