There are 11 towns and villages around Lake Atitlan. Among these 11, there are 5 destination that truly stand out from the rest. They are Panajachel, San Pedro, San Marcos, Santa Cruz, and Jaibalito.

The elevation of Lake Atitlan is 1,597 metres (5,240 ft). Population was 11 thousand in the 2000 census, estimated as 15,000 now (Insituto Nacional de Estadística de Guatemala), and has approximately doubled each of the last few decades.

The town of Panajachel is located on the Northeast shore of Lake Atitlan, and has become a centre for the tourist trade of the area as it provides a base for visitors crossing the lake to visit other towns and villages.

“Panajachel” derives from the Kaqchikel language and roughly translates to “place of the Matasanos,” the white sapote fruit tree.

Lake Atitlan is a lake in Central America with a maximum depth of about 340 metres (1,120 ft) with an average depth of 220 metres (720 ft). Its surface area is 130.1 km² (50.2 sq mi).