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Places to Visit in Panajachel, Guatemala, America

Places to Visit in Panajachel, Guatemala, America

Panajachel is a town located in the Guatemalan Highlands belonging to Solola department, about 110 km away from Guatemala City. Its position on the northeast shore of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Lake Atitlan, makes it as one of the popular tourist destinations in the country. Also it is the major gateway for Lake Atitlan.

There are many non-profit organizations registered in Panajachel such as Maya Traditions Foundation, Mayan Families, Friendship Bridge and Mercado Global.

Geography of Panajachel:

Panajachel is located between 14°44′26″ N latitude and91°9′33″ W longitude at an altitude of 1,597 meters.

Etymology of Panajachel:

The literal meaning Panajachel in Kaqchikel language is ‘place of the Matasanos’. Matasano is a native fruit tree.

History of Panajachel:

The shore of Lake Atitla was the site of the war which was happened between Spanish and Tz’utujils. After the war, Spanish built a church and monastery in Panajachel to convert indigenous people to the Roman Catholic faith. The church is still good in condition.

How to reach Panajachel?

Panajachel is well connected with almost all of the cities of the country through roadways by buses. It is located around 50 km and 110 km from Quiche Airport and La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City respectively.

There are regular Chicken buses available from Guatemala City every hour from 6AM to 4PM to Panajachel and also tourists can come from Antigua to Panajachel which costs around USD $15. Tuks-tuks are useful for local travel costing around 5-10Q and also there are boats available to reach nearby towns in Panajachel through Lake Atitla.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Panajachel:

The Maya Traditions Medicine Garden is the major cultural centre of the Panajachel and is also the best place to know on herbal medicine.

Most of the shopping centres of Panajachel located at Calle Santander. The prominent food corners in Panajachel are:

La Terrazza
Anubis Grille
Solomon’s Porch
Ricassoli Pizza Steak House

Things to do in Panajachel:

Scuba diving
Kayaking
Los Elementos Adventure Center
Bike rental
Nature Reserve
Boat Tours

Places to see in Panajachel:

Lake Atitlan:

Lake Atitlan is a tourist paradise and one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, liked by many explorers and tourists. This stunning natural attraction is the deepest lake in Central America with a highest depth of 340 meters. Lake Atitlan is visited by millions of tourists throughout the year for its striking beauty.

Casa Cakchiquel:

Casa Cakchiquel was one of the 1^st hotels on Lake Atitlan and it now houses fair trade store, postcard gallery and traditional photos as well.

La Galeria:

La Galeria is one of the ancient galleries in Central America featuring many traditional artifacts and objects related to the history and culture of Panajachel.

Other places of interest in Panajachel include:

Atitlan Nature Reserve
Hotel Atitlan Gardens
Thirteen Threads Fair Trade Store
Iximche
Casa Cakchiquel
The Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden
Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo Museum
Atitlan Butterfly Sanctuary
Circus Bar
La Palapa

Best time to visit Panajachel:

The best time to travel Panajachel is during the months between June and September.

Accommodation Options in Panajachel:

Panajachel is one of the famous tourist centres in Guatemala located on the shore of very popular ‘Lake Atitlan’. It is home to plenty of accommodation centres with world class facilities to serve tourists who come from the different regions of the world throughout the year. Booking hotels in advance will be better otherwise tourists may find difficulty in availing hotel room as per their requirement. The major hotels in and around Panajachel are listed below:

Hotel Utz Rajil
Hotel Regis Panajachel
Porta Hotel Del Lago
Hotel Real Santander
Hotel Dos Mundos
La Riviera Atitlan Hotel
Hotel Playa Linda
Rancho Grande Inn
Hotel K’amol B’ey
Hotel San Buenaventura de Atitlan
Hotel Atitlan
Posada de los Volcanes
Hotel Primavera
Hotel Utz Jay
Jardines del Lago
Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo
Villa Santa Catarina
Posada Monte Rosa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, America

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, America

Lake Atitlan is a large crater lake placed in the Highlands of Guatemala at 14°42′ N 91°12′ W, with a maximum depth of 340 meters, Lake Atitlan is considered as the deepest lake in Central America and also it is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Lake Atitlan is located around 70 km from World Heritage Site, Antigua and 105 km from Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. It covers an area of 130.1 sq. km. and measures a surface elevation of 1,562 meters.

Lake Atitlan is home to variety of fish species which are the major food source for the native people. Also the lake is well supported for surrounding villages to grow agricultural crops like coffee, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, avocados, pitahaya fruit and onions.

The towns surround the lake are Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna , Santiago Atitlan, Santa Cruz la Laguna , San Juan, San Antonio Palopo, Santa Catarina Palopo, San Lucas Toliman and Tzununa.

Etymology of Lake Atitlan:

The name of Atitlan derives from Nahuatl language and its literal meaning is ‘at the water’. Atitlan Lake was highly liked by the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt and he called it ‘the most beautiful lake in the globe’.

