Antigua's well-preserved, colonial city is unarguably Guatemalaâs top tourist attraction. While travellers worldwide flock to see the marvellous UNESCO world heritage sights it boasts, Antigua is a hidden oasis with a lot in store for the laptop-toting digital nomads! For those of us with explorative spirits, Guatemala has lush mountains to climb, beautiful lakes to swim in, and waterfalls to find rainbows under. When the excursion ends and it's time to head back to the city, the digital nomad Antigua will have plenty of comforts and exciting events to keep them happy.
What's in the City for the Digital Nomad Antigua?
Antigua houses some great laptop-friendly cafés and coworking spaces with a steady wifi connection. The cost of living is pretty affordable, and one can handsomely spend a month under $1,000. Plus, Antigua is a perfectly-sized town for walking and exploring the cafés and bars, cultural sites, and short natural escapes on foot. The most important thing is the locals' disposition; Guatemalans are very friendly! Most people feel very welcome as a digital nomads in Antigua.
The Best Cafes to Work From in Antigua
Guatemala is known for their delicious coffee beans so that digital nomads will appreciate their cups of joe here. This region, in particular, is known for its lush nature, which enriches the coffee beans. Check out our favourite cafes for the digital nomad Antigua and be sure to sip slowly to savour the flavour! An important thing to note is that almost every building in Guatemala experiences power outages from time to time, so make sure your laptop is charged before heading to the best cafes to work from in Antigua.
Photographer: Rodrigo Flores | Source: Unsplash
Bella Vista Coffee - Best Breakfast Antigua Guatemala
Touted as one of Antiguaâs most digital-nomad-friendly cafĂ©s, Bella Vista serves up your coffee to order, which you can drink amidst stunning rooftop views of three massive volcanoes framing the sky. The digital nomad Antigua knows that the day's first meal is fuel for the workday, and no one serves it up quite like Bella Vista. Have your pick of the best breakfast Antigua, Guatemala offers from omelets, pancakes, French toast, bagels, smoothies, and tons of delicious fresh-baked goods.
Pro Tip: If it gets too warm on the rooftop, you can skip the magical view and pull a chair in the air-conditioned room downstairs. Youâll probably find it quiet and cozy as well.
Café Boheme - Great Internet Café Antigua
A super cozy café in the heart of Antigua, Boheme is a perfect place to work in a relaxed setting. While it may be a little dark, the refined, colourful decoration makes one feel like they're hanging in a bohemian loft. Plus, Café Boheme offers free wifi, making this a great internet café Antigua offers its crowd of digital nomads. The fresh garden smoothies provide the perfect solution to keep your coffee intake in check.
Café Stela 9 - Cutest Patio Café Antigua
If you want your workplace to be as calm as an oasis, try the beautiful courtyard of Stela 9. Just looking at the beautiful picture below doesn't do justice; head to their Instagram to see why this is the cutest patio cafĂ© Antigua boasts. It's the perfect spot away from the hustle and bustle of the town. From eye-soothing decorations to savoury âGood Morningâ espressos and mouth-watering food, Stela 9 is a cute little cafĂ© to wind down and enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
P.S. Only main down point is the lack of sockets. So, ensure your laptops and mobile phones are charged in advance.
The Best Coworking Antigua Has For DNs
Even in a town as quaint as Antigua, there are still tons of coworking spaces opening to accommodate the arrival of the digital nomad Antigua! The wifi in cafes is a great amenity but can sometimes fade in and out, which isn't great for internet-reliant work. When you've got a full day's work ahead of you, pop into one of the best spots for coworking. Antigua has opened for us. You'll protect your focus and your free time when you can get what you need to do.
El Cubo - Modern workspace
Facing a beautiful volcano, El Cubo is just outside of Antigua but offers shuttles for nomads who are living in town. This workspace is entirely modern with its own restaurant, cafe and activities. There are plenty of call booths and the most stable and fast internet in the city. Many growing startups work out of El Cubo, so itâs a great place to network.
Impact Hub - Quite the Impact Hub Antigua
Nestled in an old colonial house with a beautiful courtyard, Impact Hub Antigua is divided into different indoor rooms decked with communal tables and cozy office chairs. If you prefer working outdoors, you can take up one of the hanging seats or fluffy couches too. Things can also get pretty social around Impact Hub Antigua, thanks to the activities such as social hour and yoga classes that keep things interesting!
Selina Coworking - Cheap Coworking Antigua
Embrace yourself! Hereâs a co-working space that boasts the fastest wifi in Antigua, with more than 40 Mbps downloading speed. Tap into a new productive energy level at Selina Coworking with creatively designed offices tucked into the city center. In addition to the super-fast wifi, they endow you with the luxury of 'Call Booths' to make conference calls in quiet and free coffee to keep you active. What's more? Selina transforms into the best free coworking Antigua has ever seen on Mondays. Get there on Monday to try their facilities for free!
The Best SIM Card Guatemala? Tigo SIM!
Tigo is the largest telecom service provider in Guatemala and boasts an extensive reach across the city of Antigua. Claro is a close second regarding coverage, so either of these choices would satisfy your SIM Card Guatemala needs. Movistar is reported to have very iffy service, although it is the cheapest company.
With the Tigo SIM, 4G prepaid SIM cards can be purchased for as little as $6. You can add top-ups in amounts between $2 and $20. Whatâs more? You can also buy a âData only SIMâ that can be topped-uptoppetopped $60 to unveil 20 GB of data for 30 days.
