On the Parque Central’s east side is the Cathedral of Saint James San José Parish. Construction began in 1545 with rubble brought from Guatemala’s previous capital, but it was hampered by frequent earthquakes. A second sanctuary was inaugurated in 1680 and the church obtained its cathedral status in 1743. The interior is stunning and well worth a visit. The park area is often filled with vendors selling food and wares.

I visited Iglesia de la Merced a few years ago while visiting Antigua, Guatemala & it was an incredible experience! The architecture is so beautiful - it is absolutely worth the trip to check-out this landmark when you’re in the area!

Reviewers describe mostly the facade or the church and the interior. Sure, it's beautiful and looks even better in pictures. However, for Q.20 (locals just 10) you may take a look at the backyard. It's quite an experience. The entrance is on the left from the main entrance to the church. You may or may not be lucky to see all - I was.

Beautiful exterior with great detail and vibrance. Sit in the park out front and watch the crowds go by. At night and weekends, food vendors set up and offer an authentic cuisine experience. One of the few places not damaged by time or earthquakes. Incredible architecture. From the center, walk towards the arch, at the end, turn left and the church is right there, you can't miss it!

This church is quite popular with locals and tourists alike. It is quite picturesque with its vibrant yellow façade and white details. Honestly though, other than the few hints of native vegetation featured on its front , it does not stand out from many colonial churches that litter Mexico and South America. The towers are quite squat and bulky (I get it, the earthquakes) and the façade looks like dozens of others , unless you really pay attention to the details. I visited during the semana santa and I was not allowed to venture inside, by an angry looking Guatemalan man.

This is not just an archtectually magnificent church building that has been restored, it is an active, functioning church central to the old city of Antigua. If you never see it, you will hear it. It's bell ring out through the day announcing every parochial thing. Vendors set up booths in the park grounds by it. They also let you tour part of the Monastery that was largely destroyed in an earthquake.

The front facade is simply spectacular. The yellow is bright, and the white accents are near perfect. Perhaps a great contrast to other churches that have not been rebuilt. Inside, the church looks older, as behooves it's age. Look up to see some amazing mosaics of saints, and the altar for sure is beautiful. There is a calm inside the church that is to be appreciated, especially in contrast to the hustle and bustle outside. (It is hard to forget that this is a monument to subjugation of the local Mayan culture, the actions of the Spanish are not gone... They are felt in the poverty and challenges faced by the Mayan descendants until today.)

The cathedral looks grand and majestic with its yellow royal color. The great details of ornaments of the building make a noticeable statement about its Baroque elements. The yellow choice of color matches its elegance with the Arch of Santa Catalina.

Beautiful church the outside is gorgeous, Baroque style, rebuild during 1749 and 1767.Amazing pictures opportunity. Paking in lot in front ruins a bit the whole view, but sometimes early morning is a chance of less cars there.Some days you can go up the roof for 10Q I believe only weekends and the view is amazing and picture opportunity is great.Right in the center and a lot of business around to visit if you have the time Must see this place on your trip

Clean and a nice olace to visit.

I haven’t visited this church thoroughly, but I saw the outside and some of the inside and I can say that the architectural structure of the building is definitely on point. The vibrant yellow makes it one of a kind. For more adventures follow me on IG @naturalhairtraveler

A beautiful church located in the center of Antigua. A must visit when in town. Later in the afternoon, around two o'clock, vendors sell local foods at reasonable prices.

Really pretty! Street vendors outside at night.

Beautiful church located right near the Santa Catalina Arch! I visited with my family and we loved it! On the weekends it is actually open, so that you can head on in and enjoy a service! If you'd like to see more of this church and Antigua , make sure to check out my YouTube channel "Travelwithchris " enjoy your trip!

This was very pretty church that was right near the iconic arch

Gorgeous architecture, gorgeous view. Definitely worth visiting if you have the chance!

Beautiful place, full of surprises. Not crowded, even on a weekend.

Nice and colorful church. They often have local activities and their own “mercadito” with great food. Take photos when mass is not in session, but better if you experience one to get a flavor of an important Antigua tradition.

Went to Sunday Mass at 08:00am. Beautiful place and much history. Church is open to the public free of charge

The Iglesia de la Merced isn't something you can miss in Antigua. It noisily reminds you that it's there throughout the day and throughout the early darkness of Sunday. And on some days of particular church interest, there are endless bombs and rockets made to explode here. This church is every bit a city square. People arrive here early to mill or set up shop. On weekends especially the yard of the church is a flea market with refreshments

What a beautiful church! The details of the artwork on the facade are truly breathtaking. We were not able to enter as the entry time was going to be after our departure. I believe the entry was at 3pm

Beautiful church with quite an elaborate entrance. The park in front is a good place to relax and grab a sandwich and a drink from the small vendors.

Beautiful church with amazing architecture. I visited during Semana Santa in march.

One of the landmarks of this city: the facade is very eye-catching, whether it was under the bright sunlight or lit up at night. The square in front of it is a great people watching place. And the cloister at the back is impressive and a great viewing platform for surrounding areas.

Absolutely stunning church from the outside but they are doing building works so it is difficult to take photos. There should be more information about the church itself so we can learn about the history of the church.

This golden church with white filigree winding it's way up the facade is the most stunning church I've seen in my life. Beautiful inside and out, it also has ruins of an old monastery attached which are well worth the look. It's right in town so easy to find and only a few blocks from Parque Central on the other side of the Santa Catalina Arch.

Nice looking church! The semana Santa procession starts here. So it gets super duper crowded with vendors, tourists, locals, tv crews during that week. Great food deals. We got tamales for Q5. And some fancy no-sting honey.

Beautiful church of la Merced with outside food vendors and artesanal candy

Nice historic church, with real appreciate of the original arquitecture from centuries ago, since was not really affected by earthquakes like other places in Antigua Guatemala. Good place to visit.

It is definitely one of the most impressive religious structure of Antigua. It is strange to say that for such a small city but Antigua has so many religious buildinga such as churches, cathedrals and convents that it is so hard to pick one. Merced is just a few meters away from the iconic Santa Catalina Arc. In your visit not only you can enjoy the impressive colonial architecture of the church, but also you can taste fabulous food from street vendors located every day in front of the Merced. Do not forget to visit the adjacent cafeteria/restaurant also

Bright yellow bell tower with the largest rosary you will ever see hanging from this church. This church, originally built in 1548, was destroyed twice by earthquakes and the fountain inside the ruins is supposedly the largest in Central America. This area will come alive on weekends and at nighttime with vendors selling tostados and atul de elote, a hot sweet corn drink perfect for chilly walks in town.

If you want to buy silver or weaving do it hear same quality as iglesia Carmen but less expensive and the facade of the church is worth the visit even if you don't go inside