Mayan Lake Realty based in the Guatemalan Highland’s

Mayan Lake Realty (MLR) is a bespoke-style Real Estate Agency providing you with a professional, knowledgeable and personal service for all your real estate requirements: Selling, Buying, Rentals (Long and Short term), and Property Management.

MLR is based in the Guatemalan Highland’s town of Panajachel on the shores of the famous volcanic Lake Atitlan. Our portfolio covers towns around the lake shore and parts of the caldera, as well as some further afield like Antigua, the coast, Rio Dulce, and even Mexico and El Salvador.

We are an El Salvadorian / British couple, who have chosen Lake Atitlan as our home. Between us we have an extensive knowledge of Guatemala, the Lake Atitlan area, and real estate. Not only can we help you with all your real estate requirements, but also with any transport or travel, finding a Spanish teacher or school, or information on volunteer opportunities, visa requirements, or supporting one of the many wonderful NGOs (non-profits) working around the lake.

Villages around Lake Atitlan

Panajachel (Pana)

Pana is the central hub of Lake Atitlan as it has the main road access. It is small town that has a central tourist area comprising of Calle Santander running from the centre down to the lake shore, and the ‘Zona Viva’, where the majority of bars, clubs, and restaurants are.

The town of Panajachel was believed to be founded around same time as Sololá and Santiago Atitlan, in 1547. The name comes from the Cakchiquel (one of the Mayan languages used around the Lake) meaning ‘place of cane and doctors’ (but not the certified kind!). Another explanation is that it refers to the fertility and abundance in plant life here, thanks to the volcanic soil.

At the end of the 17th Century there was a local Cakchiquel population of 800, in 1936 it was 1,200, and now in 2012, it is approximated at 17,000, although there is a large foreign and tourist population too, which swells this number considerably at certain times of year. It was in the 1960s that it began to become a popular tourist destination and ‘hippie’ hangout, being knicknamed, ‘Gringotenango’!

There are three main areas of the town with the central part, Barrio Norte to the north and over the San Francisco River, Jucanya. But all are close and within easy walking distance of Pana has one of the largest ladino (Guatemalans of Spanish descent) populations around the lake, guessed to be around 75% indigenous and 25% ladino; whereas other villages around the lake are closer to 98% indigenous.

Tourism is the largest industry around the lake making up about 50% with agriculture being second at around 22%.

Some interesting facts:

1. In 1959 the town of Pana was almost totally destroyed by flooding.
2. Potable water was introduced in 1950.
3. The road was asphalted in 1958.
4. Electricity was introduced in 1961, benefiting 3,000 people.
5. 1969 there was another flood, thankfully not so destructive this time.
6. 1989 (Oct) Hurrican Mitch hit.
7. 2005 (Oct) Hurrican Stan destroyed around 100 houses along the shores of the San Francisco river.
8. 2010 (May) Tropical Storm Agatha.
9. 2011 (Oct) Tropical Storm 12-E.
10. Annual festival 2-6 October.

Starting going east from Pana:

Santa Catarina

Famous for the distinctive blue ‘traje’ that the women wear and still some men too. It is worth visiting to see a traditional lake-side village. Go to Villa Santa Catarina or Casa Palopo for lunch. Be sure to visit the small church too. We suggest that when visiting this church, as with any church or religious centre, that you are dressed respectfully.

San Antonio

Famous for its beautiful ceramics, which are for sale all over the village. The old church is also interesting to pop into.

San Lucas Toliman

Not much to see here and difficult to get to, although now, because the road is so bad, there is a public lancha, and there is a nice hotel for lunch, Hotel Toliman.

Santiago Atitlan

Famous for the home of ‘Maximon’ and you will be inundated with offers to take you there! It also has a great small, backstrap loom museum and a fair-trade store with high-end, high-quality accessories all made on the back strap loom, and run by the non-profit, the Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers. Two great places for lunch are the Posada Santiago and the Hotel Bambu.

San Pedro

A backpackers’ hang-out with plenty of choices for eating and hanging-out in.

San Juan

Probably the cleanest and prettiest of the lake-side villages, it is the home of many natural dye cooperatives. You can visit some of them and have a demonstration. There is also an interesting coffee tour here, and if you are feeling very energetic you can hike up to the Devil’s nose through the nature preserve. (See La ComUnidad K’em Ajachel above for tours.) If you like wine and cheese, be sure to go the Artesan Cafe just round the corner from the market – excellent place!

San Marcos

This is the spiritual center of the lake, with just about every alternative type of therapy on offer.

Lake Atitlan Guatemala Real Estate

Mayan Lake Realty (MLR) is a bespoke-style Real Estate Agency providing you with a professional, knowledgeable and personal service for all your real estate requirements: Selling, Buying, Rentals (Long and Short term), and Property Management.

MLR is based in the Guatemalan Highland’s town of Panajachel on the shores of the famous volcanic Lake Atitlan. Our portfolio covers towns around the lake shore and parts of the caldera, as well as some further afield like Antigua, the coast, Rio Dulce, and even Mexico and El Salvador.

