Guat’SUP! – Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan has quite a history.  84,000 years ago a massive volcano collapsed into itself.  The resulting caldera filled with water and Lake Atitlan was born.  In the millennia to follow, three new volcanoes grew on the shores of the lake. They have erupted many times over the years, with Volcan Atitlan erupting as recently as 1853.  In the 1960s the lake became a popular location on the hippie/vagabond trail, but that all ended with the country’s long civil war.  When the war was finally over in 1996, tourists came flocking in, making it one of the most popular places to visit in Guatemala. And then, for one month in 2018, we set ourselves up in the town of Panajachel (aka Pana), on the north shore of the lake.

From left to right: Volcan Atitlan, Volcan Toliman, and Volcan San Pedro.

Its pretty much impossible to take a bad picture of the lake, especially at sunset.

See? Its like cheating.

See? Its like cheating.

For a country that wasn’t on our radar originally, we have spent a lot of time in Guatemala.  By the time we leave, it will be the country in which we have spent the most time on our adventure.

After leaving Belize we sent out plenty of applications for Workaway positions in Guatemala, but in the end only one got back to us.  Thankfully it was one of the ones we were more interested in – helping with a standup paddleboard (SUP) business on Lake Atitlan.  And now time has flow by and we are only days from the end of our month-long commitment.

Calm waters early in the morning.

We helped with Panasurf, based out of Panajachel.

As beautiful as the lake is, it can be tricky for SUP.  Afternoons are consistently windy, so its important to be out early.  We got caught in wind a few times and it is no joke.  Most days around lunch time warm winds from the Pacific meet the colder winds from the north.  This effect is called the Xocomil (‘sho-co-meal’) and the lake can go from glass to mini-white caps in a very short time.  But as long as you check the weather forecast and set out early, there are plenty of great paddle opportunities.

Making our way into the town off San Antonio de Palopo, a nearly 15km roundtrip paddle from Pana. It took us around 3.5 hours round trip.  We would have been faster if it wasn’t for getting caught in the wind on the way back.

The waterfront in San Antonio de Palopo.

 

There are a surprising number of beaches around the lake.  Many are private, but there are lots like this one where you can take a mid-paddle break and relax.

The original plan was for us to split our time between Pana and the neighbouring village of Santa Cruz.  Panasurf’s main SUP business is run out of Pana, with a satellite facility in Santa Cruz offering hourly rentals on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings.

The Santa Cruz “Surf Shack”.  Upstairs is a small bedroom, downstairs is a washroom and indoor/outdoor kitchen.  It was a pretty sweet set up.

The Surf Shack is right on the water.

Sunrise at 6am, viewed from the Surf Shack.

The “boardwalk” along the shoreline in Santa Cruz.  Rising lake levels have resulted in some creative pathways in front of buildings, along the water.

Unfortunately our time with the Surf Shack was cut short – after only staying there three nights, the property was sold to a foreign buyer.  We hope the buyer knows what he/she is getting into, because as nice as the property is it needs some major work to be habitable on a permanent basis.

Because of the unexpected sale we ended up sending most of our time in Panajachel.  Overall this workaway was quite different from our last experience in Nicaragua.  We enjoyed the variety of work with Panasurf – guiding tours, working on / improving the paddleboards, helping with social media, and learning a little bit of what it would be like to run a business in a foreign country.

We also went standup paddleboard wakesurfing! This is the before picture, with Doug on the left…

And this is after a close encounter between the board and Doug’s face.  Seriously though, the wakeboarding was good fun.

We have never spent so long in one place before, and it certainly gives a different perspective.  We’ve gotten to know the town well, and its been interesting meeting the variety of ex-pats who live in the area.  With nice weather year round, a short flight home from Guatemala City, plenty of colorful communities to explore, and a generally low cost of living, its not surprising so many Americans, Canadians, and Europeans have made this their retirement destination. There are plenty of signs up all over town for long term rental properties.  It would be very easy to arrive in Pana and find a rental place in no time at all.

Lake Atitlan would certainly be an interesting place to stay long term.  The ex-pat community seems welcoming, and the locals are friendly.  It may not have the ocean or beaches, but other activities around the lake make up for that – hiking, water sports, small beaches, etc.  The only real drawback is the somewhat limited access to food in some of the smaller communities.  But that just means a regular trip into Pana is required to get to the larger market and grocery store.

For only a a few hundred USD per month you can find beautiful rental properties, like this one in the village of Jaibalito.

For those with a bigger budget, why not try a lake front rental.

After a month walking up and down the same street, you’d think some of the vendors would begin to recognize us and remember that we are not looking to buy any fabrics or bracelets.  But Pana is a tourist town, and tourism means money for the locals. Speaking with some ex-pats who have called Lake Atitlan home for many years, this is one thing that will never change.  If you look or sound like you’re not from Guatemala, you will always be approached by vendors and tours, and asked to buy anything and everything.  “Buy something.” – a statement, not a question.  Its a popular phrase uttered as you walk past the endless array of stalls and people with their wares on blankets on the of the street.

Calle Santander, the main street in Panajachel.  Lined with endless stalls, stores, street vendors, and restaurants, it is the lifeblood of Pana.

Local Mayan women work had, offering their fabrics to everyone and anyone, up and down the main street, all day long.  They work had and we wonder how much they actually sell.  It must be worth it for them, but their “shove it in your face and don’t leave you alone” sales tactic leaves something to be desired.  Its particularly tough watching the children, who are sent out on the streets with baskets of bracelets, pens, and lighters to sell at an age when they should be playing and learning.

Bright colours and eye catching patterns are all the rage.  Guatemala has some of the nicest “tourist clothing” of just about anywhere we have been.  We need to return with bigger suitcases.

Local families spend their day weaving fabrics in their living rooms.  This is in a living room / working space of a local family in the town of San Antonio de Palopo.

Guatemalans love their sombreros, and you can find pretty much any style you want in Pana – so long as it looks like this.

Before we sign off, a few fun pictures from a local market in the town of Solola, which is up the hill from Pana.  We found some interesting, though not necessarily appetizing things.

Cow eyeballs.

Cow-foot soup is a popular dish. For scale, the hoof itself was as big as both of Doug’s palms.

Freshwater crabs from Lake Atiitlan, wrapped up and ready to go.

We’ve enjoyed our time in Pana, but its time to move on.  Flights have been booked, including a rather early morning landing at YHM in just over a month. The countdown is on until we shall see our Canadian loved ones!

• Doug and Emily / February 12, 2018 @ 9:43am / Panajachel, Guatemala @ Casa Colonial Hotel