Panajachel, Sololá, Guatemala.
Its complete name is San Francisco Panajachel, is a PreColumbian village of origin Cakchiquel, located on one side of river of the same name and on the shores of Lake Atitlan, was the scene of the final battle between Spaniards and their allies the Cakchiquel against Tzujiles and seat Franciscan missionaries who founded a convent.
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| Dawning on Panajachel |
Currently, the town is situated amidst coffee plantations, gardens and vegetable plots. It is the most important center of the area, which is why most concentrated hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, entertainment and shopping center. It is ideal for craft shopping.
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| Typical sales, Santander street |
West of Panajachel, in the Valley of San Buenaventura, historical place of the lake, is a nature reserve of 120 hectares and a butterfly. The forest has several walking trails and an organic coffee plantation.
Panajachel(Pana) is a town in the southwestern Guatemalan Highlands, less than 90 miles (144.84 Km) from Guatemala City, in the department of Sololá. It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The elevation is 1,597 metres (5,240 ft). The town of Panajachel is located on the Northeast shore of Lake Atitlan, and has become a centre for the tourist trade of the area as it provides a base for visitors crossing the lake to visit other towns and villages.
Place names
"Panajachel" derives from the Kaqchikel language and roughly translates to "place of the Matasanos", the white sapote fruit tree.
History
In the 16th century, during the period of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, the shore of the lake was the scene ot a battle in which the Spanish and their Kaqchikel allies defeated the Tz´utujils. The Spanish set up a church and monastery in Panajachel soon afterward, and used the town as a center to convert the indigenous people of the region to the Roman Catholic faith. The original frontage of the church still stands, and is considered one of the gems of the colonial style in Guatemala.
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| Panajachel Church in 1945 |
The town attracted many Hippies in the 1960s, but the numbers of foreign visitors plummeted during the Guatemalan Civil War. After the war ended, tourists started coming back, and Panajachel´s economy is once again primarily on tourism.
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| Panajachel Church |
Tourism
It has Tzanjuyú port, numerous hotels, restaurants, recreation areas and chalets that are used by tourists from around the world, and is the starting point for the department of Solola and Lake Atitlan, which was nominated for the selection of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
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| Traditions in Panajachel |
Also sometimes there are several activities during Easter, Christmas and other occasions Week. In Panajachel has always done a local show in the third week of September, where they choose the Queen of the Franciscan Feasts.
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| Mayan women in traditional dress |
Places of Interest
Casa Cakchiquel built in 1948, was one of the first hotels on the lake and according to legends, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Ingrid Bergman, and other intellectuals, artists, painters and writers enjoyed the house at its best.
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| Casa Cakchiquel, picture of tripadvisor.com |
Today the house serves as the Cultural Center and is lovingly restored and one of two historic buildings "patrimonio culturales" (the central Church of Saint Francis of Assisi being the other) in Panajachel.
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| Admission ticket Casa Cakchiquel, showing some of the famous and notorious people that have stayed in Casa Cakchiquel. |
Casa Cakchiquel features a Museum and Gallery space that is presenting Guatemala´s first and unique historical photo museum with over 3000 photo images between 1860-1970 and Guatemala´s most important photographers like Emilio and Roberto Eichenberger, Alberto Valdeavellano and others.
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| The Casa as it looked in the 1950's |
Casa Cakchiquel is the home of Radio 5, FM99.1 the local Radio Station in the Atitlan Basin as well as the woman NGO Thirteen Threads (Oxlajuj B´atz´), who is working with and for the rights and opportunities of the Mayan woman and is managing a Fair Trade store in the house. The beautiful garden space is the home of the Japanese Restaurant La Hana and as of Trip Advisor the best restaurant in town.
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| Restaurant La Hana |
Panajachel is also home to one of the oldest galleries in Central America, La Galeria.
Things to do
Although Panajachel is mostly used as a jump off point for other places around Atitlan Lake it does offer some interesting activities.
Shopping in Panajachel
Calle Santander, the town´s most prominent Street is home to some of the best bargains in Guatemala.
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| Shopping in Santander Street |
Outdoors
The Reserva Natural Atitlan is a beautiful reserve set on the outskirts of Panajachel. Here you can watch monkeys, visit a butterfly farm, go canopying or simply hike the nature trails.
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| Hiking Panajachel |
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| Atitlan lake |
Culture
The Mayan Traditions Medicine Garden is a social project set up by the Maya Traditions Foundation which educates locals and visitors about the uses of local and other plants in herbal medicine. Tours are offered by request.
This photo of The Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden is courtesy of TripAdvisor
A visit at the Galeria, in Panajachel since 1973, located in the heart of town, should be high on the list of things to do for anyone interested inart and culture.
For more information visit
- Oficial page
- Panajachel info
- Panajachel information about hotels, restaurants, nightlife.
- Information from Panajachel about Hotels, Real estate and Rental Properties
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