Lago de Atitlán or Lake Atitlán is 77 mi (123.9 km) away from Guatemala City in Central America.It’s Guatemala’s second most visited nature destination behind Tikal. Lake Atitlan from Central America is also known as ‘heaven on earth.‘Atitlán means ‘between the waters’, pronounced ‘uh-tee-thlan’. Lake Atitlán, located in the department of Sololá, is one of the world’s seven wonders. It is the most beautiful lake. It has a surface size of 50 sq mi (130 sq km). The lake, which was formed some 84,000 years ago due to a volcanic explosion, is 4921 ft (1,500 m) above sea level, making it Central America’s deepest lake, not of the world. It’s also safe to swim in.Read these lake baikal facts and lake champlain facts too!The Topography of Lake AtitlanLake Atitlán is located in a crater produced by the Chocoyos Eruption. The lake has an average depth of 721.7 ft (220 m). The lake’s surface area is 50 sq mi (130.1 sq km). The area around San Marcos has unusually tall cliffs flanking the lake and has become famous for cliff diving in recent years.It was dubbed ’the most beautiful lake in the world’ by German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. The lush forests of the hills and volcanoes surrounding the lake allow for easy hiking and the observation of a vast diversity of birds, from the timid small woodpeckers to the Quetzal, the national bird. On the shores of the lake, the volcanoes Atitlán, Tolimán, and San Pedro (‘The Three Giants’) form a very impressive landscape. The towns of Santiago Atitlán, San Lucas Tolimán, San Antonio Palopo, Santa Catarina Palopo, Panajachel, and San Pedro La Laguna are all situated near the lake. Many of the people that live in these towns are Cakchiquel and Tzutuhil descendants. The settlements in these towns provide tourists with the tranquility of Santa Cruz la Laguna and San Pedro, famous tourist destinations, to the lively ambiance of Panajachel, Sololá’s most popular destination.Looking for things to do in Atitlan? Fabrics, pots, chains, bracelets, drums, and hammocks are just a few examples of the crafts available for purchase. San Pedro, Santa Clara la Laguna, and the other communities are accessible by land. Due to the abundance of housing alternatives in Panajachel, it’s usually more convenient to travel by boat there and then take a boat to the other villages. It takes around two hours and 40 minutes to travel from Guatemala City, which has 20 big lakes, to Lake Atitlán. The largest town in Guatemala is Alta Verapaz Department, which spreads over an area of 3354 sq mi (8,686 sq km). Being the largest town and surrounded by many beautiful villages and its proximity to San Marcos, it attracts many tourists. Indeed, most tourists love their tours and time spent here! When you’re in San Marcos, Guatemala, visit the Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve! When you’re at San Pedro Lake Atitlan, grab a nice drink and watch Lake Atitlan, which very pretty at any time of year. Wear cool clothes in the day and warm clothes at night at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.Farming Around Lake AtitlanFarms around Lake Atitlan can be classified into three types. Food and fuel forest make up 20%, intensive vegetable cultivation make up another 30%, and food forest with integrated wetlands make up the remaining 50%.These three types of cultivation are employed based on the natural lay and geography of the farm, which creates an interwoven patchwork designed to capture water, soil, sun, and other valuable resources, while also producing high-value products for sale and trade. Creating these smaller plots also enables us to control our animals’ grazing patterns. The Geological History Of Lake AtitlanAround 11 million years ago, the region experienced its first volcano-related activity. Since then, four successive episodes of volcanic development and caldera collapse have occurred in the region, the most recent of which began around two million years ago. Atitlán feeds into two adjacent rivers instead of draining into the ocean. It was produced by deep surrounding escarpments and three volcanoes on its southern flank. Its basin is volcanic in its origin, filling a massive caldera created by an eruption 84,000 years ago. La Laguna now fills a large part of the caldera, reaching depths of up to 1115 ft (340 m).Environmental History Of Lake AtitlanThe region surrounding Lake Atitlán was designated as a national park in 1955. It used to be unknown to the rest of the world, and Guatemala sought to increase tourism and boost the local economy. According to Pan American World Airways, stocking the lake with a valued angler’s fish would be one method to accomplish this. As a result, the black bass, a non-native alien species, was introduced into the lake in 1958. The predatory bass wiped out more than two-thirds of the lake’s native fish species and played a role in the extinction of the Atitlan grebe. This rare bird lived only in the vicinity of Lake Atitlán.Folklore Related to Lake AtitlanMany communities surround the lake, where Maya culture is still alive and well, and traditional clothing is still worn. Today, three Mayan groups still live around Lake Atitlán: the Kichee in the upper elevations, the Kaqchikel in the north and east, and the Tzutujil in the south. The old traditions have been preserved in a religious syncretism with the Christian rituals established during the Spanish colonial time. Despite the rich biodiversity, landscape, and indigenous culture around the lake, it’s one of the poorest regions in Guatemala. Because Lake Atitlán is Guatemala’s second most visited tourist destination and a hotspot for tourism, the population relies on subsistence farming, supplemented by money from tourism. The most important business activity is handicraft. Pottery and paintings are also produced and sold.Santiago Atitlan is the largest of the lakeside communities. It’s known for its worship of Maximon, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints, and conquistador legends. A plethora of towns in Guatemala have very similar cults, most notably the cult of San Simon in Zunil. Although Mayan culture is prevalent in most lakeside communities around the lake, Panajachel has been overrun by Guatemalans and foreign tourists. Today, the town’s economy is virtually exclusively based on tourism. At the lake, several Mayan archaeological sites have been discovered. Sambaj, located roughly 55 ft (16.7 m) below the current lake level, appears to be from the pre-classic period. There are remains of multiple buildings, including one particular group of large buildings believed to have been the city center. San Pedro la Laguna, or simply San Pedro, is a Guatemalan town on the southwest sea-shore of Atitlan inhabited by colonizers. It recently became a tourist spot for Spanish schools, nightlife, and proximity to the lakes and volcano.
Lago de Atitlán or Lake Atitlán is 77 mi (123.9 km) away from Guatemala City in Central America.
