Antigua Global Explorers Review: Our Son’s 4 Weeks at a Worldschool Hub in Guatemala

When we arrived in Antigua, Guatemala, we wanted more than a few weeks of sightseeing. We wanted our son to have friends, a routine and space to play. So in January 2026 we signed him up for a four-week programme at Antigua Global Explorers Worldschool, a worldschooling hub just outside the city.

He was nine, and he loved it. He made lots of friends and spent his mornings outdoors. This is our honest Antigua Global Explorers review: what a typical day looked like, what it cost, what we loved and the one thing that worried us.

We paid for the programme ourselves. This review isn’t sponsored.

Antigua Global Explorers at a glance

Name	Antigua Global Explorers Worldschool
Location	Finca La Azotea, just outside Antigua, Guatemala
When we went	January 2026
Programme	Four-week hub
Hours	9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday
Our son’s age	9
Ages in his group	2 to 11
Group size	About 20 children (we heard the next group had about 30)
Language	English
What we paid	$750 for the four weeks, including lunch and a snack every day
Would we go back?	Yes

What is Antigua Global Explorers?

Antigua Global Explorers is a family-owned worldschool hub run by Gabriela and Julio, who describe themselves as artist educators. It opened in November 2024 and runs morning programmes for travelling and expat families staying in Antigua.

It isn’t a school in the traditional sense. There are no grades, tests or set curriculum. Instead, children spend their mornings on arts, culture, nature and outdoor play while parents work, explore or simply have a break. If you want to know how hubs like this fit into worldschooling generally, read our guide to worldschooling hubs around the world.

We found the hub through Facebook, and that’s also where we did most of our communication with them before and during our stay.

A typical day at the hub

The programme ran Monday to Friday, with drop-off at 9am and pick-up at 1pm. Within those four hours, the children largely chose what they wanted to do. Nobody was forced into an activity.

On any given morning, some kids would be building a tree house while others did crafts. Some rode the bikes, played football or tried mini golf. A child who wanted to sit quietly and read a book was free to do that too.

Other activities our son enjoyed included:

• Spanish classes
• Climbing and ball games
• Physical activities, including a visiting karate teacher
• STEM experiments, like building their own erupting volcano

All instruction was in English, which made it easy for our son to join in from day one.

Visiting teachers and workshops

Guest teachers came in regularly to share their skills. During our four weeks, the children learned traditional songs and dances, archery, photography and about local food.

Thursday outings

Every Thursday, the group went on an outing. Highlights included:

• Visiting a local pottery workshop
• Making corn tortillas by hand
• Meeting a conservationist who showed the children local animals, including snakes and chinchillas, and let every child hold them
• A chocolate-making class

Some outings came with a small extra fee.

The setting: Finca La Azotea

The hub is based on the grounds of Finca La Azotea, a coffee estate just outside Antigua. It’s a beautiful, green setting, and the children had plenty of space to run around outside.

It also works well for parents. While the kids were at the hub, we could have coffee or lunch at one of the finca’s cafés. The Wi-Fi was good enough for work calls, which made it a practical option for us as remote workers. There are also yoga and Spanish classes for parents if you want them. We cover the rest of the finca, including its coffee museum and chocolate-making, in our Antigua Guatemala with kids guide.

The community

When our son attended, there were about 20 children in the group, aged 2 to 11. Most families were from the US, with others from the Netherlands, Belgium and elsewhere.

The parent community was just as strong. Every Friday, many of the parents went out together for dinner and drinks. Antigua has several bars and restaurants with big outdoor areas and play equipment, so the kids played while the adults socialised.

For a travelling family, this was the biggest win. On a longer trip, our son had a ready-made group of friends, and so did we. We’ve written more about how worldschooling kids make friends and why places like this make such a difference.

Where hub families stay: Barrio de Antonelli

When we were there, a lot of the hub families stayed at Barrio de Antonelli, and as far as we know, many still do. It’s a gated community about a 20-minute drive from Finca La Azotea.

