Pastores

About Pastores:

Pastores covers just 19 square kilometres, with Jocotenango to the east, Sumpango to the north, San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Santa Catarina Barahona and Antigua to the south, and the Chimaltenango department line to the west. The land sits between 1,600 and 1,750 metres, part of the same valley as Antigua, and the drive into the colonial centre takes about ten minutes. National Route 14 crosses the municipality, joining Antigua with Chimaltenango and the Inter-American Highway beyond. Guatemala City is about 52 kilometres away by road: close enough for regular trips, far enough that a daily commute is a real commitment.

Boots are the town’s calling card. Workshops and shops in the centre sell hand-finished cowboy boots, belts and other leather goods, and the trade shapes the local calendar: the fair for San Dionisio Areopagita falls on 9 October, and shoemakers also keep the feast of San Crispín and San Crispiniano, the patrons of their craft. Since 2024 INGUAT has backed a footwear bazaar in Pastores that brings in shoppers from the capital and elsewhere. Coffee, clay and woodwork round out the economy, and for markets, schools and hotels, Antigua is a short ride down the road.

The name goes back to the sixteenth century, when this land was set aside for raising sheep and Rodrigo de Maldonado founded the Molino de Pastores; a shepherd with his sheep is still one of the town’s emblems. Most people live in the urban centre, which is divided into seven zones. The rest are spread across aldeas and caseríos such as San Lorenzo El Tejar, San Luis Las Carretas, San Luis Pueblo Nuevo, El Papur and Alta Loma, plus the colonia El Tizate. San Lorenzo El Tejar has the municipal Agua Caliente spa, with naturally hot spring pools and an entrance off Route 14.

Roughly 19,000 people live in Pastores, the large majority of them in the urban area rather than the aldeas. Newer demand comes from buyers who work in or around Antigua, or simply want to be near it, without paying the prices of the colonial centre. That demand has turned parcels around the town into small lotificaciones and gated condominiums. The higher ground in the outer aldeas offers views at the cost of steep slopes that can give way in the rainy season, so terrain matters here as much as price.

Houses in Pastores:

In the town centre, houses are mainly family homes on urban lots, close to shops and transport. Inside the gated condominiums the stock is newer: compact houses on lots of around 200 square metres, with parking and a small garden. The aldeas offer more land per house and fewer services. Anyone comparing houses for sale in Pastores should weigh a condominium’s fees and rules against the space and independence of a house in an aldea, and check how the water arrives either way.

Land and Lots in Pastores:

Land is the heart of the market. Developers sell flat lots of around 10 by 20 metres inside small condominiums and lotificaciones, ten to fifteen minutes from Antigua, often with their own financing over 24 monthly instalments. Larger parcels of several thousand square metres also come up near Route 14, big enough for a family compound or a small project. Prices for lots for sale in Pastores sit well below those in and around Antigua, which is the main reason buyers drive up the valley to look. Before signing, confirm that the lotification has municipal approval, that water and electricity actually reach the lot, and who maintains the internal roads.

Rentals in Pastores:

Rentals are a smaller slice of the picture. Most are family houses let long-term, along with a few furnished homes set up for visitors who want to stay close to Antigua but away from its busy streets. Ask whether water runs all day or on a schedule, and whether the condominium fee is included in the rent.

FAQ:

• How far is Pastores from Antigua Guatemala?

  Only a few kilometres. Route 14 runs from Antigua through Jocotenango into Pastores, and the trip takes about ten minutes by car when traffic is light. Chimaltenango is roughly 10 kilometres in the other direction, and Guatemala City about 52 kilometres by road.

• Why is Pastores known for boots?

  The name comes from sixteenth-century sheep grazing, but the town’s reputation today rests on leather. Family workshops make Texan-style boots by hand, the Gran Bota monument at the entrance honours the artisans, and a footwear bazaar promoted by INGUAT draws buyers from across the country.

• What should I check before buying land in the aldeas of Pastores?

  Start with the slope. Heavy rain has brought down hillsides in the outer aldeas, with fatal results in El Papur, so look at drainage, retaining walls and what sits above the lot before you look at the price. Then check the paperwork: El Tejar joined Pastores in 1935 and San Luis Las Carretas only in 1989, so older deeds there can name another municipality, and the entry in the property registry should match the parcel you are standing on. Ask the municipality to confirm land use, and find out whether the plot belongs to an inherited family property that was never formally divided.

• Can I buy a lot in Pastores in instalments?

  Often, yes. Many lotificaciones offer direct financing, sometimes up to 24 monthly payments without interest. Get the contract in writing and make sure it states when the deed will be signed and the lot registered in your name, since with developer financing the transfer often comes only after the last payment.

• Which part of Pastores suits me best?

  The urban centre, divided into seven zones, puts shops, workshops and the main road at your door. The gated condominiums around town trade a little distance for security and newer construction. The aldeas, including San Lorenzo El Tejar with its hot spring pools and San Luis Las Carretas, give more land and a rural setting, but with longer trips and less even services.