We are an El Salvadorian / British couple, who have chosen Lake Atitlan as our home. Between us we have an extensive knowledge of Guatemala, the Lake Atitlan area, and real estate. Not only can we help you with all your real estate requirements, but also with any transport or travel, finding a Spanish teacher or school, or information on volunteer opportunities, visa requirements, or supporting one of the many wonderful NGOs (non-profits) working around the lake.

We are here to help you find your perfect dream home to buy or rent, and we will do whatever we can to make this experience as stress free as possible. Buying in a property in a foreign country like Guatemala can seem daunting without the language or local know-how. We can help you through the labyrinth of Guatemalan bureaucracy and red tape, acting as your advocate and translator; be it for the purchase or a property, to ship furniture or other goods, or just to renew your tourist visa.

Once you have found your perfect home, if you are not planning to be there full-time, we can help you rent your home as a profitable vacation rental, and or manage your property, keeping an eye on maintenance (very important during the rainy season) and paying your worker etc.

We look forward to working with you!

 

 

 

 

Lake Atitlan Guatemala Realtor

Having lived in Guatemala for a number of years I have had many Travellers and Friends complain about the lack of response and follow up with Realtors in Guatemala. In Antigua Guatemala this act of lack of interest to respond to e-mail requests for vacation rental property is not new.

 

I have found myself in the position many times of waiting and wondering if a Realtor was going to meet me at a property, get the lease organized and the other related task involved in obtaining a vacation rental property. I am not sure what the lack of interest or professionalism is with Guatemala Real Estate companies.

 

Most are owned by American or Canadian interests, yet they all appear to operate with the same MO. Must be so much business in Antigua Guatemala that no one needs to care.

 

Recently a friend was looking for a Vacation Rental Home in Lake Atitlan Guatemala. Lake Atitlan as it is know is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Around Lake Atitlan one will find many homes for rent as vacation rentals, short term and long term. Again Lake Atitlan has a number of Real Estate operations supplying vacation rental services for home owners around the Lake.

 

My friend started off with looking at Vacation Rental sites like VRBO, Home Away and many others. She filled out forms and sent requests for more information. Some responded many did not or did a few weeks later. One Realtor in Lake Atitlan was associated with a few properties on VRBO and in a traditional Guatemala Realtor fashion responded about a month later to my friends request for vacation rental options.

 

With my friend becoming frustrated I suggested a group I knew at Lake Atitlan. A little promotion for Mayan Lake Realty (MLR) is a bespoke-style Real Estate Agency providing you with a professional, knowledgeable and personal service for all your real estate requirements: Selling, Buying, Rentals (Long and Short term), and Property Management.

 

MLR is based in the Guatemalan Highland’s town of Panajachel on the shores of the famous volcanic Lake Atitlan. Our portfolio covers towns around the lake shore and parts of the caldera, as well as some further afield like Antigua, the coast, Rio Dulce, and even Mexico and El Salvador.

 

We are an El Salvadorian / British couple, who have chosen Lake Atitlan as our home. Between us we have an extensive knowledge of Guatemala, the Lake Atitlan area, and real estate. Not only can we help you with all your real estate requirements, but also with any transport or travel, finding a Spanish teacher or school, or information on volunteer opportunities, visa requirements, or supporting one of the many wonderful NGOs (non-profits) working around the lake.

 

My friend made a trip to Lake Atitlan and met with Francesca Wade & Rene Mendez the owners of Mayan Lake Realty. A Long day of riding on Boats around the Lake took place. Many vacation homes were reviewed and a decition time came. Over the next few weeks Francesca worked and worked with my friend. Follow up emails, skype calls and in the end my friend found what she was looking for and the deserving owners of Mayan Lake Realty got a well deserved commission.

 

All said if you are looking for vacation rentals on Lake Atitlan Guatemala give Francesca and Rene your business you will not be disappointed.

 

Big money on the line tonight for NASCAR All-Star Race

Big money on the line tonight for NASCAR All-Star Race.

Guatemala Weather for May 2014

I have in the past reported on weather for Guatemala. A country that for the most part is blanketed in what one would call never ending spring. That is true of Antigua as I have lived in Antigua for a number of years.

The rainy season as it is called in Guatemala is not as one would call bad weather. In fact the rains that come to Antigua are mostly late afternoon showers and not continuous rains as locals consider this event. For the most part the rains in Guatemala bring green to the highland of Guatemala. A welcome change from the brown hillsides that surround Antigua.

Antigua Guatemala Weather for May 2014 has seen the a greater influence on what is know as the rainy season of Guatemala. Yesterday while googling weather for Antigua Guatemala I notices a spelling mistake for Antigua. An interesting error for weather sites offering weather news about Guatemala.

As we head into June rains will increase for much of Guatemala as Pacific storms roll across Guatemala.

The average annual temperature in the highlands above 3,000 meters (9840 ft) is 15°C (59°F), while in the lowlands the average is 25°C (77°F). In the lowlands and towards the Pacific Coast that preoccupies most fishermen, the temperature can reach 38°C (89°F) or higher and the months with the highest temperatures are from May to July. During the prime fishing season for sailfish however – October through May – the visiting angler can usually be assured of pleasantly warm temperatures and a cooling ocean breeze.