It’s a little far from the hub, but what you get in return is a real sense of community. The hub kids often played together after the hub finished. Because it’s a gated community, it felt safe to let them run around without watching them constantly.

It was great for parents too. We could chat with each other, and you could always pop round to a neighbour if you needed something. A van took the kids to the hub every morning for a fee, which made the distance easy to manage.

I know some families who stayed in the Jocotenango area. It’s convenient because it’s close to the hub, but you don’t get the same sense of community there.

How much does Antigua Global Explorers cost?

We paid $750 for the four-week programme in January 2026. That works out at roughly $37.50 per morning, based on 20 mornings.

Almost everything was included, including lunch and a snack every day. The only extras were optional Spanish lessons beyond the regular classes and a small fee for some of the outings. Prices may have changed since our visit, so check current rates with the hub directly.

What we loved

• The freedom: children chose their own activities, which suited our son perfectly.
• The variety: crafts, sport, music, STEM, nature and weekly outings kept every week different.
• The setting: Finca La Azotea is a beautiful place for children to spend their mornings.
• The founders: Gabriela and Julio are amazing.
• The friendships: our son made lots of friends, and we built a social life too.

What could be better

One thing did concern us. During our stay, a boy in our son’s group became quite aggressive with some of the other children. He wasn’t violent towards our son, but he was seen throwing sticks at some of our son’s friends, among other incidents.

The staff did step in and address it. Still, we felt more could have been done to keep all the children safe. In a free-play setting with a wide age range, behaviour management matters. Before booking any hub, it’s worth asking how they handle conflicts and what the staff-to-child ratio is.

What’s new at the hub

Since our visit, the hub has expanded its grounds. According to their Facebook page, there’s now a proper tree house and a butterfly house, among other additions. We haven’t seen these ourselves, but it sounds like the hub has got even better.

Who is it best for?

Antigua Global Explorers is a great fit if:

• You’re staying in Antigua for a few weeks or more
• Your children are roughly 3 to 11 and enjoy creative, outdoor and hands-on activities
• You want your kids to make friends with other travelling children
• You work remotely and need a few quiet hours each morning

It’s less suited to families looking for structured academics. The hub focuses on play, creativity and culture, so you’ll want to cover maths and reading separately. Our posts on how we handle academics and the worldschooling apps and websites we use show how we fit that in.

How to book

You can find programme dates and contact details on the Antigua Global Explorers Worldschool website, or contact them through their Facebook page or WhatsApp, which is how we arranged everything.

Our advice: check the hub dates before you book accommodation, and plan your Antigua stay around the programme, not the other way round. Dates tend to fill up quickly in peak season. For tips on finding somewhere to stay for a month or more, see how we find long-term family accommodation.

Our verdict

Antigua Global Explorers was one of the highlights of our time in Guatemala. Our son had four happy weeks of play, friendships and new experiences, and we had a supportive community around us. Our one concern was how a behaviour issue was handled, so ask about that before you book.

Overall, we’d happily go back, and we’d recommend it to any family spending a few weeks in Antigua.

Antigua Global Explorers FAQ

How much does Antigua Global Explorers cost?

We paid $750 for a four-week programme in January 2026. That included lunch and a snack every day. Some outings and extra Spanish lessons cost a little more.

What ages does the hub accept?

Our son’s group ranged from 2 to 11 years old. Check current age ranges with the hub when you book.

What are the hours?

The programme ran from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday, with an outing every Thursday.

Is the programme in English?

Yes. All instruction was in English, and Spanish classes are part of the programme.

Where is the hub?

It’s on the grounds of Finca La Azotea, a coffee estate just outside Antigua, Guatemala. Parents can wait at the finca’s cafés during the programme.

Is worldschooling at a hub legal?

A hub isn’t a formal school, so it doesn’t replace any education requirements in your home country. Our guide to whether worldschooling is legal explains what to check.