Panajachel & Lago de Atitlán: When to Go

Travelers come to hang around Lago de Atitlán year-round, but the highlands region is at its best during the dry season (November to May). From mid-May to mid-October, heavy rains can make travel slow-going and uncomfortable. There's a secondary high season from June to August when North Americans and Europeans come to Guatemala to study Spanish, volunteer on projects or just travel around. A major festival in Panajachel, San Francisco de Asís, is celebrated on October 4 with massive drinking and fireworks.

Weather

Life in Panajachel and Lago de Atitlán revolves around the wet and dry seasons. Abundant rain falls during the rainy season, May to October, with the heaviest downpours in September. If you visit during this rainy season, be prepared for some dreary, chilly, damp days. At 1560m (5118ft), Panajachel can get cold at night at any time of year, but when the sun comes out this region is stunning. From December to March virtually no rain falls at all.

Around noon the Xocomil, a southeasterly wind, blows across the lake, making it a tough crossing for the small boats plying between the lakeside villages. This is particularly true between November and February, a time known as the windy season here.

Temperature (average ° C)

Rainfall (average mm)