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Ten kilometres beyond Solola, from which it's separated by a precipitous descent, is PANAJACHEL . Over the years, what was once a small Maya village has become something of a resort, with a sizeable population of long-term foreign residents whose numbers are swollen in the winter by an influx of North American seasonal migrants and a flood of tourists. Panajachel was a premier hippie hangout back in the 1960s and 1970s and developed a bad reputation amongst some sections of Guatemalan society as a haven for drug-taking gringo drop-outs. Today "Pana" is much more integrated into the tourism mainstream and is as popular with Guatemalans and other Central Americans as Westerners. The lotus-eaters and crystal-gazers have not all deserted Panajachel, however. Many have re-invented themselves as (vaguely) conscientious capitalists who own restaurants and export tipica clothing. In many ways, it's this gringo crowd that gives the town its modern character and identity. Not so long ago (although it seems an entirely different age) Panajachel was a quiet little village of Kaqchikel Maya, whose ancestors were settled here after the Spanish crushed a force of Tz'utujil warriors on the site. Today the old village has been enveloped by the new building boom, but it still retains a traditional feel, and most of the Maya continue to farm in the river delta behind the town. The Sunday market, bustling with people from all around the lake, remains oblivious to the tourist invasion. For travellers, Panajachel is one of those inevitable destinations. It's a comfortable base for exploring the lake and central highlands, and, although no one ever owns up to actually liking it, everyone seems to stay for a while. The old village is still attractive and, although most of the new building is fairly nondescript, its lakeside setting is superb. The main daytime activity is either shopping - weaving from all over Guatemala is sold with daunting persistence in the streets here, but you'll need to bargain hard as prices can be high - or simply hanging out. There's an amazing selection of places to eat and drink or surf the net, plus reasonable swimming and sunbathing at the public beach , where you can also rent a kayak for a few hours (mornings are usually much calmer) or scuba-dive with ATI Divers. Alternatively, if you're seduced by the bohemiam ambience and easy-going pace of lakeside life, Panajachel now boasts a number of new language schools where you can study Spanish .
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