# Panajachel > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Panajachel > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Panajachel.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panajachel > Source revision: 1322697582 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) City and municipality in Sololá, Guatemala City and municipality in Sololá, Guatemala Panajachel City and municipality 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. Panajachel Location in Guatemala Coordinates: 14°44′26.2″N 91°9′33.9″W / 14.740611°N 91.159417°W / 14.740611; -91.159417 Country Guatemala Department Sololá Government • Type municipal • Mayor (2016-2020) Enio Roberto Urizar Batres[2] (UNE) Elevation 1,597 m (5,240 ft) Lowest elevation 1,562 m (5,125 ft) Population (2018) • Total 15,077[1] Time zone UTC-6 (Central Time) Country code 502 Climate Aw **Panajachel** (Spanish pronunciation: [\[pa.na.xaˈtʃel\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Spanish), **Pana**) is a town in the southwestern part of the [Guatemalan Highlands](/source/Guatemalan_Highlands), less than 140 kilometres (90 mi) from Guatemala City, in the [department](/source/Departments_of_Guatemala) of [Sololá](/source/Solol%C3%A1_(department)). It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding [municipality](/source/Municipality) of the same name. The elevation is 1,597 metres (5,240 ft). The population in the 2018 census was 15,077.[3] The town of Panajachel is located on the northeast shore of [Lake Atitlán](/source/Lake_Atitl%C3%A1n), and has become a center for the [tourism industry of the area](/source/Tourism_in_Guatemala) 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](/source/White_sapote) fruit tree. ## History ### Spanish colony Panajachel [Santiago de Guatemala](/source/Antigua_Guatemala) [Siquinalá](/source/Siquinal%C3%A1) [Quetzaltenango](/source/Quetzaltenango) [Jocopilas](/source/San_Pedro_Jocopilas) Some of the 24 convents of the Franciscan [Provincia del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús](/source/Franciscans) during the Spanish colony in Guatemala and the approximate area it doctrines occupied. 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 [Kaqchikel](/source/Maya_peoples) allies defeated the [Tz'utujils](/source/Tz'utujil_people). After the [Spanish conquest of Guatemala](/source/Spanish_conquest_of_Guatemala), the [Franciscans](/source/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](/source/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 Atitlán](/source/Tecp%C3%A1n_Guatemala) "corregimiento" (English: Province) and when it turned into a major municipality in 1730, Panajachel became part of it as well;[4] regarding the [Catholic faith](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church), this was in charge of the [Franciscans](/source/Franciscans), who had convents and doctrines in the area covered by the modern departments of [Sacatepéquez](/source/Sacatep%C3%A9quez), [Chimaltenango](/source/Chimaltenango_Department), [Sololá](/source/Solol%C3%A1_Department), [Quetzaltenango](/source/Quetzaltenango_Department), [Totonicapán](/source/Totonicap%C3%A1n_Department), [Suchitepéquez](/source/Suchitep%C3%A9quez_Department) and [Escuintla](/source/Escuintla_Department). 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.[4] By 1700, Panajachel had a convent with three priests, in charge of ca. 1800 people, four doctrines and twelve [cofradías](/source/Cofrad%C3%ADa).[4] 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](/source/Catechism) and it was run by a priest or by elder natives, called "fiscales".[5] Adults attended Mass every Sunday and holiday and after mass, there were religious teachings in their own language.[5] [Lent](/source/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.[6] In 1754, as part of the [Bourbon Reforms](/source/Bourbon_Reforms), the Franciscans were forced to give their doctrines to the [secular clergy](/source/Secular_clergy); thus, when archbishop [Pedro Cortés y Larraz](/source/Pedro_Cort%C3%A9s_y_Larraz) visited Panajachel in 1770, he described it as the "San Francisco Panajachel parish".[7] ### Visit of archeologist Alfred P. Maudslay in 1892 Main article: [Alfred Percival Maudslay](/source/Alfred_Percival_Maudslay) Panajachel in 1892; notice how bare were the surrounding hills. Photograph by [Alfred Percival Maudslay](/source/Alfred_Percival_Maudslay).[8] Panajachel natives getting ready for a maya ceremony in honor of the Catholic [Cristo Negro of Esquipulas](/source/Esquipulas) in 1892. Photograph by [Alfred Percival Maudslay](/source/Alfred_Percival_Maudslay).[9] In 1892, British archeologist [Alfred Percival Maudslay](/source/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. [10] They arrived to the town after spending a night in [San Antonio Palopó](/source/San_Antonio_Palop%C3%B3) 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](/source/Lake_Atitlan)."[11] 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.[11] 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.[11] The town itself was not that interesting to the visitors, but their surroundings were marvelous: the volcanos, mountains and [Lake Atitlan](/source/Lake_Atitlan), whose green forests contrasted with the bare hills that surrounded Panajachel.[11] 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 [tortillas](/source/Tortilla) and leaning over the stream shore to wash their family clothes.[12] Only those women that sold their produce in the central plaza market in the morning had a slightly different routine.