How to reach Lake Atitlan?

Lake Atitlan is surrounded by Santa Clara La Laguna to the west, San Lucas Toliman on the east and Santiago Atitlan towards south. It can be reachable from Santa Cruz La Laguna and Jaibalito by boat. Among all these towns, Panajachel is the best way to reach Lake Atitlan.

The airports located near Lake Atitlan are Quiche Airport (50 km), Quetzaltenango Airport (80 km) and La Aurora International Airport (110 km).

Chicken buses are ideal for those who come from Guatemala City, operating every hour from 6AM to 4PM. It costs around USD $15 per way from Antigua to Panajachel, served by ATI. There are tuks-tuks are available for local travel costing from 5-10Q. Tourists can also reach nearby towns by boat though lake which costs15-30Q per way.

Food and Shopping near Lake Atitlan:

There are many general stores located around the lake offering different textiles, paintings, jewelers and fresh fruits as well.

The major food corners around the lake include:

Las Chinitas
Lazarronis
Circus Bar
Sunset Cafe
Solomon’s Porch

Things to do in Lake Atitlan:

Volcano tour
Bike tour
Coffee tour
Kayak adventure
Bird watching tour

Other places of interest near Lake Atitlan include:

Santa Catarina Palopo Church
The Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden
Cojolya Museum
San Antonio Palopo
Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo Museum
Tzantizotz Nature Reserve
Atitlan Butterfly Sanctuary
Indian’s Nose
Casa Cakchique
Colonial Church
Mystical Yoga Farm
Hotel Atitlan Gardens
Volcan San Pedro
San Marcos Holistic Center
Atitlan Nature Reserve
Iximche

Best time to visit Lake Atitlan:

From June through September is the ideal time to reach Lake Atitlan.

Accommodation Options near Lake Atitlan:

The hotels located near Lake Atitlan provide all the upgraded facilities including AC, medical service, 24 hour room service and internet access, swimming pool and restaurant. The middle range hotels charge around $50 per night for two persons. List of the prominent hotels and villas near Lake Atitlan are as follows:

TOSA La Laguna
Casa Palopo
Villa Sumaya
Posada de los Volcanes
Hotel el Arca de Noe
Hotel Atitlan
Hotel IslaVerde
Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel
Villa Santa Catarina
Hotel Primavera
Hotel Utz Jay
Jardines del Lago
La Casa del Mundo Hotel
La Fortuna at Atitlan
Vulcano Lodge
Lomas de Tzununa
Posada de Santiago
Laguna Lodge Eco-Resort & Nature Reserve

Tourist Places to Visit in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, America

Huehuetenango is the capital city of Huehuetenango Department in Guatemala also serves as the seat of all the municipalities that come under Huehuetenango department and is situated about 280 km from the national capital Guatemala City. Huehuetenango is well known for coffee exportation and other crops grown in Huehuetenango include chile, yucca, sugarcane and tobacco.

Huehuetenango department is home to 31 municipalities and the major municipalities are Chiantla, Cuilco, Jacaltenango, Nenton, San Juan Ixcoy, Santa Eulalia, Tectitan and San Rafael Petzal.

Geography of Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is positioned between 15°18′53″ N latitude and 91°28′34″ W longitude at an altitude of 1,901 meters and the department of Huehuetenango occupies an area of 7,403 sq. km.

Huehuetenango department is surrounded by Mexico towards northwest, Totonicapan in the south and El Quiche on the east.

History of Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango was earlier known as Xinabahul and the literal meaning of Huehuetenango in the Nahuatl language is ‘the place of the ancestors’.

How to reach Huehuetenango?

Huehuetenango has its own airport but currently not in use. The nearest working airport to Huehuetenango is Quetzaltenango Airport located at a distance of about 140 km with charter flights to Guatemala City. La Aurora International Airport is about 290 km away from Huehuetenango.

The major bus station of Huehuetenango is situated between the Interamericana and the city. It takes around 1:30 hour to reach Huehuetenango from Quatro Caminos and costs Q20 and from La Mesilla to Huehuetenango takes 2 hours, costs Q20.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is one of the Maya sites housing many archeological sites and cultural centres. There are many handicraft centres, jewelry and pharmacies sited in Huehuetenango City. Pradera Huehuetenango is the main shopping centre in Huehuetenango. Banco International is a bank in Huehuetenango offering currency exchange service.

Restaurante Las Palmeras is one of the well known food corners in Huehuetenango famous for traditional and international eateries, available at reasonable prices. To have coffee, chocolate and different cakes, tourists can reach Cafe Museo which is open from 7am-10pm (Monday-Saturday) and 2-9pm (Sunday). It also offers free Wi-Fi.

Things to do in Huehuetenango:

Shopping
Archeological sites
Internet cafes

Places to see in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango Bridge:

Huehuetenango Bridge is constructed over the San Juan River source and is the major tourist attraction in Huehuetenango drawing tourists from all around the country.

