Santa Catalina Arch frames flower festival from 14 to 15 November

Santa Catalina Arch (Arco de Santa Catalina) in Antigua Guatemala will frame the Festival de las Flores from 14 to 15 November 2026, bringing floral displays and cultural activities to the historic centre. The tenth edition is organised across the city under the theme Ciudad Floreciente, with Calle del Arco named as the activity centre.

Festival de las Flores brings displays to Calle del Arco

The organisers have confirmed that the Festival de las Flores 2026 will take place on 14 and 15 November 2026 in La Antigua Guatemala. The programme includes floral competitions, exhibitions, workshops, a flower market and other activities spread through streets, parks, squares and other recognised places in the city. The official festival programme also lists the Inicia la Primavera parade and the Las Flores Trail Run among its activities.

A local events listing identifies Calle del Arco as the festival activity centre on 14 and 15 November 2026. That street runs beside the arch, making the passage a direct point of access to the displays rather than simply a nearby sightseeing stop. The official festival programme describes the event as a city-wide celebration, while the Calle del Arco listing gives the dates and activity centre.

Santa Catalina Arch links the festival to Antigua heritage

The arch is a Baroque structure from the seventeenth century on 5a Avenida Norte. It was built by the Santa Catalina convent to allow cloistered nuns to pass between buildings without walking in the public street. A later clock tower forms part of the familiar view through the passage.

The Festival de las Flores places that passage within a wider programme about the city itself. Floral work on arches, facades, balconies and public spaces will sit alongside the original street plan and colonial buildings that define Antigua Guatemala. The city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. Background on the arch and its heritage setting records its seventeenth-century purpose and its position on Calle del Arco.

Visiting Santa Catalina Arch: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Festival de las Flores takes place on 14 and 15 November 2026, with Calle del Arco identified as the activity centre.
• The arch forms part of the floral setting, while competitions, exhibitions, workshops and a flower market are distributed through Antigua Guatemala.
• Santa Catalina Arch stands on 5a Avenida Norte in the historic centre of Antigua Guatemala, where the festival programme is designed to be followed on foot between streets, parks and squares.
• The approach includes cobbled streets and the passage beneath a historic arch, so comfortable walking footwear is practical for moving between installations.
• Spanish is the official language and the national currency is the Guatemalan quetzal.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Santa Catalina Arch

When does the Festival de las Flores take place at Santa Catalina Arch?

The main programme runs on 14 and 15 November 2026, with Calle del Arco identified as its activity centre.

What is Santa Catalina Arch?

It is a seventeenth-century Baroque passage on 5a Avenida Norte, built for cloistered nuns to cross between convent buildings without using the street.

Where is Santa Catalina Arch and how do you get there?

The arch is in the historic centre of Antigua Guatemala on 5a Avenida Norte, beside Calle del Arco and within the UNESCO-listed city.