Loafing at the lake: Casa Lobo? Pa Muelle? Or San Antonio hotel?

Pa Muelle is great, though very basic. The view is amazing, the people are friendly. The rooms are a bit small and simple; I've stayed there for as much as a month before but am a bit spoiled now and probably wouldn't want to do that again.

Consider San Marcos too, which has some fantastic affordable lodging options and at least a dozen interesting restaurants.

I also don't like staying in San Pedro so much any more, but I love visiting and eating there. It's an easy tuk tuk ride from San Juan, or boat ride from San Marcos.

San Antonio is a neat place, but I haven't spent much time there. Not as many good food options as you mention, but the immersion and peace and quiet factor is very high.

For an anniversary, I'd want something more upscale than Pa Muelle. Casa Lobo is nice, but it's a hike into town. I'd suggest taking a look at Posada de Santiago, Sak'cari in San Pedro, Aaculaax in San Marcos, or Lomas de Tzununa.

Those are all great suggestions... though Lomas, while an extraordinary place, is quite far from any real eating options and is a real hike to get back and forth to.

Also look into airbnb/vrbo, some fantastic places in San Marcos and San Pedro with kitchens and lot of privacy.

I'd consider Hotel Utz Jay in Panajachel. Small, pretty, charming, quiet, inviting, well run. There must be 50 eateries within a 30-minute walk, many of them with tasty inexpensive food. Quick stroll to the Sunset Café for a drink and the sunsets. Best access on the lake for brief excursions, weather by land, water or tuk-tuk. Easy access to and from Antigua and Guatemala City. You can find some photos of Hotel Utz Jay online, but that may not be the hotel's website, nor best prices.

Buen viaje!

Another vote for Pana. So much more to see and do there than other places around the lake. Love all the choices of places to eat plus all the shopping experience. View from Sunset Cafe cannot be beat at evening time. Photos on wolf calls.com

I really like Utz Jay and have stayed there on my last 3 trips to Pana (sad note: one of those two huge German shepherds just died recently, but they've now gotten a new puppy). Nice people, fast internet, pretty grounds, good price, excellent location.

However, I'm in the camp that would strongly recommend avoiding anything more than a single night's stay there. Basing yourself in Pana really puts you in the middle of the biggest tourist trap on the lake and deprives you of the chance to experience the village life of a place like San Juan or San Marcos. Even if you use it as a base for day trips, it means you still have to return to it every day. It's basically the only town on the lake which has lost its original language and identity and is now pretty much all about the tourism.

Of course, many would disagree – including the thousands of tourists who wander its streets daily – but staying there seems like going all the way to the gates of heaven and then spending your time in the waiting room. Better to enjoy the good restaurants, shopping, etc. of Pana in one dose instead of consigning yourself to it...

Thank you all. I agree with enroutesiglo, that while Pana has so many restaurants and tourist activities, it's not as nice as the other villages. I'll look into the airbnb options and Sak'cari.

I really like the Mikaso in San Pedro, too, a little more removed from the main drag and with a beautiful kitchen for guests to use. In 2014 I stayed at both Sak'cari and the Mikaso, both great.

My photos with blog, travelogue, and review links on the main page of each collection are below in case you'd like to see more photos of them - Mikaso in 2012 and July 2014, Sak'cari in June 2014.
Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

So sad to hear about the dog. Do you know if the cocker spaniel, Bongo, still at Utz Jay? He was a street dog they took in. Heading back to Guatemala for Good Friday and the week following. Haven't been for several years, looking forward to getting back and spending a night at Utz Jay. Want to check out San Juan this time around and maybe a few of the other towns on the lake.