Intricate alfombras line the streets of Antigua during Guatemala's Easter Festivals
The spectacular Easter festivals in Antigua, Guatemala are beyond comparison to anything in the northern hemisphere. One of its most striking aspects are the carpets -- or alfombras -- that adorn the processional route. Residents along the streets of Antigua begin preparations weeks and even months in advance to create these beautifully intricate offerings. The carpets are painstakingly made by hand. Ranging in designs from biblical scenes to popular soccer teams, alfombras are often created a single spoonful of sawdust at a time.
Sawdust is the primary medium, though pine needles, wood shavings, bottle caps, and even tea bags are also used to create alfombras. Fruits, vegetables, and flowers like carnations, bougainvillea, chrysanthemums, and roses are often added as finishing touches. The finest carpets are recognized for their details and crisp edges.
The best time to see the alfombras is before the morning Good Friday procession. Starting around 9:00 PM on Thursday, artists begin laying the foundation for the carpets and finish just before the 4:00 AM Friday procession begins. The streets start to come alive in the early morning hours as people arrive to pick out their favorite designs. Come sunrise, many of the carpets are gone. Experience this unique Latin America celebration on our Guatemala Easter Festival tour.
More Easter Celebrations
Our Ecuador Easter Festival trip celebrates Holy Week in Quito. It includes the colorful procession of Good Friday which takes its 90,000 participants wending through the streets of Quito’s Old Town. The hooded cucuruchos are a distinctive feature in the procession. Dressed in purple robes from head to toe, the cucuruchos symbolize the penitents who are displaying not only their repentance, but also their will to change.
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It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
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This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.