[12] While in Panajachel, the visitors witnessed a religious ceremony by numerous pilgrims that were returning from visiting [Esquipulas](/source/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 [petates](/source/Petate) -native Guatemalan mats- on the floor in a line that crossed the plaza.[12] Each one of them grabbed a small wooden box where they produced a small Catholic saint sculpture, leaving that of the [Esquipulas Black Christ](/source/Esquipulas), in the center.[12] 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.[9] 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.[9] ### 20th century The town attracted many [Hippies](/source/Hippies) in the 1960s, but the numbers of foreign visitors plummeted during the [Guatemalan Civil War](/source/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 article: [Hurricane Stan](/source/Hurricane_Stan) Panajachel was seriously affected by torrential rains as a result of [Hurricane Stan](/source/Hurricane_Stan) in October 2005 with a major [mudslide](/source/Landslide) 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](/source/Alberto_G._Valdeavellano), [Adolfo Biener](/source/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 This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Panajachel is home to many international [non-profit organizations](/source/Non-profit), such as Porch de Salomon, [Mercado Global](/source/Mercado_Global), Maya Traditions Foundation, Mayan Families, Thirteen Threads (Oxjalul B'atz'), [Friendship Bridge](/source/Friendship_Bridge_(non-profit)), and Sharing the Dream. ## Gallery - Calle Santander, the principal tourist through-way - View of Lake Atitlan and the volcanoes - Boats docked in Lake Atitlan - Panajachel on the shore of Lake Atitlan. - Street in Panajachel - Panajachel church (interior view) ## Climate Panajachel has tropical climate ([Köppen](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification): *Aw*), Very closely bordering on ([Köppen](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification): *Cwa*). Climate data for Panajachel Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.6 (78.1) 25.6 (78.1) 26.6 (79.9) 26.1 (79.0) 25.9 (78.6) 23.7 (74.7) 24.8 (76.6) 24.9 (76.8) 24.3 (75.7) 24.6 (76.3) 25.2 (77.4) 25.4 (77.7) 25.2 (77.4) Daily mean °C (°F) 18.9 (66.0) 18.8 (65.8) 19.7 (67.5) 19.8 (67.6) 20.1 (68.2) 19.1 (66.4) 19.6 (67.3) 19.5 (67.1) 19.1 (66.4) 19.3 (66.7) 19.1 (66.4) 18.7 (65.7) 19.3 (66.8) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 12.3 (54.1) 12.0 (53.6) 12.9 (55.2) 13.6 (56.5) 14.3 (57.7) 14.6 (58.3) 14.4 (57.9) 14.1 (57.4) 14.0 (57.2) 14.0 (57.2) 13.0 (55.4) 12.1 (53.8) 13.4 (56.2) Average precipitation mm (inches) 2 (0.1) 15 (0.6) 15 (0.6) 48 (1.9) 137 (5.4) 355 (14.0) 174 (6.9) 185 (7.3) 328 (12.9) 182 (7.2) 38 (1.5) 11 (0.4) 1,490 (58.8) Source: Climate-Data.org[13] Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología de Guatemala[14] ## Geographic location It is located at 6 km south of [Sololá](/source/Solol%C3%A1%2C_Solol%C3%A1) and 146 km west of [Guatemala City](/source/Guatemala_City).[15] Places adjacent to Panajachel Sololá Sololá y Concepción Lago de Atitlán Panajachel San Andrés Semetabaj[15] Lago de Atitlán[15] Santa Catarina Palopó ## See also - [Guatemala portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Guatemala) - [Geography portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Geography) - [Feast of Saint Francis](/source/Feast_of_Saint_Francis) - [La Aurora International Airport](/source/La_Aurora_International_Airport) - [List of places in Guatemala](/source/List_of_places_in_Guatemala) ## Notes and references ### References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** INE, XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda - 2018 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Alcaldes electos en el departamento de Sololá"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151012152026/http://www.municipalidadesdeguatemala.info/alcaldes-16/alcaldes-solola-16.php). *Municipalidades de Guatemala* (in Spanish). Guatemala. 7 September 2015. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** INE, XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda - 2018 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-anoveros891_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-anoveros891_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-anoveros891_4-2) [García Añoveros 1989](#CITEREFGarcía_Añoveros1989), p. 891 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-anoveros896_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-anoveros896_5-1) [García Añoveros 1989](#CITEREFGarcía_Añoveros1989), p. 896 1. **[^](#cite_ref-anoveros897_6-0)** [García Añoveros 1989](#CITEREFGarcía_Añoveros1989), p. 897 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECortés_y_Larraz2001409-412_7-0)** [Cortés y Larraz 2001](#CITEREFCortés_y_Larraz2001), p. 409-412. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMaudslayMaudslay59a_8-0)** [Maudslay & Maudslay](#CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay), p. 59a. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Harv_and_Sfn_template_errors)) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-maudslay59_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-maudslay59_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-maudslay59_9-2) [Maudslay & Maudslay 1899](#CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay1899), p. 59 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMaudslayMaudslay189957–59_10-0)** [Maudslay & Maudslay 1899](#CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay1899), pp. 57–59. