Location
Spanish School Jabel Tinamit is located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan. It's a truly spectacular region with Mayan communities living around the lake in the shadow of three volcanoes: Vulcan San Pedro, Vulcan Toliman and Vulcan Atitlan.
Panajachel
People from all over the world come to study Spanish in
Panajachel. They also come to enjoy the local culture, the food, the bars
and, not least, the splendour of Lago de Atitlan. From our school you can
actually see all three of the Atitlan volcanoes: Vulcan San Pedro, Vulcan
Toliman and Vulcan Atitlan.
Panajachel, or "Pana" as it is called locally, is quite a small town with a
very friendly atmosphere. It take about 10 minutes to walk the length of the
main street, called Calle Santander. And doing so is quite an experience!
It's the heart of the local Mayan commercial activity with all manner of
hand made goods for sale including brightly coloured textiles for which
Atitlan Mayans are famous.
Spanish School Jabel Tinamit is located at Callejon las Armonias (off
Avenida de los Arboles) which is just to the north of Calle Santander, near
to the main church. For a street map please click
here.
At the weekends the population of Panajachel swells as visitors from
Guatemala City come to relax and get away from it all. Downtown Panajachel
always has a bustling atmosphere so there's never a dull moment. We're sure
you will enjoy your stay with us!
Lake Atitlan
The Lake Atitlan area is home to the indigenous people of the
Guatemalan Highlands. Known as the Kakchiquel and Tzutuhil Mayans, their
villages surround the lake and the people make and sell all manner of
handicrafts in Panajachel. In pre-Columbian times the capital of the
Kakchiquel kingdom was Iximche (1470 to 1524). Our school arranges
trips to this fascinating archaeological site, for details click
here.
Volcan Atitlan has an elevation of 3535m and last erupted in 1853. Volcan
Toliman is just a little lower at 3158m. The third volcano is Volcan San
Pedro. At 3020m it rises directly from the edge of the lake where the
village of San Pedro La Laguna is located. For the adventurous it is
possible to climb this volcano with group climbs organised by Spanish School
Jabel Tinamit, for details click
here.
Guatemala
The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City also known as
simply "Guate". It's a large sprawling place of approximately 1 million
inhabitants. Over recent years the centre is becoming more tourist friendly
however most travellers only use it as a transport hub. Often the first
night choice is the nearby town of Antiqua Guatemala (or just "Antigua").
From both you can get a local bus, a direct bus or a taxi to Panajachel. For
convenience we provide pre-booked transfer services, for details click
here.
Guatemala has a mild climate with seasons split into wet and dry. The dry
season in Guatemala is November to April when there is very little rain. In
the wet season you can expect heavy rainfall, usually in the afternoons or
evenings, lasting a few hours. At this time an umbrella is recommended!
Guatemala is a colourful country, there always seems to be something special
going on. At Easter and on Independence Day (September 15) there will be
huge street processions, marching bands and throngs of people enjoying the
festival atmosphere.