 

The term itself “Land of Eternal Spring” was first used to give the image of a country and countryside that was in perpetual bloom. The highlands and mid lying ground is ideal for cultivating plants that are nourished by the volcanic ground – and so can be found in bloom almost all year round. Flower cultivation and export (primarily roses) continues to be a major industry in Guatemala today – in fact one of the largest rose farms in the world can be found just outside the ancient capital of Antigua.

Enjoy this screen capture of weather for Guatemala and Antigua. It is real.

Guatemala Genocide| | Rios Montt guilty

This news about Rios Montt being found guilty in Guatemala does not offer relief from the suffering of thousands of victims that died at the indirect hands of Rios Montt and many others. The Guatemala Civil war while over still remains in the minds and heart of all Guatemalan’s

Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt was found guilty of the genocide of more than 1,700 indigenous Ixil Mayans during his 1982-83 rule. Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, who has said that there was no genocide during the civil war, reiterated his position following the verdict.

A three-judge panel issued the verdict Friday, one day after the conclusion of the trial. The court sentenced Rios Montt, 86, to 80 years in prison.

The trial marked the first time a head of state has been tried for genocide by his country’s own judicial system.

Yassmin Barrios, the tribunal’s president, read a lengthy review of how the judges reached their verdict before announcing it. The dozens of Ixil witnesses proved that the military killed, tortured and raped the indigenous population. As de facto president, Rios Montt knew atrocities were being committed and did nothing to stop it, Barrios said.

Rios Montt’s co-defendant and intelligence chief, Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, was absolved.

The court ordered the former leader go straight to prison, revoking his house arrest.

A conclusion of the trial seemed in doubt in the past weeks, as the defense filed multiple challenges in several courts. At one point, one judge annulled the testimony in the trial before it got back on track.

The landmark criminal trial could open the doors for future charges against military officials accused of atrocities during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war. The war did not end until 1996, leaving more than 200,000 people dead and 1 million as refugees.

For more in this article go to;

http://www.12newsnow.com/story/22227529/guatemalas-rios-montt-guilty-of-genocide

 

Guatemala Stove Project | By Design it is the best

Guatemala Stove Project

Our Guatemala Stove Project is different from all the attempts to make changes in the needs of the people of Guatemala as it relates to health hazards from open fire wood stove cooking and the deforestation of Guatemala for wood for the purpose of cooking food each day.

An number of Guatemala Stove Projects exist in Guatemala with the goal of reducing or eliminating deadly smoke gases as woman cook on open fires in the outlying villages of the Highland of Guatemala. This is a serious health problem that we address in our Guatemala Stove Project. Using the design of the proven Rocket Stove Design used in Haiti, our Guatemala Stove burns clean and without deadly smoke around the person cooking.

A second consideration of our Guatemala Stove Project is the use of fuel in this case fire wood. While other Guatemala Stove Projects deal with smoke as the primary purpose of there wood cooking stoves, they fail to consider the cost of wood and the massive deforestation caused by the need of Guatemalan’s to harvest wood every single day just to cook a meal. The Guatemala Stove Project we propose and have implemented uses 50% less wood then the stoves suggested by other Guatemala Stove Projects.

Our Guatemala Stove Project is different then other projects seeking donations to purchase cook stoves for Guatemalan’s. Our stoves are cheap, easy to build and fit the needs of a culture that has long cooked on traditional stoves. Join our Guatemala Stove Project and find out how you can get involved with teaching others how to build a and develop there own Guatemala Stove Project.

The Guatemala Wood Stove Project | Based in San Antonio Aguas Calientes

Our Guatemala Wood Stove project is based in San Antonio Aguas Calientes Guatemala. This is a small village outside of Antigua Guatemala. The village can be reached by Chicken Bus from the Market in Antigua in about 20 minutes. For those expecting and amazing state of the art wood stove building shop well our wood stove shop in San Antonio Aguas Calientes is very functional.

Jeronimo pictured in the shots of our first Rocket Stove design of our own has ten children and a house with the most amazing views of the valley and Volcano’s surrounding San Antonio Aguas Calientes. Most famous for weaving we hope this project with also make San Antonio Aguas Calientes famous for building Guatemalan Wood Burning stoves that are health friendly and good for the environment. Smoke is a problem with most stoves, high usage of wood fuel is another and the need to cut and buy wood each days places a huge strain on the Guatemala environment. Our stoves pass the test with using 50% less wood.

Come to San Antonio and ask in the main church square about our project you will soon find yourself surrounded with interesting people with ideas about how to build the Perfect Guatemalan Wood Burning Stoves.

San Antonio Aguas Calientes is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Sacatepéquez.

This town is known for its weavers. Mayan women in the area use a backstrap loom to weave traditional patterns. There is a two story market on the square that sells weavings and other crafts. Several of the women have their looms set up and will demonstrate their skills. There are a couple other stores outside of town that also sell weavings. It is about a 30 minute taxi ride from Antigua but one has to retain the taxi for the return trip also since there are usually no taxis in this little town.