Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Guatemala Guatemala City Pinula Aqueduct

Pinula Aqueduct

It's not quite as old as its Roman appearance suggests, but this piece of infrastructure served Guatemala City for centuries.

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Added By
Pat
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Byron Ortiz / Shutterstock.com
Pinula Aqueduct   Wikimedia/Jaime Des
  Wikimedia/Jaime Des
The aqueduct in 1923.   Wikimedia/Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Following an earthquake in 1773, Guatemala decided to move its capital city from Antigua to a new location, one ostensibly safer from natural disaster. But the new chosen location needed a consistent water source. The nearest viable source of water was to be found from the Pinula River, some five miles from the city center.

To transport the water, the architect José Bernardo Ramírez, who planned much of what would become Guatemala City, designed an aqueduct constructed of bricks and cement. He was inspired by the Oviedo Aqueduct in Spain, which itself was nearly two centuries old at that point. Construction was completed in 1786, and the aqueduct supplied water to the city for over 150 years, until more modern systems replaced it in 1938. Despite its long years of service, it had been damaged in earthquakes in 1917 and 1918.

Besides its use in supplying water to the city, the aqueduct became a popular place for duels. One of the most important of these, in the mid-19th century, was to be between the then-President of Guatemala, General Rafael Carrera, and Marshal Serapio Cruz, who was plotting to carry out a coup d'etat. When word reached the President, he immediately challenged Cruz to a duel, which was to take place on the aqueduct. When the day came to fight, Cruz backed down, swearing that he had not been plotting anything, preserving the presidency of Carrera.

Related Tags

Infrastructure Waterworks Aqueducts Architecture

Know Before You Go

The aqueduct is viewable from many different points along the 20 calle and Boulevar Liberación in Zones 10, 13, and 14 of Guatemala City.

Community Contributors

Added By

PatTheGreat

Edited By

Samir S Patel

  • Samir S Patel

Published

June 1, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acueducto_de_Pinula
  • http://jodigentry.weebly.com/blog/el-acueducto-de-pinula
  • https://guatemaladeayer.blogspot.com/2011/05/acueducto-de-pinula.html
Pinula Aqueduct
Boulevar Liberación 439
Guatemala City
Guatemala
14.598753, -90.523756
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mapa en Relieve

Guatemala City, Guatemala

miles away

All Saints Day Kite Festival

Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala

miles away

Casa Popenoe

Antigua, Guatemala

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guatemala City

Guatemala City

Guatemala

Places 3
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Mapa en Relieve

Guatemala City, Guatemala

miles away

All Saints Day Kite Festival

Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala

miles away

Casa Popenoe

Antigua, Guatemala

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guatemala City

Guatemala City

Guatemala

Places 3
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Espada Aqueduct

    San Antonio, Texas

    Espada Aqueduct

    Water still flows through the oldest Spanish aqueduct in America.

  • Barnard Castle, England

    Deepdale Aqueduct

    This Victorian footbridge over the River Tees was originally built to carry water from the high moorland to the industrial towns on the coast.

  • Gea de Albarracín, Spain

    Albarracín-Cella Roman Aqueduct

    This ancient tunnel is one of the most important examples of Roman hydraulic engineering in Spain.

  • It moves!

    Stretford, England

    The Barton Swing Aqueduct

    A rotating bridge that carries a little canal over a larger one.

  • The main arcade, looking west

    Santiago Tepeyahualco, Mexico

    Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

    In the 16th century, a Franciscan monk pulled off a construction miracle by building a Roman-style aqueduct to save the town of Otumba, Mexico, from certain death.

  • Underground reservoir

    San Juan, Philippines

    El Deposito Underground

    The largest Spanish artifact built in the Philippines and one of the oldest underground reservoirs in the world.

  • The aqueduct or what remains of it.

    San Juan, Philippines

    Arko San Juan

    The only remaining section of an aqueduct that used to supply water to Manila during the Spanish occupation.

  • The Gozo Aqueduct.

    Kerċem, Malta

    Gozo Aqueduct

    This 19th-century aqueduct provides insights into how water was supplied to Victoria on the island of Gozo before modern plumbing.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.