Guatemala Tourist Attractions: 10 Places To Visit
Planning to visit Guatemala? Check out our Guatemala Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in the Guatemala.
Places to visit in Guatemala:
El Mirador, Livingston, Parque Central Quetzaltenango, Volcan Pacaya, Monterrico, Flores, Chichicastenango Market, Santa Catalina Arch, Lago de Atitlan, Tikal
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What it's like to live on Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
What it's Like to Live on Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
So many people have asked us what it's like living on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. This video is the first of several we will be uploading to show just that! Lake Atitlan is an incredible place, and to live there is an amazing experience.
Lake Atitlan has been called the most beautiful lake in the world. Surrounded by steep mountain walls and framed by 3 ancient volcanoes, it has a reputation for being a mystical place. It draws visitors from all over the world.
Lake Atitlan is located in the Guatemalan highlands about 90 miles from Guatamala City. The lake bed is actually a Caldera from the eruption of an ancient super volcano and reaches depths of over a 1,000 feet (340 meters), making it the deepest lake in Central America. Evidence of the regions volcanic past is all around from ash cliffs, to verdant farming along the mountain sides. Of course it's impossible to ignore the towering volcanoes, San Pedro, Toliman, and Atitlan looking over the lake like sentinels.
Atitlan is surrounded by towns and small cities many of which are only accessible by boat. Some of these rise straight up the sides of the mountains, seeming to defy gravity.
There is a very strong indigenous Mayan influence in the area and well over 20 different indigenous languages are spoken in Guatemala. Several of these can still be heard around Lake Atitlan where cultural identity is still very strong, despite western influences. Locals wear traje tipica, or 'typical clothes' and carry on life in much the same way as their ancestors, though every so often you'll see a smart phone tucked in their waistbands.
The jumping off point for most place around the lake is a town called Panajachel or Pana for short. The reason Pana is the center for the tourist scene at lake atitlan is because it is one of the most accessible towns on the lake. The main highway runs through it. Pana is also built on an area of the lake that is relatively flat, due to the river valley that it's situated in. For these and other reasons most people traveling to Lake Atitlan will pass through Pana at one point or another.
Within Pana itself there are several things to see and do, including visiting the historic church of Saint Francis of Asissi, with its original facade from the 16th century, visiting the Nature Reserve, attending a Spanish school, and of course shopping.
Within Pana people get around mostly via Tuk Tuks, small motor scooter carriages, that zip around town like red ants. You'd think the tuk tuks would slow down with the bumpy roads, and yet they fly at insane speeds to get you there on time! A tuk tuk should cost you 5 Quetzales in town per person, and 10 for longer rides.
most drivers don't charge for kids.
Pana has a fairly large harbor and a large fleet of public and private boats called Launchas. The launchas will take you to any other town on the lake and run from sun up until sun down. Just be aware that the lake is smooth in the morning and choppy in the evening, and when I say choppy, I mean really choppy!...this is almost always the case.
Most of the towns around the lake have a hustle and bustle about them. There is a palpable energy in the air, and nowhere is this more prevalent than each towns local market. In these markets local merchants buy and sell all sorts of goods. You can find pretty much anything you could ever want in the market. From meat, and fresh produce, to clothes and shoes. In the market there are no set prices and haggling is common. If you're a foreigner though be prepared to pay top dollar!
The schools around lake Atitlan may not look like schools elsewhere, but they are excellent. When the kids play...they play hard, and when they work, they work hard. We were very impressed with the schools in Pana and our kids loved them.
If you visit Lake atitlan, go to Calle Santander, even if you don't intend on buying anything. It is such a fun place to walk and observe the people, and take in the smells, sights, and sounds. If you look like a foreigner, just know...you will be approached by many street vendors! Your two favorite words may become No, Gracias!
As far as things to do in Pana and around the lake, most of the regions tourist draw is for sightseeing. There are of course lake activities, such as kayaking and paddle boarding, but most people come to shop for local handiworks, especially the beautiful weaving that the region is known for. Each town along the lake shore is different. San Marcos for example is known as the spiritual or hippie town on the lake, while San Pedro is the backpacker town. Each place is different and worth visiting. You can also hike up several of the peaks around the lake, including the volcanoes.