The Maya ruins of Zaculeu:

The Maya ruins of Zaculeu are archeological sites located in the vicinity of Huehuetenango city. There are regular buses available to reach Zaculeu from Huehuetenango city.

Chiantla:

Chiantla is a religious town widely known for Catholic Church with the image of Virgin of Candelaria or Nuestra Senora de Chiantla which means ‘Our Lady of Chiantla’.

Other places of interest in Huehuetenango include:

Chalchitan
Moja
San Mateo Ixtatan
Parque De Huehuetenango
Ruins de Zaculeu
Santo Entierro
Quetzaltenango

Best time to visit Huehuetenango:

During the ending months of the year are ideal to travel Huehuetenango.

Accommodation Options in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is a colorful city with full of archeological sites, restaurants, food corners and religious sites. It is home to many well facilitated hotels and most of the hotels are located near the major bus terminal. The price may vary on the facilities provided by the hotels and generally top end hotels charge Q60 per person/night. The prominent hotels in Huehuetenango are as follows:

Hotel Zaculeu
Royal Park Hotel
Hotel Ruinas Resort
Hotel Mary
Hotel Casablanca
Hotel San Luis de la Sierra
Hotel Premier
Hotel Cascata
Hotel California
Hotel Cuchumatanes
Fuente Real Hotel
Hotel Del Prado
La Chacra de Joel Hotel
Todos Santos Inn

Places to Visit in Guatemala City, Guatemala, America

Places to Visit in Guatemala City, Guatemala, America

Guatemala City is the capital and the largest city of Republic of Guatemala geographically positioned at 14°36′48″ N 90°32′7″ W. It also serves as the administrative center of both Guatemala municipality and Guatemala Department.

Guatemala City is the banking capital of the country housing headquarters of more than ten prominent banks of the nation and also it houses ten eminent universities.

Geography of Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is situated in Valle de la Ermita mountain valley at an elevation of 1,500 meters. It covers an area of 692 sq. km. and features a subtropical highland climate with rainy season from May to October and April is the hottest month in the city.

History of Guatemala City:

The history Guatemala City dates back to 1200 BC. Guatemala City was a small town during the colonial period of the Spanish. The capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala moved from Antigua Guatemala to Guatemala City after the heavy damage made by Santa Marta earthquake (on July 29, 1773).

Connectivity to Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is served by La Aurora International Airport which is situated around 8 km from Guatemala City centre and has good connection with Mexico, El Salvador, USA, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua and the air services are provided by Avianca, American Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Aeromexico. There are taxis always available at the airport charging around $12US to Guatemala City (Zona 10).

For local travel, taxis and buses are useful costing Q1.00 to move within the city. The major taxi operators in Guatemala City include:

Taxis Mariscal
Taxis Amarillo
Servitaxis Rotativos
Taxis Las Americas

Culture, Food and Shopping in Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is rich in its culture housing many historical buildings from the colonial period. The famous shopping centres of Guatemala City are Oakland Mall and La Pradera.

The prominent food corners in Guatemala are listed below:

Tamarindos
Tapas y Canas
El Ganadero
Del Tingo Al Tango

Things to do in Guatemala City:

Magic Place
La Pradera
Tikal Futura
Shopping
Live Guate

Places to interest in Guatemala City:

Mapa en Relieve:

Mapa en Relieve is a typical site situated at Minerva Park in Zona 2. This is an open air map of Guatemala country including Belize and rivers and was inaugurated on October 29, 1905, designed by Lieutenant Colonel and Engineer Francisco Vela and Engineer Claudio Urrutia. Admission fee is Q16 and open from 9AM-5PM.

Museo Miraflores:

Museo Miraflores is a museum located in Zona 11 of Guatemala city. It is an ideal place to know about the ancient city of Kaminaljuyu (former Guatemala). Museo Miraflores is open from 9-19 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday), 9-20 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). Monday is off.

Ixchel Museum of traditional costumes:

Ixchel Museum of traditional costumes houses a great collection of traditional costumes, dying techniques and paintings of Carmen Pettersen. Admission fee is Q25 for adults and Q15 for students. Tourists are allowed between 9:00-17:00 from Monday-Friday.

Other places of interest in Guatemala City include:

Popol Vuh Museum
Archaeology and Ethnology Museum
Museo Nacional de Arqueologiay Etnologia
Museum of Modern Art
Aurora Zoo
Museo Miraflores
Palacio Nacional
National History Museum
Jardines Botanico
Museo Carlos F. Novella

Best time to visit Guatemala City:

From October to March is the ideal time to visit Guatemala City.

Accommodation Options in Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is home to all the types of accommodation centres ranging from budget to top end. Prices are comparatively higher than other cities of Guatemala and the budget hotels charge around $20/night, mid range-$50 and splurge-$100. List of major hotels in Guatemala City include:

Budget: