Fantastic experience!! I was in Antigua for the month of January and finally got a weekend in town to visit the rooftop of La Merced. We were told that experience was only open weekends so plan ahead, we particularly enjoyed sunset.

We visited the church as part of a day tour with our holiday company and fell lucky in that it was approaching Easter, when the flower carpets are being laid. The inside of the church was decorated in a stunning fashion with purple banners and a lovely flower carpet. The outside of the church has fantastic decorative architecture. If you get the chance to visit this area around Easter be prepared for some stunning decorations and processions.

This is a beautiful church that has the best rooftop views in the city! For only $40 Quetzales per person (for non residents) you can walk around and go up to the dome to enjoy the best views! A favorite for weddings and receptions. We visited during the Festival of Lights city celebrations and it was astonishing to see at night as well. There are lot of vendors outside but I didn’t find them pushy like some say, on the contrary, they were very nice and welcoming. I tried the local artesanal ice cream and it was very refreshing! Some days they close at 4:30 pm and 5pm so make sure to go earlier.