Panajachel

{{Short description|City and municipality in Sololá, Guatemala}} {{Infobox settlement  | name = Panajachel  | official_name = | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | other_name = | settlement_type = City and municipality  | image_skyline = File:Collage Panajachel Guatemala.jpg | imagesize = 250px | image_alt = Panajachel and Lago Atitlán | image_caption = From left to right: View of the town, Hotel La Riviera de Atitlán, Porta Hotel del Lago, a local restaurant, hikers on the east side of the lake, panorama of [[Lake Atitlán]]. | image_flag = | flag_size = | flag_alt = | flag_link = | image_seal = | seal_size = | seal_alt = | seal_link = | image_shield = | shield_size = | shield_alt = | shield_link = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type =  | blank_emblem_size = | blank_emblem_alt = | blank_emblem_link = | nickname = | motto = | anthem =  | pushpin_map = Guatemala  | pushpin_label_position =  | pushpin_map_alt = location map | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Guatemala | coordinates = {{coord|14|44|26.2|N|91|9|33.9|W|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint =  | coordinates_footnotes =   | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg|25px]] [[Guatemala]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Departments of Guatemala|Department]] | subdivision_name1 = [[File:Flag of Sololá Department.svg|25px]] [[Sololá Department|Sololá]] | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 =   | established_title =  | established_date = | established_title1 =  | established_date1 = | established_title2 =  | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | extinct_title = | extinct_date = | founder = | named_for =  | government_footnotes =  | government_type = municipal | leader_title = Mayor (2016-2020) | leader_name = Enio Roberto Urizar Batres<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.municipalidadesdeguatemala.info/alcaldes-16/alcaldes-solola-16.php |title=Alcaldes electos en el departamento de Sololá |website=Municipalidades de Guatemala |date=7 September 2015 |access-date=13 October 2015 |location=Guatemala |language=es |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012152026/http://www.municipalidadesdeguatemala.info/alcaldes-16/alcaldes-solola-16.php |archive-date=October 12, 2015 }}</ref> | leader_party = UNE | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 =   | total_type =  | unit_pref =   | area_footnotes =  | area_magnitude =  | area_total_km2 =  | area_total_sq_mi =  | area_land_km2 = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_footnotes =  | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_footnotes =  | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_rank = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi = | area_blank2_title = | area_blank2_km2 = | area_blank2_sq_mi = | area_note =  | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = 1597 | elevation_ft = | elevation_max_footnotes =  | elevation_max_m = | elevation_max_ft = | elevation_min_footnotes =  | elevation_min_m = 1562 | elevation_min_ft =  | population_footnotes = | population_total = {{formatnum:15077}}<ref>INE, XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda - 2018</ref> | population_as_of = 2018 | population_rank = | population_density_km2 =  | population_density_sq_mi = | population_est = | pop_est_as_of = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_density = | population_density_rank = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | population_blank2_title = | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank2_km2 = | population_density_blank2_sq_mi = | population_demonym =  | population_note =  | demographics_type1 = | demographics1_footnotes =  | demographics1_title1 = | demographics1_info1 =   | demographics_type2 = | demographics2_footnotes =  | demographics2_title1 = | demographics2_info1 =   | timezone1 = [[Central Time Zone|Central Time]] | utc_offset1 = -6 | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST =  | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | postal2_code_type =  | postal2_code = | area_code_type = [[list of country calling codes|Country code]] | area_code = 502 | geocode = | iso_code =  | twin1 = | twin1_country = | twin2 = | twin2_country =   | blank_name_sec1 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] | blank_info_sec1 = [[Tropical savanna climate|Aw]] | blank1_name_sec1 = | blank1_info_sec1 = | blank2_name_sec1 = | blank2_info_sec1 =   | blank_name_sec2 = | blank_info_sec2 = | blank1_name_sec2 = | blank1_info_sec2 = | blank2_name_sec2 = | blank2_info_sec2 =   | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Panajachel''' ({{IPA|es|pa.na.xaˈtʃel}}, '''Pana''') is a town in the southwestern part of the [[Guatemalan Highlands]], less than {{convert|90|mi|km|order=flip}} from Guatemala City, in the [[Departments of Guatemala|department]] of [[Sololá (department)|Sololá]]. It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding [[municipality]] of the same name. The elevation is {{convert|1597|m|ft|0}}. The population in the 2018 census was 15,077.<ref>INE, XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda - 2018</ref> The town of Panajachel is located on the northeast shore of [[Lake Atitlán]], and has become a center for the [[Tourism in Guatemala|tourism industry of the area]] as it provides a base for visitors crossing the lake to visit other towns and villages.

