Santa Catarina Palopó is a village on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.
Travelers to this village rarely see more than the main street, the local Catholic church, and a conglomerate of local artisan shops, however a walk up one of the narrow footpaths to the residential area is highly recommended.
The hot springs or aguas termales located on the North side of the lake are frequented by many visitors, however, with the current raise in bacteria along the shore it is not advisable to get in the water at this time.
Santa Catarina is a great place to walk. A trip up to the onion fields above the village is highly recommended. To get to the onion fields just head up one of the footpaths towards the residential area. Go up and keep going up. If you ask people along the way, they will be more than happy to direct you to the onion fields. When you get to the top you will see an array of onion fields, corn plantations, and fields of flowers. It's a truly beautiful place and the views of the lake are amazing!
- Extreme Mayan Adventures. offers educational adventure travel packages and total immersion cultural home-stay with traditional Kaqchikel Mayan families. These are unique non-traditional trips for people who want to experience an original vacation.
- Atitlan Services. A good traditional tour operator offering private boat trips to the villages around the lake, shuttle service, tour guides, and day trips.
Extreme Mayan Adventures. offers educational adventure travel packages and total immersion cultural home-stay with traditional Kaqchikel Mayan families. These are unique non-traditional trips for people who want to experience an original vacation.
Atitlan Services. A good traditional tour operator offering private boat trips to the villages around the lake, shuttle service, tour guides, and day trips.
This is a great place to come if you are interested in hand-woven tapestries, paintings, and ceramics. The main street is full of little shops and artisans all the way down to the lake shore.
For a fine dining experience, follow the main road down to the lake and look for the hotel Villa Santa Catarina. It will be on your left-hand side after the school, about half way down.
If you're looking for an affordable place to eat there are three small restaurants on the shore-front. Just continue down the main road to the lake, past the Hotel Villa Santa Catarina. When you get to the lake, follow the shoreline to your left. The three restaurants are all next to each other. You can't miss them.
- Restaurante El Bambú, Playa Pública (Walk down to the public beach and go to the left (past the Laguna Azul)., +502 5249-0362. Great national and international cooking at an affordable price. Offers professional service with a panoramic view.
Restaurante El Bambú, Playa Pública (Walk down to the public beach and go to the left (past the Laguna Azul)., +502 5249-0362. Great national and international cooking at an affordable price. Offers professional service with a panoramic view.