Panajachel is a charming little village right next to Lago (Lake) Atitlán that is bursting with charm. It basically consists of beautiful views of Lago Atitlán itself, lots and lots of stalls lining the streets of the centre and the ‘tourist’ zone, numerous really beautiful graffiti on the walls and a very relaxed backpacker vibe. That’s also exactly why I put the word tourist in quotation marks. It is the tourist zone, but… Panajachel actually is more of a backpacker destination on Lage Atitlán. Technically speaking, backpackers are tourists, but in terms of vibe and atmosphere, there is a huge difference. Backpackers also interact differently with locals and the environment than regular tourists do. But that’s too far off topic. 😀
Back to Panajachel. It is a really very cute, quiet, peaceful and relaxed place where you can easily get stuck and forget the time. And the truly beautiful views just knock you out 😀 😊

Go or not? Yes definitely. I think everyone should decide for themselves which village to visit – there are several around the lake (Panajachel, San Marcos, San Juan…) -, but Panajachel is the main backpacker destination. Meaning lots of hostels, a very nice vibe and, of course, a couple of places to meet people and go out 😀 😊