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The northern side of Atitlan harbours a string of isolated villages, many inaccessible to cars. From San Pedro, a rough dirt road runs as far as Tzununa and from there a spectacular path continues all the way to Solola via Santa Cruz. Most of the boats between San Pedro and Panajachel call at all the villages en route but the best way to see this string of isolated settlements is on foot : it makes a fantastic day's walk. A narrow strip of level land is wedged between the water and the steep hills most of the way, but where this disappears the path is cut into the slope, providing dizzying views of the lake below. To walk from San Pedro to Santa Cruz takes between five and six hours and if you want some real peace and quiet this is the section of the lake to head for. There are also some excellent places to stay in San Marcos, Jaibalito and Santa Cruz. From San Pedro you follow a dirt road to SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA , just 2km or so away at the back of a sweeping bay surrounded by shallow beaches. The village specializes in the weaving of petates , mats made from lake reeds, and there's a large weaving co-op, Las Artesanias de San Juan, where they welcome visitors and have plenty of goods for sale - it's signposted on the left as you walk from the dock. On the other side of the street is the simple Hospedaje Estrella del Lago (up to US$5) with eleven secure rooms, none with private bath, while uphill, in the centre of the village, you'll find a quiet comedor, Restaurant Chi'nimaya , and a very under-used branch of Nick's Place which does American-style sandwiches and meals. Behind the church and basketball court, there's a shrine to Maximon , the evil saint, dressed in local garb, though this shrine attracts fewer visitors here than those elsewhere, so you may want to bring him some liquor or a cigar. Leaving San Juan, you'll pass below the Tz'utujil settlement of San Pablo La Laguna , perched high above the lake a fifteen-minute walk away, and connected to the Pan-American highway by a torturous road. After this, the villages start shrinking considerably.
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