Panajachel - The Gateway of Lake Atitlán
If you read anything about traveling to Guatemala, you may have heard that Lake Atitlán is the “most beautiful lake in the world.” I have traveled widely enough to know that must be an exaggeration. I am convinced the most beautiful lake in the world will be at locations with limited accessibility, like an alpine lake high up in Patagonia or the Himalayas. While planning our five-night trip to Guatemala, we debated whether it was worthwhile to visit the lake. Even though the lake is only 45 miles from Antigua, that journey typically takes over three hours. It seems like a lot of travel for such a short trip. In the end, our curiosity won out.
Everyone still came out for sunset regardless of the overcast sky.
Lake Atitlán is a crater lake and the deepest lake in Central America. Around the lake are around a dozen towns/villages of various sizes and accessibility. Each place has its unique character and appeals to specific demographics. Among the most popular towns are San Marcos (known for its new-age retreats), San Pedro (the backpacker central), and San Juan (the artisan town). But no matter which town you pick, you will probably visit Panajachel, the gateway to Lake Atitlán.
Commonly called “Pana,” Panajachel is conveniently located just off National Highway 1, which happened to be part of the Pan-American Highway. Not only is this where tourist shuttles drop people off, but Pana also has the best connectivity among all the lakeside towns. Pana seems like a decent home base since we only had two days on the lake. Surprisingly, there are not many decent hotels around here. The most appealing establishment is Hotel Atitlan, located quite a bit away from the center of town. After much consideration, we decided to stay at a serviced apartment in the busiest part of town.
The weather on the first day was…. not great.
Anyone needs a sombrero?
The main commercial thoroughfare of Panajachel is Calles de Santander. It runs from the busy access road to the waterfront. The street is lined with countless souvenir shops and restaurants. The scene reminded me of walking streets in Thailand. The place was busy nearly all hours, probably the most touristy stretch in Guatemala. And just like how I felt about Thailand, Pana felt like a giant strip mall with lots of commerce and little culture to speak of. This was kind of my worst nightmare, to be honest. It was not the best first impression of Lake Atitlán.
Calles de Santander, the main commercial corridor of Pana.
Office of Atitrans, the private shuttle company that we used.
Pana could be very busy at places.
To make the first impression worse, the weather was far from optimal. The sky was completely overcast with thick mist (or smog). When we finally arrived at the lakeshore, we were disappointed that we could barely see the volcanos that surrounded the lake. Atitlán looks like any other lake, albeit on a bigger scale but not as vast as the Great Lakes in the United States. In the back of my mind, I could not believe we traveled this far for such an underwhelming experience. I can’t help wondering whether we made a mistake coming here.
Fortunately, the waterfront was teeming with activities late in the afternoon. A student ensemble of la marimba, which is Guatemala’s national instrument, was at the main viewing platform. Much to our surprise, there were as many Guatemalans as Westerners here. Forgetting the disappointing scenery for a moment, the atmosphere here was convivial. Families and young couples strolled the lakeside paths enjoying ice cream or beers. Even though the weather was suboptimal, few seemed bothered by it. Perhaps my bad attitude was misplaced? Did I let my high expectations ruin an experience again?
Where are the famous volcanos?
But despite being a major tourist destination, Pana’s busy waterfront does not seem to receive much public investment. The whole area seemed rather disorganized. There were very few places to sit and enjoy the sunset. More disappointedly, there is trash everywhere we look. I was at a loss as to how the government does not make more effort to showcase one of Guatemala’s greatest tourism assets. This being Guatemala, it was difficult to enjoy peace without being interrupted by eager vendors selling souvenirs or a boat trip. Of course, you can’t fault them for trying their best to earn a living in a challenging economic environment.
This is probably the most famous mural in Pana.
There are plenty of lakeside restaurants along the south side of Pana.
From the main viewing platform, it was just a short walk south toward the boat dock. Contrary to common sense, this is not where visitors would catch the public ferry. This dock is where the charter boats leave, which may explain why different “captains” are eager to solicit your business. For those traveling in bigger groups, chartering your boats for the day might make sense from the sightseeing point of view. For solo travelers like ourselves, the offer of a sunset cruise around the lake for 60 GQT was very tempting. At the same time, it just reminded me how we were “robbed” of a beautiful sunset over the lake.
The next day was our only full day to explore Lake Atitlán. It was very tough to get out of bed that morning. In retrospect, I was too naive to think we could get a slice of peace in the middle of Pana. Unbeknownst to us, a nightclub is on the same block as our apartment. From the bedroom, we had a direct view of the rooftop club. We had to keep our windows open most of the night due to the lack of air conditioning. The low bass and rap music could probably penetrate even the best soundproof window on the market.
Pana’s public ferry dock.
