Atitlan lake and Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes, viewed from Pana's dock
Panajachel itself is quite small, and you can walk practically anywhere within 10 minutes. Small three-wheel taxis (TucTuc) continually circle the few streets, and cost 5Q for any destination in Panajachel, 10Q if the ride requires going off the delta (uphill), for example to the Nature reserve.
Shuttle boats to other cities around the lake, such as Jaibalito, San Marcos La Laguna, San Pedro La Laguna, etc, leave regularly from the "embarcadero" at the foot of the main street. The cost is about 20Q one way (10Q for people from Mexico or Central America) . The larger public ferries are cheaper, 10Q for people from Mexico or Central America, 20Q for people from Europe, the US, Australia, etc. ,) but they only go to Santiago Atitlan and San Pedro. They leave from the foot of Calle Rancho Grande.
Boats to Santiago Atitlan leave from another dock every 30 mins, and take around 25 mins to cross the lake. It costs 25Q, although locals pay less. To get to the dock, go to the end of Calle Santander, turn left and go until the end of the road, then turn right.
There is no bus station yet, but chicken buses, taxis and shuttle buses congregate at the intersection of Calle Principal and Calle Santander. Fletes (Toyota pickups) can be found near the market. They are the cheapest way to get to nearby towns. They are a great way to meet the indigenous people, who are their best customers.
Chicken bus to Solola costs 3Q (aug 2008).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Panajachel
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Panajachel - updated Apr 2024
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Panajachel Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
