Volcán de Agua

In Antigua, the Agua (Water) Volcano is that guy who jumps into the background of your family photographs; the volcano is majestically visible down every north-south Avenida and is the single best reference point for getting around town, being directly to the south and enormous. Five to ten kilometers (3-6 miles) away from Antigua's cobblestone streets, the volcano rises 2,000 meters (1.25 miles) above Antigua and 3,760 meters (2.3 miles) above sea level. Agua earned its name in 1541, when it released a flood (due to a landslide called a lahar) that destroyed the capital of Guatemala at the time, and prompted the governmental seat being moved to Antigua. Before that, the volcano was known by its indigenous Kaqchikel name Hunapú, meaning "Place of Flowers".