casa PAMAKANYA

LAKEfront VILLA FOR RENT

Favorite day trips

Questions? Email: Pamakanya@gmail.com 

Other things to do

Some other options of things to do around the lake include:


- Hike to nearby villages, restaurants and lodges.

- Explore the lake by boat— motor or kayak.

- Swim, snorkel and scuba dive.

- Learn Spanish in a school in San Pedro or San Marcos or with a private tutor.

- Invite Maria, a hotel-trained cook, to come

and prepare delicious local specialties.

Want to learn to make tortillas?   

- Climb San Pedro volcano (a full day's trip),

Cerro de Oro or do a sunrise hike up

El Rostro Maya near San Pedro

(all of these hikes should be done with a guide).

- Visit local villages such as Santiago Atitlan for market day and shopping; San Juan for textiles made by women in the local cooperatives; and San Antonio Palopo for the unique pottery.

- Get a massage, take a yoga classes & dine at Tul y Sol - or any other of the many available restaurants - in nearby San Marcos.

- Ride horses in San Pedro.

- Take a trip into Panajachel for lunch and a visit to the market.

​- Kayak to and jump from nearby cliffs into the lake.


- Visit the Iximche ruins near Tecpan (about 1.5 hours from Pana along  the route from Guatemala City).

- Hike or zip line through Reserva Natural del Atitlán  and visit the butterfly park.

- Bike around the lake with a group such as  Tours Atitlan.

- Buy some local material and have a table cloth, curtains or cushion covers made by Ciriaco Tuiz, our favorite tailor in Panajachel on Calle 14 Febrero Casa 2-15 in Panajachel. (Near the Galleria Art Gallery) Phone 7762-0321.

- Cook fine meals with gourmet quality local produce and delicacies.

- Have a scavenger hunt through the gardens of Pamakanya.

- Just chill out in a hammock, sip a fresh lime drink, and inhale the garden air while marveling at the view.


- Get married!!! 



While staying at Casa Pamakanya, there are a wide range of activities available. Some of our favorite day trips include:


Panajachel

A day is easily spent in Panajachel.  Shopping and dining alone could take all your time, but we recommend you also check out the Nature Preserve and the Zip Line.


San Juan / San Pedro / Santiago Atitlan

Hire a private boat for the day and check out two or three of these lakeside towns.  You will get a great mix of all that makes a trip to Lake Atitlan so special. More details on the towns can be found on the About Lake Atitlan page.


Santa Catarina Polopó and San Antonio Polopó

Take a boat to Panajachel and then hire a tuk-tuk, truck or van at the top of the hill just off the dock to take you on the short trip to Santa Catarina and San Antonio.  First stop in Santa Catarina to do some shopping and learn more about the traditional weavings, then head to San Antonio to see the famous church and visit the cooperatives where they make ceramics unique to San Antonio Polopó.


San Marcos

Hike to San Marcos, have lunch, walk the narrow cobblestone streets, see the “hippie culture,” get a massage if there is time and take a boat back.


Chichicastenango  

A visit to Chichi is definitely a full day’s adventure but if you enjoy the beautiful textiles of Guatemala and the shopping and bargaining process you will definitely want to take the time to visit there. Thursday and Sunday are the main market days. The market is famously huge and will be teaming with tourists but you will find a fabulous selection of sophisticated Guatemalan goods and you will definitely find items you won’t see in Santiago Atitlan or Pana. There is also a fascinating ancient church and you can hire a guide for an interesting tour. The two hour drive gives you a nice taste of the Guatemalan countryside and there are plenty of restaurants there for lunch. Transportation can be arranged through any of the transport companies in Panajachel.



Spend the day exploring around Pamakanya   

Kayak to Jaibalito to visit Casa del Mundo for a meal or Ven Acá for a meal, a swim or some time in the hot tub, or to buy a pie from Hans at Pasado de Jaibalito. Or paddle to the right and explore the various coves and jump from the rocks


Tour the lake by boat 

Rent a boat and driver for the day and take a tour around the lake. You can explore both sides of the lake, see the amazing homes and villages along the way and select a village to visit for lunch.