Santo Domingo Museum & Ruins, Antigua (must see)

The Santo Domingo Museum is one of Antigua Guatemala's most remarkable cultural attractions, combining the evocative ruins of a colonial monastery with museums, gardens, and outstanding archaeological collections. Founded in 1542 by the Dominican Order shortly after Antigua became the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, the vast complex grew into one of the largest and wealthiest religious institutions in Spanish Central America. For more than two centuries, it served as a bustling center of worship, education, missionary activity, and community life.

A succession of earthquakes in 1717, 1751, and especially 1773 severely damaged the convent, leaving it in ruins until major 20th-century restorations transformed the abandoned site into a museum complex and hotel. Today, brick arches, stone walls, and traditional tile corridors recreate the atmosphere of the original monastery while housing extensive exhibits.

Accessing the complex begins by heading past the hotel's main entrance on 3a Oriente Street, where stepping through the archway into the main museum wing leads you directly into the Colonial Art Museum, showcasing exquisite 17th-century religious sculptures, silverware, and preserved furniture.

Continue walking the hotel ground's various paths in a north-west direction until you reach the open-air central plaza with its main temple nave and high altar ruins. While standing beneath the open sky, admire the soaring brick arches and massive stone piers that once held up the main sanctuary.

The complex's archaeological displays include human remains visible behind glass, offering a sobering insight into the convent’s burial practices and former inhabitants. The underground Crypt of the Friars is placed just outside the eastern side of the covered nave. Continue along the stone paths until you reach a metal lattice gate set into an old stone wall. Walk down the flight of steps leading into the lower level, where you can look through the glass floor panels into the cool, subterranean stone chambers.

As a final highlight to round out the visit, step back into the central cloister courtyard to gather around the colonial octagonal fountain, positioned in the middle of the leafy stone garden.

Peacocks roaming freely through the lush grounds and candlelit courtyards make exploring these illuminated ruins especially enchanting toward sunset.