Just outside Antigua, near the town of Jocotenanago, is the
Cultural Center La Azotea. Built on an old coffee
finca (plantation) it consists of three museums, an equestrian center and a restaurant, all surrounded by lush gardens. Admission to the center is 25Q (US $3.12) and includes entrance and guided tours of all three museums.

We arrived late morning, just in time to catch the guided tour, in English, of Casa K'ojom, the Mayan music museum and of Rincon de Sàcatepèquez, the local traditional clothing museum. We dawdled too long in the gift shop afterward and missed the next coffee museum tour. El Ranchon Restaurant called to us, with its beautiful garden and its deck overlooking the equestrian center. The setting was lovely; the food was mediocre. Having killed the hour between tours, we went to the Museo del Café, sampled some rich and strong coffee, and left after thoroughly enjoying our half-day here.

Casa K'ojom has a display of musical instruments used by the Maya from pre-Columbian times to the present. There are conchs, turtle shells, gourds, flutes of different materials, maracas, musical figurines and much more. Marimbas are Guatemala's national instrument and there are a few of these on premises. There are also various shapes and sizes of stringed instruments. Our animated guide explained how these instruments were made and demonstrated how they were played. Following this is an interesting audiovisual presentation of Mayan music. The last section of the museum is the house of Maximòn, a recreation of a shrine to that famous but elusive idol. I appreciated being able to gawk and point knowing it was not a true house of worship. I would now know what to expect at a real shrine and behave appropriately.

Rincon de Sacatepèquez displays the traditional clothing of the people of this departmento (equivalent to a state). Our guide told us what community each traje (outfit) was from, pointed out the distinguishing details, and showed us what to look for in a good garment. Colorful prayer kites hang from the ceiling.

Museo del Cafe displays all aspects of coffee in Guatemala, from the history to the process. There are coffee seedlings, half-grown plants, plants with beans, dioramas of planting and harvest, comparisons to other coffee producing nations and much more. The center is built on an old finca and much of the equipment remains. Some of it still works. During the tour, we learned about harvesting, sorting beans, and roasting. We were shown every step of the process from sprouting seedlings to getting the product to market. The tour ends in the gift shop, with a sample of the dark rich coffee.

To get to Centro Cultural La Azotea head northwest out of town. We followed a "Jocotenango" bus. It is only a kilometer or two outside of Antigua. Buses to Jocotenango leave from the market. The center is well signed.