Experience the best of Panajachel

Panajachel stands on the northern shore of Lake Atitlán, at about 1,560 metres, in the Guatemalan highlands. The lake fills a vast volcanic caldera, and the cones of the Atitlán, Tolimán and San Pedro volcanoes rise from its southern shore. Calle Santander, the main street, runs down to the water lined with stalls selling woven textiles, and Kaqchikel Maya families still live and work in the town.

Ferries cross to the villages along the shore, each with its own character: Santiago Atitlán has a shrine to Maximón, San Pedro La Laguna lies below its volcano, and San Juan La Laguna has weaving cooperatives. The Atitlán Nature Reserve, just outside town, has forest trails and butterflies. Chichicastenango, known for its market, lies to the north, and the colonial city of Antigua to the east.

Pepián, a thick Maya stew of meat, vegetables and ground seeds, is served with fresh tortillas, and the lake slopes grow coffee. In the afternoons a wind called the Xocomil often whips up the water. The dry months from November to April bring the clearest mornings, while the rains fall between May and October.