Santa Catalina Arch

About the Santa Catalina Arch

Antigua Guatemala is a UNESCO World Heritage site and former capital of Guatemala, famous for its stunning colonial architecture including the iconic Santa Catalina Arch. This distinctive yellow arch, built in the 17th century, once allowed cloistered nuns to pass between convent buildings without entering the street. Today, it stands as one of the most photographed landmarks in Central America, perfectly framing views of the Agua Volcano beyond.

Spanning 5a Avenida Norte, the yellow arch was built by the Convent of Santa Catalina Mártir, founded in 1613, so that cloistered nuns could pass between the original convent and a later annex across the street without being seen in public; most accounts place its construction in the second half of the 1600s, though exact dates vary between sources. The clock tower and cupola were added in the republican period, after the earthquakes of 1773 had ruined much of the city, and the structure was repaired again following damage in the twentieth century. Because it frames a view of Volcán de Agua and survives within Antigua's UNESCO World Heritage designation of 1979, it now serves as the city's most reproduced landmark.