Tourists Venturing Back to Volcanic Guatemala

The fading afternoon signals that it is time to head for the lakefront in this tiny village, wedged between mountains on the shore of volcano-guarded Lake Atitlan. It is time to watch the show.

Far across the water, white and orange streaks wash the western sky, where looming gunmetal-gray thunderclouds hang just off the lush green mountains.

To the south, the upper reaches of the three volcanoes have disappeared, shrouded in a curtain of mist.

The water spins in colors, gliding from brilliant gold and turquoise to cobalt blue to the blackest pitch, with the orange of the sky reflected in broad beams on the surface of the lake. Streaks of color bathe the few remaining small boats as fishermen make for shore.

So ends another day at the lake.

Third Visit to Pana

It is my third visit to Pana, and, for the third time, this enchanting place--with its mountainous setting, haunting volcanoes, slow tropical pace, and time-warp bohemian atmosphere--has nudged me into extending my stay. Some find the country so seductive, they stay for good.

Ask Mike Shawcross. An intrepid wanderer, Shawcross, English by birth and accent, had settled in the mountains of southern Mexico, thinking he’d found heaven. Then he saw Guatemala.

Shawcross retrieved his possessions and moved to Antigua, a stately, nearly 500-year-old colonial city nestled in a valley of coffee plantations and dominated by an almost perfectly conical volcano. Shawcross set up shop there in 1979. He runs a tourist map and book store and spends much of his time aiding Guatemala’s war-ravaged highlands Indians.

Panajachel, which lies about 85 mountainous miles from Guatemala City, and Antigua, an hour’s drive from the capital, are among the country’s most popular tourist destinations, and make a perfect duo for the vacationer looking for variety within easy reach. One offers the drama of the lake and tranquillity, the other a genteel charm in a beautiful and historic valley.

Guatemala seems to be on the tourist comeback trail after more than half a decade of disaster brought on by the country’s repressive military governments and a nagging guerrilla war.

For years, American tourists had extended their interest in Mexico south to Guatemala, which has spectacular and varied scenery, Mayan ruins that at their best outstrip those in Mexico, and a large Indian population that has jealously guarded its centuries-old languages, manner of dress and way of life.

Quake, Guerrilla War

Then came the disastrous 1976 earthquake, followed four years later by the outbreak of a guerrilla war.

Guatemala quickly became an anathema to tourists, especially to U.S. travelers, who were issued a formal warning by the State Department about dangerous conditions in the country.

I first visited the country in 1984, curious about the political climate and the state of tourism. At the time, the government did not excel in hospitality toward tourists or locals.

There were heavily armed, camouflage-clad troops at the airport and on patrol in city streets.

In the countryside, troop trucks rumbled along the highways and through villages. Towns and cities were virtual tombs after 8 p.m., even Guatemala City, Central America’s largest urban center with more than 1.5 million people.

Buses stopped running at 8 p.m. and it was nearly impossible to find a cab after that hour.

Despite the tensions, I was smitten by the beauty of the country, the friendliness of its people, the spectacularly intact Indian culture. I vowed to return.

A New Buoyancy

In 1986 I did, and found marked improvement in the political situation and the army playing a less visible role.

I recently visited for a third time and found a new buoyancy in the country. The relentlessly bad news of the early 1980s has given way to good news.

In 1986, the country held its first democratic elections in decades. The army has virtually disappeared from public view. The guerrilla war has been pushed to the far hinterlands and a dialogue has opened between the insurgents and the new government.

Guatemalans appear pleased at the change. Night life has re-emerged in the cities. The main streets in Guatemala City are teeming at 11 p.m.

In tourist-oriented towns such as Panajachel and Antigua, stores are brimming with tourist goods, hotels are spruced up and busy, and new shops, restaurants and hostelries are springing up. And the tourists are returning.

Amazingly Low Prices

As a result of the dearth of visitors in recent years, most hotel and restaurant prices remain low, with many at pre-1980 prices.

In Panajachel, the 100-room luxury Hotel del Lago, on the lakeshore with a view from every room, is the town’s highest-priced hostelry at $50 a night for a double.

A more pleasant place is the charming 42-room Hotel Atitlan. On a beach all its own, half a mile from town, the private premises offer views of the lake and volcanoes from every room, lush gardens and a fine restaurant and bar.

Cost for this charm is around $30 a night for a double, a price Rivera says he’s held for six years.

There are other bargains among the dozens of hostelries in Pana. If you want to be a little closer to town, the Cacique Inn’s 33 large rooms--all set around a well-tended tropical garden and pool and each with a wood-stocked fireplace for the region’s cool nights--go for $22 for two.

For those whose comfort quotient allows for less luxurious circumstances, the Hotel Rancho Grande, a charming seven-room establishment in yet another lush garden setting, has super-clean doubles for about $17 a night, including full breakfast.

Mildly Spicy Fare

Restaurant prices reflect the bargains at the hotels. As a rule, Guatemalan food, which consists primarily of beef, pork and chicken dishes, is only mildly spicy. Breakfasts are familiar to American tastes, with pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast on most menus.

There are decent meals to be had at any one of dozens of Panajachel establishments. Among the best are El Bistro, Fontana and La Gota de Vino, where it takes a bottle of wine to send your bill for Italian and continental cuisine above $10 a person.

Among the estimated 150 eateries in town, don’t miss the Last Resort or the Only Deli, where all the gringos hang out, drink strong Guatemalan coffee and consume the local specialty: yogurt with fresh fruit and fresh granola.

