Santiago Atitlán, Lakeside municipality in Sololá Department, Guatemala.
Santiago Atitlán sits at 1,605 meters elevation between Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Tolimán, serving as the largest settlement on Lake Atitlán's southwestern shore. The town spreads from the waterfront up hillside streets that wind past houses and churches, forming a compact settlement where lake views appear from different vantage points throughout the community.
Spanish colonizers founded the town in 1524 as they built a colonial center over an existing Tz'utujil Maya city that had served as a regional center. This process reorganized how the community was governed and how people practiced their faith.
The weaving tradition here centers on women who work with backstrap looms in their homes and courtyards, creating textiles with patterns rooted in Tz'utujil heritage.
Boats run regularly from the waterfront to Panajachel and surrounding communities, with the journey taking about 25 minutes. Once you arrive, expect steep cobblestone streets that require comfortable walking shoes and some physical effort to navigate the hillside layout.
The figure of Maximón bridges Christian and Maya spiritual beliefs and moves between local homes throughout the year as a focus of devotion that visitors encounter. This tradition reveals how indigenous and colonial practices coexist in everyday religious life.
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