"Panajachel" derives from the Kaqchikel language and roughly translates to "place of the Matasanos," the [[white sapote]] fruit tree.

==History== ===Spanish colony=== {{Location map many|Guatemala | AlternativeMap = Franciscans map.jpg | width = 200 | float = left | position = right | caption = Some of the 24 convents of the Franciscan [[Franciscans|Provincia del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús]] during the Spanish colony in Guatemala and the approximate area it doctrines occupied. | label = Panajachel|label_size = 70 | lat = 14.740409|long = -91.153522|marksize = 5 | label2 = [[Antigua Guatemala|Santiago de Guatemala]]| pos2 = right| label2_size = 70 | lat2 = 14.553983| long2 = -90.729550|mark2size = 5 | label4 = [[Siquinalá]]| pos4 = bottom| label4_size = 70 | lat4 = 14.306616| long4 = -90.966518|mark4size = 5 | label6 = [[Quetzaltenango]]| pos6 = left| label6_size = 70 | lat6 = 14.848598| long6 = -91.524311|mark6size = 5 | label7 = [[San Pedro Jocopilas|Jocopilas]]|pos7 = top|label7_size = 70 | lat7 = 15.095123|long7 = -91.151684|mark7size = 5 }} In the 16th century, during the period of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, the shore of the lake was the scene of a battle in which the Spanish and their [[Maya peoples|Kaqchikel]] allies defeated the [[Tz'utujil people|Tz'utujils]]. After the [[Spanish conquest of Guatemala]], the [[Franciscans]] set up a church and monastery in Panajachel soon afterward, and used the town as a centre to convert the indigenous people of the region to the [[Roman Catholic]] faith. The original façade of the church still stands and is considered one of the gems of the colonial style in Guatemala.

Panajachel was part of the [[Tecpán Guatemala|Tecpán Atitlán]] "corregimiento" (English: Province) and when it turned into a major municipality in 1730, Panajachel became part of it as well;<ref name=anoveros891/> regarding the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic faith]], this was in charge of the [[Franciscans]], who had convents and doctrines in the area covered by the modern departments of [[Sacatepéquez]], [[Chimaltenango Department|Chimaltenango]], [[Sololá Department|Sololá]], [[Quetzaltenango Department|Quetzaltenango]], [[Totonicapán Department|Totonicapán]], [[Suchitepéquez Department|Suchitepéquez]] and [[Escuintla Department|Escuintla]]. The "Provincia del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús" (English:"Province of the most Holy Name of Jesus"), as the Franciscan area was then called, reached up to 24 convents.<ref name=anoveros891>{{harvnb|García Añoveros|1989|p=891}}</ref> By 1700, Panajachel had a convent with three priests, in charge of ca. 1800 people, four doctrines and twelve [[cofradía]]s.<ref name=anoveros891/>

Given that Panajachel had a convent, there was daily Mass attended by cofradías leaders and their wives, who kept lighted candles during most of the ceremony. Also daily, there was religious teaching for 6-year-old girls and older starting at 2:00 pm and for boys of the same age starting at sunset; the class lasted for 2 hours and consisted on memorizing the church teaching and prayers and to make some exercises with the [[catechism]] and it was run by a priest or by elder natives, called "fiscales".<ref name=anoveros896>{{harvnb|García Añoveros|1989|p=896}}</ref> Adults attended Mass every Sunday and holiday and after mass, there were religious teachings in their own language.<ref name=anoveros896/>