Or pass time with a sandwich and beer at the El Patio restaurant while waiting for the Video Bar, a few steps away, to switch on the 6 p.m. television news in English.

Most visitors spend their time here in slow motion. The village is a quiet pastiche of gardens, high hedges and cobblestone and dirt streets lined with hotels, tiny restaurants and shops.

It is a curious, back-to-the-future place, where modern life is held in suspension and hippies with long hair and beads wander the streets barefoot.

A Base for Exploration

There is swimming at the lake for the hearty; it’s a mountain lake, and cold.

A good part of each day should be spent exploring the environs. With the lake and mountains as your compass, it is virtually impossible to get lost, and the area is generally safe.

The town has hidden byways that offer glimpses of lush gardens and large homes. Plan a half-day excursion across the lake by boat to the Indian town of Santiago Atitlan, where the people all wear their traditional dress.

A two-hour walk to the village of Santa Catarina starts out in lush forest, then climbs the hills that frame the lake, offering exquisite views of the water, the volcanoes and some tony lakeside residences before descending into the town.

There is another walk that should not be missed. Hop a morning bus or hire a car to Solola, the larger town in the mountains above Panajachel. Then take the road back down on foot.

The drop in elevation approaches 2,000 feet in less than six miles, and the vistas are heavenly. On one side are the lake and volcanoes; on the other, steep, verdant mountains loom. Waterfalls--some more than 200 feet high--cascade and Indian women wash clothes in the pools near the road.

Antigua lies less than 60 miles away as the crow flies, but the contrast between the two towns couldn’t be more pronounced.

Among the hemisphere’s oldest cities, Antigua was at one time the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. The city of 30,000 is still an important center for the Catholic Church, and is home to colleges and universities.

Students Add Intensity

The city has more than a dozen Spanish language centers and many private tutors. The Guatemalan and foreign students give life in Antigua an intensity that is absent in laid-back Panajachel. And because of the crush of students, it is difficult to find living quarters.

In fact, Antigua has a hotel-room crisis. Two major hostelries have shut down, and only a few small places have opened in their stead. Among those available, the Hotel Antigua and the Hotel Ramada are the best, with beautiful grounds, all the amenities of first-class establishments, and prices of less than $60 U.S. per night double.

Among the second-line offerings, the Posada de Don Rodrigo, a 17th-Century nobleman’s house with high-ceilinged rooms and antique furniture, is the most inviting. Some of the rooms on the street, though beautiful, can be noisy. The price of a double is about $25 a night.

If you plan to stay a week or more, check out the new Meson Panza Verde, where each of the four rooms goes for less than $90 a week. This Swiss-owned establishment five blocks south of the plaza also boasts a fine restaurant. Meals are about $10 a person, plus wine. El Sereno is another good restaurant serving continental cuisine at similar prices.

Capuchino offers good pizza and other Italian specialties for under $5.

The Fonda de la Calle Real specializes in chicken, beef and pork on the rotisserie for about the same price.

And don’t miss the Posada de Dona Luisa, an old colonial house converted by its American owners to a people-watching cafe with half a dozen rooms around a courtyard. The friendly waitresses make sure your coffee cup is never empty and the kitchen serves delicious breakfasts, lunches and desserts.

Antigua is a history buff’s delight, with dozens of buildings--many in ruin from quakes that have ravaged the city--dating to the 16th Century. A walking tour and inspection of some--including the churches of La Merced and Capuchinas, the University of San Carlos and the Palace of the Captains--are well worth the time.

The best view of the city is from El Cerro de la Cruz, the cross/monument on a hillside north of town. It’s an easy hike--perhaps 15 minutes once you leave the road about eight blocks from the main square--and the view across the town directly in the face of the huge volcano Agua is astounding. Also beautiful is a leisurely walk south of town.

Four airlines fly to Guatemala City from Los Angeles. Two have daily service: Pan Am offers a nonstop flight; Mexicana stops in Mexico City. Taca Airlines--El Salvador’s national carrier--flies nonstop four times a week, while Laxa--the Costa Rican national airline--stops on its Thursday and Saturday flights. The round-trip coach class is about $750, but some discount specials are as low as $400.

Not to be missed by shoppers are three special places. In Panajachel, the 13-year-old La Galeria is one the region’s largest art galleries. Housed in an exotic building along one of the main streets to the lake, it showcases Central American artists, including Nan Cuz, whose work has shown in galleries and museums in Europe and the United States. Prices for paintings run from $200 to $8,000.

In Antigua, Jades, S.A. offers some of the finest jade and semi-precious stone jewelry available in Central America. Owned by Americans Jay and Mary Lou Ridinger, some of the factory/shop’s jade comes from a newly discovered Mayan mine. Prices start at $50.

Stop at Sombola in Guatemala City’s Zona 9 for one of the country’s best collections of handmade clothing, weavings and other indigenous art and crafts. The shop, on the attractive Avenida Reforma in the city’s hotel and restaurant district, also has a fine collection of primitive art landscapes.

Three guidebooks are recommended. Rand McNally’s “South American Handbook” is indispensable for travelers planning extended tours to Central and South America. The information on Guatemala is outstanding, with in-depth listings of accommodations, restaurants, activities, bus schedules. “Fodor’s Central America” also offers detailed treatment of the country’s tourism facilities. And “Frommer’s Mexico on $20 a Day” again includes Guatemala in its offerings.

For more information on Guatemala, contact Aviateca Airlines, 6595 N.W. 36th St., Suite 100, Miami, Fla. 33166, phone (800) 327-9832.