Perfect Weather Year Round:
Climate of Antigua Guatemala
Despite its location at 14 degrees northern latitude, the climate of Antigua Guatemala is very temperate and not nearly as hot and humid as one might expect of a town in the tropics. The key to Antigua's climate is its altitude of 1,500 meters (5,000 ft) above sea level, which leads to moderate temperatures year round.
Antigua Guatemala
Extreme temperatures are almost unheard of in Antigua. Average daytime temperatures are around 20° C (71° F) in January and 25° C (80° F) in April. The rest of the year temperatures are somewhere in between.
Unlike locations further north, Antigua knows only two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The rainy season runs roughly from mid-May to October or early November.
"Rainy season" does not mean that it rains all day long, however. On a typical day, the morning is sunny, maybe a bit cloudy, until more clouds come up in the afternoon and it rains for an hour or two. Late afternoon is often sunny again, and the next rain shower or thunderstorm isn't due until later that night.
Tropical storms and hurricanes rarely hit Antigua directly. However, if they pass nearby, they can bring heavy rain for several days. But that is actually very rare — the last hurricanes that caused substantial damage in Antigua and surrounding areas were hurricanes Stan in 2005 and Mitch in 1998.
La Union park at sunrise
After the end of the rainy season temperatures usually drop steadily until they reach their lowest in late December and January. During this time arctic air masses can penetrate very far south and may bring Antigua an occasional cold wave. Daytime temperatures rarely fall below 15° C (60° F), however, and rain is quite unlikely.
The last two months of the dry season, roughly from mid-March to mid-May, see the highest temperatures and the least amount of rain.
Because of this year round temperate and pleasant climate, Antigua Guatemala is often called the "City of Eternal Spring" — and Antigua lives up to its reputation!