la recoleccion

The thing about La Recoleccion is that you can still see the various rooms in the building and discern their functions, even though much of the building is totally ruined. We could see the kitchen, bathroom, chapel and even the water system. Our guide spoke little English but made himself understood very well.

Just a short walk from the Mercado, La Recoleccion was a fun morning for our kids. As others have said, there is no historical information but the grounds are well-maintained and the facility is clean, unlike some of the other ruins you can see in the area. My boys loved it. I wasn't expecting much for my kids but we ended up staying for a couple hours while my kids played their pirate adventures climbing on, around and through the ruins. We went through the other rooms, secretly so other pirates didn't know we were there! Bring your own water and snacks as there is nothing available there to purchase. There is a nice grassy area with plenty of shade for a nice picnic lunch. There are restroom facilities on site as well. Kids are free and adults are Q40 so it made for cheap way to entertain the kids! Have fun!

These are nice ruins to visit for a quick look at a historical convent. They are a very quick tuk tuk ride just outside of central Antigua- in fact, we walked back from the ruins. Unless you hire a guide to tell the history, there are really no signs or anything you can follow.

This looked out of the way on the map so was originally going to skip it. It's on the same street as the bus terminal to the villages though so we walked up on our way back. It was closed since it was New Years Eve but you can still see the ruins through the gates. Don't think it would have been worth paying for or spending much time there but you can get a decent picture just while passing by the entrance.

These ruins breathtakingly give testimony to the shockingly awesome power of earthquakes. Seeing them is at once, inspiring, fascinating and saddening at the same time. The ruins, which some guides describe as out of the way, or even out of town, are in fact quite central and are just a couple of minutes from the textile museum (found on most tourist maps and flyers). We visited both in the same afternoon and were very glad we did.

The first of many ruins we visited on our stay in Antigua. Much bigger than it looks from the outside. Really though once you see one you have pretty much seen them all. We visited about 4 or 5 church/convent ruins and they are much the same. Great locations for photos.

40Q pp tourist price. Lovely grounds. Walk up the stairs into the ruins then walk to the left for more ruins tucked away behind. It all opens up inside the courtyard. You can do this under an hour. It looks bigger than San jeronimo around the corner, so better value for money.

This complex of buildings, essentially a church and monastery, was erected in the early 1700s. Since then earthquakes, especially in 1773, have reduced the once-magnificent structures to ruins. The complex has had various reincarnations, including as a stable, sports facility, and soap factory. Despite their dilapidated shape, the ruins are interesting to pour over and marvel at. I wore hiking shoes, which turned out to be a good idea when I walked over some of the ruined structures. A wide-brimmed hat also came in handy as a sun shield on the bright day I was here.

My online Spanish teacher hosted us at her home only 1.5 blocks from here and it is by far our most favorite ruin site...I was shocked after the fact by the dismal coverage in the Moon Guide...This ruin is huge..room after room..We were lucking enough to have a friendly care taker take us on a very dramatic private tour..he had the keys to areas not usually offered....I could almost hear the "Twilight Zone" theme in my head has he lead us on...Don't be fooled by guides that describe this as "out of town"..it is just about 2 blocks over and 2 blocks back from the public market...Do not miss it!

very impressive site to see the ruins of this huge church/monastery complex after the earthquake of 1773

Very interesting story behind this ruin that has had no restoration since the last time it was leveled. 1690 Monks of Recolecion showed up and asked permission to build a monastery and church. Denied. By 1700 about 25 had shown up. Without permission they started building and by 1706 had a fabulous place ready. 6 months later. Massive earthquake and destroyed. 10 years of rebuilding and reopened. Then the big 1717 quake leveled it again. They gave up and it has sat as it was in 1717, almost 300 years ago.

Massive set of ruins, a little pricey when compared to the other ruins in the city (although still only £3), about a 10 minute walk from the centre. You are able to climb over the fallen chunks of masonry, and although there are no signs you are given a guide (in English on request) to the history etc of the site

I'm amazed that you can actually walk through the ruins (yes: up, over, around, down and inside). There are even frescos and carvings still visible and you can walk right up to them! The walls are 20 feet deep, but you can't imagine how massive that actually is until you walk atop it. The most impressive ruin in the city.

I could have spent hours longer here and will definitely visit again on my next trip to Antigua. The ruins are beautiful - I like to imagine what it was like in the 1700s. If you're a photo buff, you will definitely love this place! It is a little bit more towards the edge of town, but worth the hike.

These ruins are a little far from central square, and tour guides might not take there because the distance. But if you are planing your own trip, you most go visit this place, the church was huge, but all the roof collapsed, and now, there is a staircase to gen inside the church. Is amazing to walk around in the ruins, and the feeling of peace is second to none.