Lago de Atitlán, Volcanic crater lake in Sololá Department, Guatemala.
Lago de Atitlán is a volcanic crater lake in Sololá Department, Guatemala. The water sits at 1562 meters elevation and is surrounded by the volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán, which rise steeply from the shore.
The lake formed around 84,000 years ago after an eruption left behind a caldera. The basin filled with water and eventually reached a depth of 340 meters.
Maya communities still speak K'iche', Kaqchikel and Tz'utujil in the villages lining the shore. Women weave colored huipiles with patterns that identify their home communities, and the textiles are sold at local markets.
Boats connect towns such as Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago Atitlán, providing access to different parts of the shore. Trails lead up the volcanoes and through the surrounding hills, with weather generally clearer in the morning hours.
Water flows into the lake through rivers but has no outlet to an ocean or sea. This closed structure creates a self-contained ecological system where local species have evolved.
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