Introduction
115km (71 miles) W of Guatemala City; 37km (23 miles) S of Chichicastenango; 80km (50 miles) NW of Antigua
Panajachel is the gateway to Lake Atitlán. It's the largest city on the lake's shore and the most easily accessible by car and bus from the rest of Guatemala. Boats leave from Panajachel throughout the day to the various towns and villages that ring Lake Atitlán. Many, including me, find Panajachel a bit too chaotic and crowded, so the quieter villages and isolated hotels around the lake are your best bet. Still, Pana, as it's most commonly known, offers a wealth of dining, shopping, and tour options, and you can't beat the views, with the three major volcanoes -- San Pedro, Toliman, and Atitlán -- clearly visible from anywhere along the lakeshore.
Panajachel, and the rest of the north shore of Atitlán, is a predominantly Kaqchiquel Maya area. During the Spanish Conquest, the Kaqchiquel allied themselves with the Spaniards against their Tz'utujil neighbors. The tension...
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Reserva Natural Atitlán
A couple of nature trails, a butterfly garden, and botanical gardens are the offerings at this reserve. The trails pass through some areas of dense...
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- Picnics, Parks & Gardens
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Museo Lacustre Atitlán
A series of excellent and informative displays explains the geology and geography behind the formation of the lake. The museum also showcases a...
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- Museums
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Torre del Reformador
- The Tower of the Reformer is a metallic structure brought from the United States. It was inaugurated on 19 July 1935 and called the Torre Conmemorativa...
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- Attractions
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