Living on Lake Atitlan is an incredible experience and one that you will never forget!
#lakeatitlan #lagoatitlan #panajachel
Places To Visit In Guatemala (Top 5)
Leave a comment down below if you want to see more top 5 videos.
Both schools that I talked about in this video
PLFM:
Escuela Sisai:
The Other Guatemala (places you won't believe!)
Guatemala is well known for traditional places like Tikal, Antigua and Atitlan but there are some breathtaking places that most people don't know...places that you won't believe! ...Don't miss this video!
Guatemala - Exploring the villages around Lake Atitlán
Introducing Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, in Guatemala
Hey everyone! Today we're going to continue our introduction to Lake Atitlan by taking you into the main trading center and traveller village of Panajachel. We'll walk you around, show you a few of the sites and also take you into the markets and grocery stores to get an idea of what this city has to offer travellers and expats.
Learn more about long-term and indefinite travel on our blog:
GoPro footage of this video was stabilized using the Feiyu-Tech G4 Gimbal:
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To get a better idea of who we are and what we do, check out: GoatLife TV Episode 35 A Day In The Life Of The Goats
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What to Do in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan and Antigua 2018
Earlier in the year, Amy and I visited one of the most beautiful countries of the world, Guatemala. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the country before my research. However, I am so grateful that I was able to experience it first hand. On our trip, we went to two locations - Antigua and Lake Atitlan.
Antigua is an old colonial town that has a really unique blend of Central American and European culture. The city is paved with cobbled stone and is filled with bright colorful buildings. Antigua is very walking friendly is known for its restaurant and cafes. There are abundant hospitality options, but we really enjoyed staying at the AirBnB Calle “Casa Girasol” and eating at Los Tres Tiempos restaurant. The city is known for its pictureqsue landmarks- Santa Catalina Arch, Central Park Plaza, Central Market - and they are all really close to each other. If you want to see a gorgeous view of the city, the hike up to Hill of the Cross is absolutely worth it. You can definitely walk there from the city, but we recommend taking a tuk-tuk.
Lake Atitlan is a massive body of water with breathtaking views of multiple volcanoes. There are really diverse communities scattered around the Lake. Some of the villages range from a yoga center for hippies to a local fishing village known for ceramics. Its definitely worth to visit all (or most) of them. However, we de-prioritized going to the touristy towns like Panjachel. Public transportation is fairly easy to navigate. Every half hour, there will be public boats or lanchas that will take you around the lake. We stayed at one of the most beautiful AirBnbs, the Lakefront B&B owned by a woman named Dita. It was truly a magical experience. Everything from the modern room aesthetic, private access to the lake, and curated breakfast/dinner selection made the stay remarkable.
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Our Adventure at Lake Atitlan Guatemala
This is the second part of our Guatemalan Adventure. We had a great time at Lake Atitlan and the surrounding towns. This was a culture shock to our kids (in a good way). Thanks for watching and hope you subscribe for future adventures!
Guatemalan STREET FOOD from the GODS in Lake Atitlan | Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala
On my second day in Guatemala in partnership with the Real Intercontinental Guatemala we explored Santiago Atitlan the most important town on Lake Atitlan. Here we tried some of the best street food in Guatemala!
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When we arrived in Santiago Atitlan we headed straight for Maya Patin a local street food on Lake Atitlan which is a small salted fish mixed with tomato paste in a banana leaf. It was salty and spicy, super delicious!
Next we continued up the town and we stop and had a spicy Guatemalan snow cone. It was a little spicy but the lime made it extra delicious!
We then visit Maximon, the Maya god or grandfather of Santiago Atitlan. The maya people of Santiago Atitlan believe that he protects the town. You can see him smoking cigarets and drinking! Pretty amazing experience!
To end our day in Santiago Atitlan we visited a local fish restaurant and ate some Black Bass. I had it with a white wine sauce and I also put some spicy sauce they had which was super spicy. Mariel challenged me and I won!
