Papmper yourself!

Inside the premises of the Hostales del Irtra is the Los Corozos spa and recreation center. It is a complex offering a great array of activities. Massages, sauna, Jacuzzi and special treatments, among other goodies, are offered in this center which is devoted to the wellbeing of the body. For those who prefer exertion to relaxation, there´s a large tym with all the necessary equipment to burn fat and build muscle. There are also tennis, squash, racket ball and badminton courts, bowling facilities, ping pong tables and a giant chess, a souvenir store and a convention center. Finally, if the physical efforts have messed up your hair, there´s a beauty salon to make the experience complete. Prices vary from Q15 for half and hour of ping pong to Q540 for a chocolatherapy treatment

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Stars´ Show:

On February fourth this year Teatro Fantasia opened its doors in Mundo Petapa. This spectacular theater was born from the remodeling of the old open air theater there. Is has a capacity for 1492 spectators, sitting in a semicircle, an aerial walking for trapeze and juggling, a LED screen of twenty one per twelve feet, flamethrowers, smoke machines, high tech sound system and much more. It has luxury green rooms and close circuits TV to see what´s going on at the stage from back. The theater´s artistic director, Georgina Pontaza, has planned the recreation of a theater company that will train young people to perform constantly.

World´s Plazas

One of the most original traits of Xetulul is its recreation of samples of some of the world´s most beautiful buildings. There are buildings from Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland, grouped in plazas by country. Thus we find the Alhambra of Granada, Rome´s Fountain of Trevi, Florence´s palazzo Vecchio and the Grand Hotel in Paris all together and next to each other. But the park grants a preferent place to Guatemala: the entrance to the park is a plaza with some of the country´s most iconic buildings such as the Palace of Captains Generals in Antigua Guatemala and the Hotel del Norte in Puerto Barrios. There´s also the Bridge of Time, that leads to a three quarts scale replica of the famous Gran jaguar Mayan temple. There are also fun rides, cleverly associated to the countries shown there on display.

Coffee Tour

The whereabouts of Antigua Guatemala are also places of culture and history, especially related to coffee growing. This plant is thought to have been introduced thanks to an initiative of the Jesuit priests during the XVIII century. One of the activities offered to the visitors is touring the farms where this grain is grown. Two offer a complete tour with specialized guides. Visitors will discover all the process, from growing the coffee plant to serving a steaming mug. They will know the plantations, the process of drying and toasting. The visit ends, with a taste of what is considered the world´s best coffee. Each visitor will understand why is it that the grain produced near the colonial city is so valued in the world market. La Azotea has also a small museum devoted to coffee, while the Filadelfia farm offers activities like canopy, and has a hotel restaurant for those who want to stay linger. Torus can be hired in any of Antigua´s travel agencies.

El Sereno:

One of the first gourmet cuisine restaurants that opened in Antigua, El Sereno is located in the old lodgings of the priests that built the La Merced church on the XVI Century. When you reach its beautiful patio, you will notice two beautiful banana palms that remind us that we are in Guatemala, not old Spain, the restaurant has a wide terrace with a beautiful view to the La Merced church dome. Our recommendation to those couples of lovers in search for privacy is the wine cellar, an intimate stone vault with just one table. The menu made up of national and international dishes, has been acclaimed by different tourist guides and newspaper kike the new York Times. Its mussel fettuccini or its pork chops with peanut and ginger sauce are highly recommendable. Those who prefer national dishes will surely enjoy a typical dish that is never out of fashion: Pepian. 4a. avenida Norte #16. Reservations: (502) 7832-0501.