[[Lent]] was a time of the year when the friars prepared the natives thoroughly, using their own language to accomplish their goals; every Friday of Lent there was a procession following the Rosary steps all the way to the Calvary temple.<ref name=anoveros897>{{harvnb|García Añoveros|1989|p=897}}</ref>

In 1754, as part of the [[Bourbon Reforms]], the Franciscans were forced to give their doctrines to the [[secular clergy]]; thus, when archbishop [[Pedro Cortés y Larraz]] visited Panajachel in 1770, he described it as the "San Francisco Panajachel parish".{{sfn|Cortés y Larraz|2001|p=409-412}}

===Visit of archeologist Alfred P. Maudslay in 1892=== {{Main|Alfred Percival Maudslay}}

[[File:Panajachel-Solola-1895.JPG|180px|thumb|left|Panajachel in 1892; notice how bare were the surrounding hills. Photograph by [[Alfred Percival Maudslay]].{{sfn|Maudslay|Maudslay|p=59a}}]] [[File:Panapilgrims1895.JPG|thumb|200px|Panajachel natives getting ready for a maya ceremony in honor of the Catholic [[Esquipulas|Cristo Negro of Esquipulas]] in 1892. Photograph by [[Alfred Percival Maudslay]].<ref name=maudslay59/>]]

In 1892, British archeologist [[Alfred Percival Maudslay]] and his wife, Anne Maudslay, visited Panajachel during their long journey throughout Guatemala; their impressions were reported in their book ''A glimpse at Guatemala'', published in 1899. {{sfn|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|pp=57-59}} They arrived to the town after spending a night in [[San Antonio Palopó]] and a short trip of 12 km; Anne Maudslay described Panajachel location as this: "a little town standing on a rich alluvial plain formed by a swift stream which issues from a narrow cleft in the hills, and has spread out the earth in the shape of an open fan until it forms a mile of frontage to the [[Lake Atitlan]]."<ref name=maudslay57>{{harvnb|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|p=57}}</ref>

By 1892, Panajachel people had already built numerous irrigation canals which had altered the normal stream bed to work on orchards, gardens and coffee plantations at the delta area.<ref name=maudslay57/> Nevertheless, the channels were insufficient to protect the town infrastructure against flooding, which occurred once in a while; in fact, several years prior to the visit of the Maudslays, there had been a large flood that destroyed several houses and left the town isolated.<ref name=maudslay57/> The town itself was not that interesting to the visitors, but their surroundings were marvelous: the volcanos, mountains and [[Lake Atitlan]], whose green forests contrasted with the bare hills that surrounded Panajachel.<ref name=maudslay57/> Life in town seemed monotonous to Anne Maudslay, especially that of women who seemed to have the same day every day, grinding corn to make [[tortilla]]s and leaning over the stream shore to wash their family clothes.<ref name=maudslay58/> Only those women that sold their produce in the central plaza market in the morning had a slightly different routine.<ref name=maudslay58>{{harvnb|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|p=58}}</ref>

While in Panajachel, the visitors witnessed a religious ceremony by numerous pilgrims that were returning from visiting [[Esquipulas]]; pilgrims gathered in the central plaza that night around fires that they set for their food, and once they were done with their supper, they placed [[petate]]s -native Guatemalan mats- on the floor in a line that crossed the plaza.<ref name=maudslay58/> Each one of them grabbed a small wooden box where they produced a small Catholic saint sculpture, leaving that of the [[Esquipulas|Esquipulas Black Christ]], in the center.<ref name=maudslay58/> Once the preparations were ready, they began the ritual by cradling from one mat to the next, always on their knees and pressing their forehead against the floor in front of each saint; every man did this for several times and in the end, they all gathered around the Black Christ and sang a hymn for about thirty minutes; once done, gathered their belongings and went to sleep on the plaza floor.<ref name=maudslay59>{{harvnb|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|p=59}}</ref> Anne Maudslay tells in her book that even though this seemed like a Catholic ritual, it was, in fact, a Mayan one; several priests that they found during their journey told them that they were not sure that the natives had really absorbed the Catholic faith that the conquistadors tried to instill in them for centuries.<ref name=maudslay59/>

===20th century===

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 based on tourism.