From there we crossed the lake back to Panajachel and drove 3 hours back to Guatemala City to the Real Intercontinental Guatemala. We had dinner at their Japanese restaurant Tanoshii. We went all out with three rolls of sushi, sashimi and sake!
Next time you head to Guatemala I recommend working with my friends at A La Carta Tours:
Big thanks to my friends at the Real Intercontinental Guatemala:
I hope you loved this video! If you did please leave me a comment, give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel!
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Guatemala-Panajachel (Beautiful Lake Atitlan) Part 9
Welcome to my travelchannel.On my channel you can find almost 1000 films of more than 70 countries.
See the playlist on my youtube channel.Enjoy!
Guatemala-Panajachel :
Lake Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is a large endorheic lake (one that does not flow to the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America with maximum depth about 340 meters. The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it and by three volcanoes on its southern flank. Lake Atitlan is further characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people. Lake Atitlán is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Antigua. Lake Atitlán should not be confused with Lake Amatitlán. Lake Amatitlán is located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) southeast of Lake Atitlán and 16 kilometres (10 mi) southeast of Antigua. Lake Atitlán is much larger than Lake Amatitlán.
At the water is the meaning of Atitlan. It is a fusion of simple Nahuatl words that belies the complexity of the entity it identifies. German explorer Alexander von Humbolt is the earliest prominent foreigner generally quoted as calling it the most beautiful lake in the world.
The lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed in an eruption 84,000 years ago. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and Aldous Huxley famously wrote of it: Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing.The lake basin supports extensive coffee growth and a variety of farm crops, most notably corn. Other significant agricultural products include onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, chile verde, strawberries, avocados and pitahaya fruit. The lake itself is rich in animal life which provides a significant food source for the largely indigenous population.
Culture
The lake is surrounded by many villages, in which Maya culture is still prevalent and traditional dress is worn. The Maya people of Atitlán are predominantly Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel. During the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the Kaqchikel initially allied themselves with the invaders to defeat their historic enemies the Tz'utujil and Quiché Maya, but were themselves conquered and subdued when they refused to pay tribute to the Spanish.
Santiago Atitlán is the largest of the lakeside communities, and is noted for its worship of Maximón, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints and conquistador legends. The institutionalized effigy of Maximón is under the control of a local religious brotherhood and resides in various houses of its membership during the course of a year, being most ceremonially moved in a grand procession during Semana Santa. Several towns in Guatemala have similar cults, most notably the cult of San Simón in Zunil.
While Maya culture is predominant in most lakeside communities, the largest town on the shores, Panajachel, has been overwhelmed over the years by tourists. It attracted many hippies in the 1960s, and although the war caused many foreigners to leave, the end of hostilities in 1996 saw visitor numbers boom again, and the town's economy is almost entirely reliant on tourism today.
Several Mayan archaeological sites have been found at the lake. Sambaj, located approximately 55 feet below the current lake level, appears to be from at least the pre-classic period.
There are remains of multiple groups of buildings, including one particular group of large buildings that are believed to be the city center.
A second site, Chiutinamit, where the remains of a city were found, was discovered by local fishermen who noticed what appeared to be a city underwater.During consequent investigations, pottery shards were recovered from the site by divers, which enabled the dating of the site to the late pre-classic period (600 B.C. - 250 A.D.).
A project titled Underwater archeology in the Lake Atitlán. Sambaj 2003 Guatemala was recently approved by the Government of Guatemala in cooperation with Fundación Albenga and the Lake Museum in Atitlán. Because of the concerns of a private organization as is the Lake Museum in Atitlán the need to start the exploration of the inland waters in Guatemala was analyzed.
There is no road that circles the lake. Communities are reached by boat or roads from the mountains that may have brief extensions along the shore. Santa Cruz La Laguna and Jaibalito can only be reached by boat. Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó are linked to Panajachel. Main places otherwise are Santa Clara La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna in the West, Santiago Atitlán in the South, and San Lucas Tolimán in the East.