1. The Weather
Coming from Ontario, Canada, I find the weather in Pana to be absolutely divine. It's lovely and cool in the mornings, sunny and hot in the afternoons, and hardly ever humid. There is a nice afternoon breeze to whisk away your sweat. The rains are mostly predictable and quite refreshing. Lake Atitlan's latitude and altitude combine to make the weather enjoyable year-round.
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| Do you dare? Contact Real World Paragliding on Santander in Panajachel. They will take good care of you! |
I've done a blog post about the weather before so go here to read more about it.
2. The Scenery
I can't get enough of Lake Atitlan and the volcanoes! My eyes are drawn to them every time I'm outside. The deep blue lake gives me such a feeling of peace. The volcanoes are massive and awe-inspiring.
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| View of Lake Atitlan from La Fortuna Hotel, voted by TripAdvisor as one of the top 25 small hotels in the world 2017. WOW! |
Plus, if I'm craving new vistas such as the ocean or the jungle, I can just hop on a bus and be there in a few hours.
3. The Markets
While Guatemala is not known for its cuisine, the fruits and vegetables from the open-air markets are wonderful. Such freshness and flavour! Plus, you'll never know what you'll find -- exotic squashes, chickens on tethers, fresh shrimp from the ocean, and adorable old ladies selling mysterious herbs. I adore the market.
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| Panajachel market -- such a bounty of good food! |
I love the people here. I love their clothes, their gorgeous faces, their long dark hair. I love their smiles and their spirit. I love their sense of family and community. I love their passion for their rights. I love that they're holding on to their culture with pride.
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| Photo courtesy of Maya Traditions, an amazing nonprofit organization that is headquartered in Panajachel. |
5. The Expats
Yeah, we're a pretty cool bunch, if I do say so myself! Ha ha! Look at these happy expats in the picture below. (And notice the English bookstore behind too!)
I've met so many amazing people from all over the world here in Panajachel, the vast majority of whom have been exceptionally friendly and helpful. Expats from different countries bring their culture, art, food, and passions to Guatemala and share it with everyone. There are expat-run restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, B&Bs, hotels, bookstores, computer shops, you name it!
I proudly wear a Canadian flag on my purse so that people will hopefully feel comfortable coming up to me to ask for help. I've literally gone up to lost-looking touristy folks on the street and asked them if they needed anything! Had some great conversations that way.
There are two Facebook groups that I'm a part of that are helpful to get in touch with expats before and after you arrive in Guatemala. Here are the links.
Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Expats Living in Guatemala
There are smaller groups for expats in the other towns around the Lake, plus groups for Antigua and Xela (Quetzaltenango). Don't be shy. Get on there and ask some questions!
Runner-Ups
Low cost of living and a pretty simple visa process are also perks of being an expat in Guatemala, but I thought they were kinda boring to include in the list! What would you add to the list? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!
Yeah, we're a pretty cool bunch, if I do say so myself! Ha ha! Look at these happy expats in the picture below. (And notice the English bookstore behind too!)
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| The intense yet fun Scrabble game at Las Chinita's Asian restaurant on Santander in Panajachel, Guatemala. |
I proudly wear a Canadian flag on my purse so that people will hopefully feel comfortable coming up to me to ask for help. I've literally gone up to lost-looking touristy folks on the street and asked them if they needed anything! Had some great conversations that way.
There are two Facebook groups that I'm a part of that are helpful to get in touch with expats before and after you arrive in Guatemala. Here are the links.
Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Expats Living in Guatemala
There are smaller groups for expats in the other towns around the Lake, plus groups for Antigua and Xela (Quetzaltenango). Don't be shy. Get on there and ask some questions!
Runner-Ups
Low cost of living and a pretty simple visa process are also perks of being an expat in Guatemala, but I thought they were kinda boring to include in the list! What would you add to the list? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!
Yet another very nice post.
ReplyDeleteTo us the cost of living was very significant when we were searching for our retirement location. We defined a good quality of life as being one with low stress. We believed stress came from dealing with crummy weather (snow, ice, not enough sunny days, uncomfortable humidity, and lack of fresh air from daily life in air conditioning and heating), and struggling to make ends meet (high rent, high taxes, seasonal utility expenses, food costs, entertainment costs).
Other important factors included things like availability of amenities (internet, satellite tv, etc.), proximity to an international airport, and locals' acceptance of outsiders.
But overall, weather and cost of living were at the top of our list.
After 12 years there are definitely moments when we get frustrated with things like having to go on a scavenger hunt across the country to find something which would be common back in our US homeland. But overall we've never looked back and are very happy with our decision to move here.