SAN JUAN DEL OBISPO
Welcome! You have finally arrived in beautiful Guatemala and although you might have everything planned to get to know many of our famous spots, you should also consider going around those off the beaten path places that aren’t advertised as mucho and are obviously less famous but have a great variety of activities to keep you entertained and give you a taste of life in a little village.
Guatemala has 22 departments and one of them is Sacatepéquez, whose departmental head is La Antigua Guatemala – which will be on your to do list, of course – and in addition to its many monuments, churches and wonderful history, there are small places very close to the center of town that you can visit in a morning. La Antigua has 22 villages, all a little less than 20 minutes away by car and a little more by bus. Each of them has something that characterizes it, and San Juan del Obispo is no exception.
Located to the south of the city, at about fifteen minutes by car (passing next to the church of San Francisco El Grande, arriving at El Calvario and taking the paved road) the village is named in memory of Francisco Marroquín, one of Guatemala’s most historical characters who lived in the town for many years. He arrived there at the beginning of the 16th century. A cultured and well-liked man (in part thanks to his defense of indigenous populations), Marroquin was a cultured man who developed a great social pastoral work.
As soon as you get to San Juan, you will see signs in the houses announcing loquat honey (the most significant fruit that is grown in the village and to which a complete festival is dedicated almost at the end of the year) and wine (obviously it has to be also made with loquats). Loquat in Spanish is níspero. Some other signs you will definitely see, announce the sale of delicious handmade chocolate. That chocolate is one of the main products that are manufactured in town means that there are more than two families in the area that have been dedicated to this activity for generations, creating healthy competition and also encouraging creativity: you can find chocolate with cinnamon, mint, cardamom, vanilla and many more delicious options at very reasonable prices.
If you keep walking (just a couple of blocks more) you will go through an imposing building known as the Archbishop’s Palace, built with the resources of Bishop Marroquin himself, its construction concluded in 1547.
The palace consists of an imposing cloister and beautiful gardens that you can visit. It is considered one of the main expressions of colonial baroque architecture and right next to it, you will find the central plaza, as usual when it comes to Guatemala, in front of the beautiful church. Going up the few steps that separate its cobbled and steep streets from the plaza, once there you can appreciate the magnificent views of the volcanoes of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango and the surrounding villages.
A few meters from the Plaza there are a couple of restaurants, a carpentry, nurseries (with beautiful orchids) and many bakeries, it is the ideal place to spend a quiet afternoon, greeting the locals and tasting the products that the community offers. During the harvest season of the loquat, the community offers tours to the loquat plantations and the possibility of tasting many gastronomic creations using this fruit.
If you aren’t driving to San Juan, you can get there on a bus that you find in the terminal (behind the Municipal Market) and it will only cost you Q2 per person.
San Juan del Obispo is a quiet place, picturesque and full of friendly people who love to talk about the love with which they make their products and the wonders of a simple life, free from the hustle and bustle.
Note:
Remember that if you use the buses, they stop working around 6:30 or 7 PM, so it is not a good idea to stay until late.
Written and photos by Sofia Letona
