Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
flight, which takes 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the wind and passenger preferen-
ces.
In optimal conditions, you can fly as high as 700m above the lake (2300m above sea
level). You might also do a few acrobatics, approaching the cliffs to pick up dynamic
winds that lift you up like a wave.
Courses
Panajachel has a niche in the language-school scene. Two well-organized schools are
& Callejón Las Armonías)
. The former is set amidst ample gardens while the latter is in the cen-
ter of town. Four hours of one-on-one study five days per week, including a homestay
with a local family, will cost around Q1500 per week. Jabel Tinamit also offers courses in
Kaqchiquel and Maya weaving.
Tours
If you're pressed for time, a boat tour of the lake, stopping at a few villages, is a fine idea.
Boats leave the Playa Pública quay daily at 8:30am and 9am for tours to San Pedro La La-
guna (where you stop for about 1½ hours) and Santiago Atitlán, returning at 3pm and
3:30pm respectively. The earlier tour also takes in San Antonio Palopó, the later one San
Marcos La Laguna; they cost Q100 and Q150 respectively. Travel agencies offer more ex-
pensive tours (around Q540 per person), which may include weaving demonstrations, vis-
its to the shrine of Maximón in Santiago, and so on.
The women's empowerment organization Oxlajul B'atz' (
Click here
)
offers day tours
(Q240) of Panajachel and other lakeside villages with visits to its member weaving co-
operatives.
Posada Los Encuentros
TOUR
( 7762-2093;
www.losencuentros.com
; Callejón Chotzar 0-41)
Offers educational tours to lakeside vil-
lages, focusing on such topics as Maya medicine, Tz'utujil oil painting and organic coffee
cultivation. A half-day tour is Q320 to Q475 per person with minimum four participants,
