Cafeography
Antigua Guatemala · Calle del Arco & La Merced

Cafés in Calle del Arco & La Merced

North of the square: the Arco de Santa Catalina, La Merced's yellow facade and a roaster on 7a Avenida Norte.

Photo: Rodrigo Mutal, Pexels License

5a Avenida Norte runs north from the Parque Central under the Arco de Santa Catalina, a 23 m arch begun in 1693 for the enclosed nuns of the convent of Santa Catalina.1 At the north end of the street, at 6a Avenida Norte and 1a Calle Poniente, stands La Merced, a church with a yellow facade inaugurated in 1767.23

Cafés here spread west from the arch to 7a Avenida Norte, where Fernando's Kaffee roasts its own coffee, and east to Café Estudio on 4a Avenida Norte.2 It is the early-rising part of town: Café El Portal on 5a Avenida Norte opens at 06:30, and A Ver Quien Soy and Siena Luz Coffee & Book Shop at 07:00.

Local tip: For breakfast before a volcano hike, Café El Portal on 5a Avenida Norte opens at 06:30 and La Parada near La Merced at 06:45, both a short walk from the arch.

At a glance

18Cafés listed
4With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
22:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Café El Portal, from 06:30 (Daily 06:30–21:00).
  • Closes latest: Hecho en Casa, until 22:00 (Mon–Wed 08:00–20:00 · Thu 08:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–22:00 · Sun 08:00–20:00).
  • Most listed streets: Avenida Norte (2).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (44%), card payment (11%), brunch (11%).

Hecho en Casa

  • 7a Avenida Norte 80
  • Mon–Wed 08:00–20:00 · Thu 08:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–22:00 · Sun 08:00–20:00
  • +502 7832 8503
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The arch and the nuns' passage

The convent of Santa Catalina Virgen y Mártir belonged to an enclosed order. When it outgrew its block and took over part of the one across the street, the nuns did not want to be seen crossing in public, so the arch was built as a covered passage between the two halves.1 Its thick columns carried it through the earthquakes of 1717, 1751 and 1773.1

The small clock tower on top is a later addition. Its French clock, by Lamy & Lacroix, has to be wound every three days; damaged in the 1976 earthquake, it was restarted in 1991.1 The arch is also the town's standard postcard view.2

La Merced and the weekend street

Building of La Merced began in 1749 under the architect Juan de Dios Estrada, and the church opened in 1767 in an ultra-baroque style with two bell towers.3 It is open Monday to Friday 08:00–12:30 and 15:00–18:00, and at weekends 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00.2

Uber's 2019 Antigua guide describes 5a Avenida Norte, the street of the arch, as pedestrian-only at weekends.4 In November the Festival de las Flores puts floral displays at the arch, the central plaza and the Tanque de la Unión; in 2025 it ran on 15 and 16 November, and the center from 2a Avenida Norte to 7a Avenida Sur was closed to traffic from 05:00 on the Saturday.5

A roaster and late tables on 7a Avenida Norte

Fernando's Kaffee, at 7a Avenida Norte 43D, roasts its coffee on site and serves pancakes, crêpes and fresh fruit in a courtyard reached through the first two rooms and around the kitchen.2 Its owner, Fernando Arias, has also made chocolate on the premises since the mid-2000s.6

Further up the avenue, Hecho en Casa and Delicias Quetzaltecas share number 80, and Me Late Cafe is at 98A. Hecho en Casa is the late option north of the square, open until 21:00 on Thursdays and 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 20:00 on other days.

Early cafés near the arch

A Ver Quien Soy, at 2a Calle Poniente 25, a block west of the arch, is a specialty café that doubles as a cultural space, with books, vinyl records and local art.7 It opens at 07:00 every day and stays open until 21:00 on Saturdays. Siena Luz Coffee & Book Shop also opens at 07:00, except on Saturdays (08:00), and both have Wi-Fi.

Café El Portal, at 5a Avenida Norte 35, is open daily 06:30–21:00, the longest day of any café in this part of town, with vegan dishes and breakfast. La Parada, at 6a Avenida Norte 42 near La Merced, is a cash-only local café that opens at 06:45.2

Sources

  1. Arco de Santa Catalina, Wikipedia (Spanish), accessed October 2026
  2. Antigua Guatemala, Wikivoyage, accessed October 2026
  3. Antigua Guatemala, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Lugares bonitos en Antigua Guatemala, Uber Blog (January 9, 2019), accessed October 2026
  5. Festival de las Flores 2025: parqueos, zona peatonal, servicio de buses y mapa del plan vehicular en Antigua Guatemala, Prensa Libre (November 11, 2025), accessed October 2026
  6. A Chocolate Boom Is Taking Guatemala Back to Its Roots, NBC News (March 19, 2017), accessed October 2026
  7. A Ver Quien Soy Café, A Ver Quien Soy, accessed October 2026
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More of Antigua Guatemala

Parque Central

38 cafés

In Calle del Arco & La Merced, also browse: Wi-Fi Breakfast & brunch

FAQ

Calle del Arco & La Merced cafés: questions

Why was the Arco de Santa Catalina in Antigua Guatemala built?

So the nuns of the enclosed convent of Santa Catalina could cross 5a Avenida Norte without being seen. Work began in 1693, after the convent took over part of the block across the street. The clock tower came later; its French clock has to be wound every three days and was restarted in 1991 after the 1976 earthquake.

What are the opening hours of La Merced church in Antigua Guatemala?

La Merced, at 6a Avenida Norte and 1a Calle Poniente, opens Monday to Friday 08:00–12:30 and 15:00–18:00, and on Saturday and Sunday 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00. The church was begun in 1749 under Juan de Dios Estrada and inaugurated in 1767 in an ultra-baroque style.

Which cafés open earliest near the Calle del Arco in Antigua Guatemala?

Café El Portal on 5a Avenida Norte opens at 06:30 every day, and La Parada, near La Merced, at 06:45. A Ver Quien Soy on 2a Calle Poniente opens at 07:00 every day, as does Siena Luz Coffee & Book Shop except on Saturdays, when it opens at 08:00.

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