Getting Around in Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is a compact city that is easy to walk around. It's very straightforward and quite pleasant getting around in Antigua by foot. Most tourist hotspots are nestled in an 8-by-8 block area of less than 1 km. However, the sidewalks are narrow and not always in good repair. So, watch your step!
Photographer: Perry Grone | Source: Unsplash
Another frequent question in Guatemala is: is it safe to walk in Antigua? The answer is almost always yes, but certain precautions should be taken. Keep any valuables out of sight: laptops, cameras, expensive cell phones, jewelry, watches, etc. Try not to roam the streets late at night and focus on getting to your location so you don't get lost. The areas off the tourist grid are the areas to watch out for. However, most people don't experience any threat to their safety, so proceed with usual caution, and you should be fine!
If it is very late or you are unfamiliar with where you want to go, call (or ask a local to call) a taxi or tuk-tuk. A ride anywhere in the city should cost between $2.65 and $4, which is well worth the price for your safety. Most of the taxis in Antigua use meters. But somehow, if it doesn't, then if it doesn't, make sure you negotiate a firm price in advance.
Average Monthly Price for an Airbnb Antigua
A private room in a shared apartment on Airbnb Antigua can cost between $400 and $900. The best deals are found through word-of-mouth and by getting a feel for the place so you can bargain accordingly. Try offering your services to locals in exchange for tips and connections with apartments in Antigua!
The Best Bars in Antigua, Guatemala
Although it may be a small-sized city, Antiguans know how to party. There are lots of unique bars with fun atmospheres in the town, one could even organize a little pub crawl! Friendly faces will greet you when you walk into the best bars in Antigua, Guatemala, with owners often happy to chat with you about their establishment. It's almost like going on a bar tour! Either way, you're sure to enjoy yourself and get a healthy dose of culture (and beer).
Almacen Troccoli - Rooftop Bar Antigua Guatemala
Although it may be a small-sized city, Antiguans know how to party. The town has many unique bars with fun atmospheres; one could even organize a little pub crawl! Friendly faces will greet you when you walk into the best bars in Antigua, Guatemala, with owners often happy to chat with you about their establishment. It's almost like going on a bar tour! Either way, you're sure to enjoy yourself and get a healthy dose of culture (and beer).
Las Vibras de la Casbah - Best Night Club in Antigua
If you are in the mood and want to party the night away, then Las Vibras de la Casbah makes an obvious choice. This split-level disco not only boats off a jam-packed dance floor but also catches the limelight for its classic mix of local and Latin music that becomes more electro-focused as the night progresses. It's a very electrifying place to keep the night going and, hands down, the best nightclub in Antigua. Thereâs also an open-air terrace if you need fresh air after dancing.
Best Restaurants in Antigua, Guatemala
Good eats are at the top of the list for most digital nomads. After all, why travel to eat the same food you could've had at home? Dining out is essential to discovering the local culture in any place we venture to. Give your taste buds some new experiences at the best restaurants in Antigua, Guatemala. Antigua may have a high cost of living than the rest of Guatemala, but the digital nomad Antigua won't break their bank by dining out. It's still relatively cheap to eat here!
Rainbow Café and Bookshop - Mayan Culture Antigua
Combining great books with delicious dishes and exceptional service with inspiring NGO talks on building a sustainable future for Central America, Rainbow is the truest Guatemalan establishment in every sense. They even host performances by local artists, from musicians to traditional dancers from the Mayan culture of Antigua. The cozy venue exemplifies how a simple dinner can give its guests a deep insight into the culture of Antigua!
P.S. Rainbow Café and Bookshop serve the town's best mozzarella quesadillas and chicken fajitas.
Sobremesa - Best Food in Antigua, Guatemala
Fusing fine art with fine dining, Sobremesa is an art gallery-turned-restaurant nestled in the heart of the city. The restaurant is renowned for its wide-ranging international menu that caters to Italian, French, and Spanish cuisines. TheTheyy provides a fine dining experience from start to finish, serving up the best food in Antigua, Guatemala. Their delicious food continues on their dessert menu. Sobremesa boasts diverse ice cream flavours ranging from apple chipotle to jasmine blackberry and coffee rum walnut!
The Speeds of the Average & Fastest Wifi in Antigua
The typical internet speed in Antigua varies from 5-10 Mbps for a home or an essential café connection. However, there are faster wifi speeds than this available for the digital nomad Antigua. In some coworking spaces, the fastest wifi in Antigua can reach speeds up to 45 Mbps. Sometimes Wi-Fi connections can be spotty in cafes and homes, so coworking spaces are recommended for days when Wi-Fi is necessary.
How is Antigua Guatemala post covid
Before the pandemic, Antigua was known as a party town. However, now that things have calmed down, this beautiful destination has transformed into a more cultural hub. With its Spanish colonial architecture, quaint cobblestone streets, and volcano vistas, Antigua, Guatemala, is one of the most Instagrammable places.
Nomads are flocking back as this city has it all for digital nomads and startup founders.
Tap into the Community of the Digital Nomad Antigua
In addition to providing the best co-working space in Antigua, Impact Hub fosters an impressive digital nomad community that connects 15,000+ Hub members. It's a good start to meeting your fellow digital nomad Antigua and worldwide. Impact Hub Antigua hosts community events, workshops, and parties where members share their experiences and meet up to share opportunities.