Ciudad Vieja
In 1527, Spanish colonists established Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala here, in the Almolonga Valley on the slopes of Volcán de Agua — making Ciudad Vieja the second site of what would become Guatemala's colonial capital. The city was destroyed in 1541 by a catastrophic lahar from that same volcano, killing the governor Beatriz de la Cueva and forcing survivors to abandon the site. Today the district of San Miguel Escobar preserves the ruins of that lost capital, and the wider Sacatepéquez region is ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Description drafted with AI from public sources such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. How this works
- Population33,405
- Nearest water from center 0.9 km0.6 mi
- Nearest mountain from center 5.8 km3.6 mi
Ciudad Vieja: quick answers
Where is Ciudad Vieja?
Ciudad Vieja is in Guatemala, about 30 km19 miles in a straight line from Guatemala City.
How do you get to Ciudad Vieja?
The nearest airport is Guatemala City (GUA), about 1 hr 30 min away by road.
What's the weather like in Ciudad Vieja?
The warmest month is April, averaging 18°C65°F across day and night; the coolest is November, at 17°C62°F. The wettest month is September, with about 339 mm13.4 in of precipitation. (Monthly averages, 1991–2020.)
What's in Ciudad Vieja?
OpenStreetMap lists 4 restaurants and 2 places of worship within 2 km of the centre.
What's near Ciudad Vieja?
Other Wandering Well picks within 60 km include Jocotenango, San Juan La Laguna and Chichicastenango.