THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS - Guatemala - page 177

on, with numerous grassroots organizations working hand-in-hand with government agen-
cies to clean up algal blooms and cease the indiscriminate pollution of the lake's waters.
Orientation
Pana's main street is Calle Principal. Most buses coming in to town stop at the intersection
of Calle Principal and Calle Santander, which leads directly to the lakeshore. Santander is
lined with a plethora of banks, shops, restaurants, hotels, and other tourist services. You'll
findthatmanyofthesedon'tusestreetaddresses.Thetownhall,church,market,andafew
otherrestaurants andhotels arefoundahalfkilometer northeast alongCalle Principal from
the Calle Santander junction. East of Calle Santander and running parallel is Calle Rancho
Grande, which also has some accommodations. Running roughly between the two along
the lakeshore is Calle del Lago.
SIGHTS
Museo Lacustre Atitlán
Atitlán's Lake Museum (inside Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, Calle Santander, 8 A.M.-6
P.M.Sun.-Fri.,8A.M.-7P.M.Sat.,$5admissionfornonguests)haswell-displayedexhibits
on the geological history of Lake Atitlán and its creation, along with subaquatic Mayan ar-
chaeology,includingceremonialurnsandincenseburners,mostlyfromLatePreclassicand
Classic times.
Museo Raúl Vásquez
This funky museum (at the northeast end of town at 5a Calle Peatonal, east of Calle Real,
10 A.M.-6 P.M. daily, $1.50) is named after its creator and multifunctions as his home/stu-
dioandsculpturemuseum.Amongtheeclectic mixarestatuesofJesusChristandShivaas
well as characters from Guatemalan folklore such as El Sombrerón. There are whimsical
watercolor paintings inside.
Reserva Natural Atitlán
Just outside of town 200 meters past Hotel Atitlán, this wonderful nature preserve on the
grounds of a former coffee farm offers myriad attractions including a visitors center, a
zipline between trees in the forest canopy, a butterfly farm, a lakeside beach, and well-
designed nature trails with hanging bridges leading to waterfalls, where you can spot
monkeys and coatis (pizotes) along the way. The park (tel. [phone], www.atitlan.com/
resnat.htm , $5 adults, $2 students/children) is open 8 A.M.-5 P.M. daily.
LAKE ATITLÁN