Finally, we dragged ourselves to the dock where public ferries depart. We were happy to see the weather was better. We could at least see the outlines of the volcanoes. Oddly enough, the lake looked even more ominous than the day before. But at least the water was calm. Considering this is the best ferry dock on the lake, how little organization there was to the whole operation was a little surprising. As we approached the dock, a couple of guys just yelled out where we were heading and then pointed to the boat we were supposed to be on. Based on my observation, there is no public schedule, and boats only depart when they are filled to the brim.
Pana’s public ferry dock.
Pana’s public ferry dock.
Amazingly, local fishermen still work in tiny canoes.
Despite all of Pana’s failing, I could honestly say we were happy to be back at Pana at the end of a long day. We were exhausted at the end of the day. I can’t believe some travelers we met spent a week around the lake. It was not the nirvana that I had in my head. I found our experiences going around the lake quite stressful, to be honest. While the natural sceneries may be stunning, you can’t say these Mayan towns are as charming as alpine villages in the Alps, can you?
Luckily, we were finally given the beautiful weather on our final morning. I finally got glimpses of the Lake Atitlán that everyone had been raving about. The majesty of the landscape was undisputedly majestic. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. It was remarkable how our perception of a place could change drastically because of the weather. The waterfront was particularly enjoyable in the early morning hours. Nobody was around except for the sanitation workers and captains setting their boats up for the day. It was almost a one-eighty from my perception of Pana thirty-six hours ago.
Volcán San Pedro.
Volcán San Pedro.
Volcán San Pedro,
I began to see how being on Lake Atitlán may be relaxing, after all. But I wish there were a few lakeshore cafes to relax with good coffee. Perhaps I was secretly hoping we were staying at a luxury lakeside resort. If Pana could create a wide promenade with open green space, it could instantly transform Pana into a world-class destination. On the waterfront were a couple of photo booths, and it was a joy to see people lining up for the perfect photo. The lake was just large enough to have a noticeable wave but still calm enough to enjoy the wake patterns created by the passing boats. This stretch of the waterfront is designated for swimming, and I found it very relaxing to watch a lone swimmer going across the calm water surface. As the days went on, more and more people got into the water for a refreshing dip.
Like it or not, this may just be the most popular photo spot at Lake Atitlán.
As good of a swimming spot as the lake may seem, visitors are urged to exercise maximum precaution. Because of its depth, Lake Atitlán has strong currents in some places, and there have been periodic reports of drowning. There was a recent incident that a Californian woman had gone missing here. She has been on a yoga retreat by the lake and disappeared during a kayaking excursion. This case of disappearance has all the ingredients of a crime drama. No one in her kayaking group reported the incident to the local authority. More mysteriously, they changed the flight and hurriedly left the country. As much as I was intrigued by the story, I was hesitant to share it with Bria since he was already nervous about the security situation in Guatemala.
There are plenty of security personnel around the lakefront to ensure public safety.
And speaking of general security, we felt completely safe in Pana. The police presence was particularly noticeable along the waterfront, and they were not heavily armed. During our six days in the country, we did not experience anything seedy or offputting. I suspect the locals understand that tourism is the lifeline of the local community, so there is heavy investment in securing places like Pana and Antigua. The contrast with the State Department’s official travel advisory was jarring.
Despite its modern appearance, Pana was a historical town dating to the Spanish conquest. During two days, we saw very few traces of the old city. Modern tourism has enveloped Pana from within. The only colonial-era monument we visited was the massive parish church. The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi dates to the 16th century. At that time, Pana was a center of colonial administration and a prominent center for religious conversion. The fusion of Mayan folk belief and Catholicism is said to be the norm here.
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The church’s five-bay facade is striking. The odd proportion of the facade gives the church a unique fortress-like appearance. The stone construction appears crude and lacks fine finishes. The architectural sturdiness might explain how the structure survived centuries of disasters, from earthquakes to flash flooding. Inside, massive green banners strung across the nave to give it a uniquely festive atmosphere. Even though this is the most beautiful building in town, few foreign visitors venture two blocks north of Calles de Santander. Indeed, we might not have discovered this area if not for our ride back from the neighboring Santa Catarina Palopó.
Like many Mayan villages, wall-to-wall murals became a common feature in Pana.
Guajimbo's, a Uruguayan restaurant, was our go-to place while in Pana.
There is no shortage of souvenir stands along Calles de Santander.
Our final morning in Pana happened to be a Sunday; it gave us a nice reprieve from the typical hustle and bustle. We enjoy this quiet side of Pana better. Unfortunately, our opinion of the place only started to change just as we were leaving. We can’t say Panan is among our favorite places. We might embrace this place more as a refuge if we had more time and better weather. In a way, I secretly hoped we had not visited Lake Atitlán since we did not have enough time to embrace slow travel this time around.
