The impact of Mayan culture and the indigenous groups that traded with the Mayans continues in the pueblos around Lake Atitlán. Historically, and even though the pueblos are relatively close together, the difficulty in traveling between them resulted in each pueblo developing its own sub-culture and lifestyle (as well as its own dialect) which remains evident today. The difficulty in traveling between the pueblos continues to impact how each pueblo has developed and embraced its history.
The two main villages on the western edge of Lake Atitlán and the two villages on the eastern edge feel like two completely different countries. San Pedro la Laguna and San Juan La Laguna, the sister pueblos toward the west appear more vibrant and colorful. These two pueblos also elected to embrace tourism as an income-generating activity. They also serve as the gateway to "el Rostro Maya" (the Maya Face) which is one of the more iconic and visible symbols in the mountains around the lake.
San Pedro had a number of interesting restaurants. We opted for one with a great view - an Israeli food restaurant.
See if you can pick out el Rostro Maya in this video.
Here is a photo of El Rostro Maya adjusted from horizontal to vertical so that you can see the "face".
Beautiful street art from San Pedro and San Juan (with Isabel making a guest appearance).
On the other hand, the two pueblos on the eastern edge of the lake remain more isolated. A few years ago, Santa Catarina Palopó started a community project which involved brightly painting the buildings, both houses and commercial establishments. Santa Catarina is only six kilometers from Panajachel and is easily reached by tuk-tuk.
While the distance between Santa Catarina and the next pueblo, San Antonio Palopó, is also only six kilometers, it feels like 60. The "road" between the two pueblos is almost impassable. It should only be attempted in a four-wheel drive vehicle and then only after consulting locals regarding the road conditions. We experienced the road in a tuk-tuk which was more like a carnival ride.
San Antonio is a much more serene and stoic pueblo that appears to be seldom visited by tourists. Although the residents were friendly enough, we walked around for a couple of hours and, feeling like we had seen all there was to see, returned in the same tuk-tuk to Panajachel.
The first three photos are from Santa Catarina and the last is from San Antonio. You can easily tell the difference.
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