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-maudslay57_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-maudslay57_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-maudslay57_11-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-maudslay57_11-3) [Maudslay & Maudslay 1899](#CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay1899), p. 57 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-maudslay58_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-maudslay58_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-maudslay58_12-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-maudslay58_12-3) [Maudslay & Maudslay 1899](#CITEREFMaudslayMaudslay1899), p. 58 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Climate-Data.org_13-0)** ["Climate: Panajachel"](http://en.climate-data.org/location/29016/). *Climate-Data.org*. Retrieved 11 October 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Departamento de Investigación y servicios meteorológicos. ["Isotermas de temperatura mínima absoluta anual"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120517095244/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-abs.jpg) (in Spanish). Archived from [the original](http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-abs.jpg) on May 17, 2012.; ["Isotermas de temperatura máxima absoluta anual"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120524204623/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-abs.jpg). Archived from [the original](http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-abs.jpg) on May 24, 2012.; ["Isotermas de temperatura máxima promedio anual"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120515143756/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-prom.jpg). Archived from [the original](http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mx-prom.jpg) on May 15, 2012.; ["Isotermas de temperature mínima promedio annual"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120529150210/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-prom.jpg). Archived from [the original](http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/t-mn-prom.jpg) on May 29, 2012.; ["Sumatoria de días con lluvia promedio anual"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120515150925/http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/d-lluvia.jpg). *Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Metereología e Hidrología* (in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from [the original](http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/hidrologia/ATLAS_HIDROMETEOROLOGICO/Atlas_Climatologico/d-lluvia.jpg) on May 15, 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2015. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-segeplan_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-segeplan_15-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-segeplan_15-2) SEGEPLAN. ["Municipios del departamento de Sololá"](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). *SEGEPLAN* (in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from [the original](http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=20:solola&Itemid=333) on July 7, 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015. ### Bibliography - [Cortés y Larraz, Pedro](/source/Pedro_Cort%C3%A9s_y_Larraz) (2001) [1770]. García, Jesús María; Blasco, Julio Martín (eds.). [*Descripción Geográfico-Moral de la Diócesis de Goathemala*](https://books.google.com/books?id=h5ZaAAAAMAAJ). Corpus Hispanorum de Pace. Segunda Serie (in Spanish). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788400080013](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788400080013). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0589-8056](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0589-8056). - García Añoveros, Jesús (1989). ["Las misiones franciscanas de la Mosquitia nicaragüense"](https://dspace.unia.es/bitstream/handle/10334/1844/20García.pdf) (PDF). *Actas del III Congreso Internacional sobre los franciscanos en el nuevo mundo (Siglo XVII)* (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: DEIMOS; Universidad Internacional de Andalucía. - [Maudslay, Alfred Percival](/source/Alfred_Percival_Maudslay); Maudslay, Anne Cary (1899). [*A glimpse at Guatemala, and some notes on the ancient monuments of Central America*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Glimpse_at_Guatemala.pdf) (PDF). London, UK: John Murray. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Panajachel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Panajachel). - [Panajachel](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Panajachel#Q1634223) travel guide from Wikivoyage - [Galeria Panajachel](http://www.galeria-panajachel.com) v t e Sololá Department, Guatemala Capital Sololá Municipalities Concepción Nahualá Panajachel San Andrés Semetabaj San Antonio Palopó San José Chacayá San Juan La Laguna San Lucas Tolimán San Marcos La Laguna San Pablo La Laguna San Pedro La Laguna Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan Santa Catarina Palopó Santa Clara La Laguna Santa Cruz La Laguna Santa Lucía Utatlán Santa María Visitación Santiago Atitlán Sololá Authority control databases International VIAF GND National United States Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Panajachel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panajachel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panajachel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.