===21st century: Hurricane Stan=== {{Main|Hurricane Stan}}

Panajachel was seriously affected by torrential rains as a result of [[Hurricane Stan]] in October 2005 with a major [[landslide|mudslide]] destroying about 100 homes along the river.

==Places of interest==

'''Casa Cakchiquel''' built in 1948, was one of the first hotels on the lake and according to legend, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Ingrid Bergman, and other intellectuals, artists, painters and writers enjoyed the house at its best. 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. '''Casa Cakchiquel''' features a Museum & 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 G. Valdeavellano]], [[Adolfo Biener]], G. Hurter, Joaquín Muñoz, Lionel Stein, Pablo Sittler, el indio, Lito B. Zadik & Co. and others.

'''Casa Cakchiquel''' is the home of '''Radio 5, FM99.1''' the local Radio Station in the Atitlan Basin.

Panajachel is also home to one of the oldest art galleries in Central America, '''La Galeria''' directly down the street to Rancho Grande.

==International organizations== {{unreferenced section|date=October 2016}} Panajachel is home to many international [[non-profit|non-profit organizations]], such as Porch de Salomon, [[Mercado Global]], Maya Traditions Foundation, Mayan Families, Thirteen Threads (Oxjalul B'atz'), [[Friendship Bridge (non-profit)|Friendship Bridge]], and Sharing the Dream.

==Gallery== <div align=center> <gallery widths="175px" heights="175px" perrow="5"> File:panajachel calle santandar guat.JPG|Calle Santander, the principal tourist through-way File:panajachel lake atitlan 2009r.JPG|View of Lake Atitlan and the volcanoes File:panajachel lake atitlan.JPG|Boats docked in Lake Atitlan File:Panajachel-guatemala-2009.JPG|Panajachel on the shore of Lake Atitlan. File:Panajachel street.jpg|Street in Panajachel File:Panajachel church.jpg|Panajachel church (interior view) </gallery> </div>

==Climate==

Panajachel has tropical climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Aw''), Very closely bordering on ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cwa'').

{{Weather box |width=auto |location = Panajachel |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan mean C = 18.9 |Feb mean C = 18.8 |Mar mean C = 19.7 |Apr mean C = 19.8 |May mean C = 20.1 |Jun mean C = 19.1 |Jul mean C = 19.6 |Aug mean C = 19.5 |Sep mean C = 19.1 |Oct mean C = 19.3 |Nov mean C = 19.1 |Dec mean C = 18.7 |year mean C = |Jan high C = 25.6 |Feb high C = 25.6 |Mar high C = 26.6 |Apr high C = 26.1 |May high C = 25.9 |Jun high C = 23.7 |Jul high C = 24.8 |Aug high C = 24.9 |Sep high C = 24.3 |Oct high C = 24.6 |Nov high C = 25.2 |Dec high C = 25.4 |year high C = |Jan low C = 12.3 |Feb low C = 12.0 |Mar low C = 12.9 |Apr low C = 13.6 |May low C = 14.3 |Jun low C = 14.6 |Jul low C = 14.4 |Aug low C = 14.1 |Sep low C = 14.0 |Oct low C = 14.0 |Nov low C = 13.0 |Dec low C = 12.1 |year low C = |Jan precipitation mm = 2 |Feb precipitation mm = 15 |Mar precipitation mm = 15 |Apr precipitation mm = 48 |May precipitation mm = 137 |Jun precipitation mm = 355 |Jul precipitation mm = 174 |Aug precipitation mm = 185 |Sep precipitation mm = 328 |Oct precipitation mm = 182 |Nov precipitation mm = 38 |Dec precipitation mm = 11 |year precipitation mm = |source 1 = Climate-Data.org<ref name="Climate-Data.org"> {{cite web|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/29016/ |title= Climate: Panajachel |access-date= 11 October 2015 |website= Climate-Data.org}}</ref><br />Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología de Guatemala<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-abs.jpg |author=Departamento de Investigación y servicios meteorológicos |title=Isotermas de temperatura mínima absoluta anual |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517095244/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-abs.jpg |archive-date=May 17, 2012 }}; {{cite web|url=http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-abs.jpg |title=Isotermas de temperatura máxima absoluta anual |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524204623/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-abs.jpg |archive-date=May 24, 2012 }}; {{cite web|url=http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-prom.jpg |title=Isotermas de temperatura máxima promedio anual |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515143756/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-prom.jpg |archive-date=May 15, 2012 }}; {{cite web|url=http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-prom.jpg |title=Isotermas de temperature mínima promedio annual |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529150210/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-prom.jpg |archive-date=May 29, 2012 }}; {{cite web|url=http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/d-lluvia.jpg |access-date=23 October 2015 |location=Guatemala |website=Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Metereología e Hidrología |title=Sumatoria de días con lluvia promedio anual |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515150925/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/d-lluvia.jpg |archive-date=May 15, 2012 }}</ref> }}

