Pacific Coast of Guatemala

If you leave Pana with the desire of sticking your feet in the closest ocean, you head out the upper road going around the lake toward the volcanoes Atitlan and Toliman.  The views from this side are much different than the views from Panajachel or any of the villages to the north where most of the foreign population tend spend their time. Instead of looking straight into the bay of Santiago, the site pulls your vision to San Lucas, the back side of the volcanoes.

               

 The coffee was in full bloom on that side of the mountains. Snowy white flowers, fields of them.

Once you have passed San Lucas and head toward the coast, the culture and people appear very different. You could even be in a different country.  Guatemala is like that, so many cultures in one. The typical clothing is replaced by jeans, cotton dresses, and women who cut their hair. 

 First stop was the required break down. A part fell off the brakes, they fixed it, took it off. Parking brake, you don't need that right?  Folks were really nice in this town.  The guy at the small store gave us oranges. Were there only 20 minutes and off to the beach.

We make it to the coast, small coastal inlet and a few minutes ride across the brackish bay to the ocean side.                                        The most interesting note about this trip is we drove 150 miles in one day. Seventy five miles each way, a simple day trip. It took 4 hours each way, giving us about 3 hours to jump into the water and have the most amazing fresh fish you have ever tasted. 

    Was a memorable trip, we loved every minutes of it.  Travel in Guatemala is always an excitement in the trip itself. Always a story, nothing goes right, yet everything goes along perfect! A 12 hours day to go a short distance, to put your toes in the ocean, and to have a ice cream cone at the famous Parma cheese factory. A day to spend with friends.

Five Friends Go To the Beach for a Day