== Geographic location==

It is located at 6 km south of [[Sololá, Sololá|Sololá]] and 146 km west of [[Guatemala City]].<ref name=segeplan/>

{{Geographic location |Center=Panajachel |North=[[Sololá, Sololá|Sololá]] y [[Concepción, Sololá|Concepción]] |South=[[Lago de Atitlán]]<ref name=segeplan/> |West=[[Lago de Atitlán]] |Southeast=[[Santa Catarina Palopó]] |Northwest=Sololá |East=[[San Andrés Semetabaj]]<ref name=segeplan>{{cite web|author=SEGEPLAN |url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=20:solola&Itemid=333 |title=Municipios del departamento de Sololá |website=SEGEPLAN |location=Guatemala |access-date=7 July 2015 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707072558/http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=20:solola&Itemid=333 |archive-date=July 7, 2015 }}</ref> }}

==See also== * {{Portal-inline|Guatemala}} * {{Portal-inline|Geography}} * [[Feast of Saint Francis]] * [[La Aurora International Airport]] * [[List of places in Guatemala]]

==Notes and references== {{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===References=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book|title=Descripción Geográfico-Moral de la Diócesis de Goathemala |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h5ZaAAAAMAAJ|series=Corpus Hispanorum de Pace. Segunda Serie|issn=0589-8056 |last=Cortés y Larraz|first=Pedro|editor=García, Jesús María |editor2=Blasco, Julio Martín|author-link=Pedro Cortés y Larraz|publisher=Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas|year=2001 |isbn=9788400080013 |orig-year=1770|language=es}} * {{cite journal|last=García Añoveros|first=Jesús|title=Las misiones franciscanas de la Mosquitia nicaragüense|journal=Actas del III Congreso Internacional sobre los franciscanos en el nuevo mundo (Siglo XVII)|location=Madrid, Spain|publisher=DEIMOS; Universidad Internacional de Andalucía|year=1989|url=http://dspace.unia.es/bitstream/handle/10334/1844/20García.pdf|language=es}} * {{cite book|last=Maudslay|first=Alfred Percival|author-link=Alfred Percival Maudslay|title=A glimpse at Guatemala, and some notes on the ancient monuments of Central America|last2=Maudslay|first2=Anne Cary|location=London, UK|publisher=John Murray|year=1899|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Glimpse_at_Guatemala.pdf}} {{Refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Wikivoyage-inline|Panajachel}} * [http://www.galeria-panajachel.com Galeria Panajachel]

[[Category:Municipalities of the Sololá Department]]