Only 25 kilometers from the Capital City you will find the town of Amatitlán, a place where the natural generosity threatens to disappear. But its charms still last, in spite of the contamination suffered by Lake Amatitlán and its surroundings.

A few years ago this was a weekend destination, which is noticeable by the chalets that are found in the border of the lake where persons used to come to practice water sports, to watch the beautiful landscape from the funicular railway and to enjoy the exquisite typical candies like mazapan, pepitoria and canillitas de leche, sold by the maids from the town.

Today, much of this has disappeared. The lake contamination doesn't allow the practice of water sports, but the beauty reflected in its people and the area that surrounds it still prevails.

The town is very attractive. The cool climate of the zone makes its people walk through the streets at all hours dressed with bright colors and showing a tanned skin. While some walk slowly on its narrowed streets, other pass by rapidly in their bikes. The small sites that sell mojarras (fish) and seafood cocktails are always full with joy and music, inviting the guests to come in and taste their foods.

The Parque de las Naciones Unidas (Park of United Nations) is a small placid retreat for those looking for fresh air and a place to rest. In it you will find copies of architectonic monuments of Guatemala. Another alternative is to visit the Pacaya volcano, which forms part of the ecological surrounding of the area. This volcano, with a height of 2,500 meters, has been active for the last 30 years, expulsing pyroclastic material since then, and this makes it a perfect adventure destination. You can also visit the thermal water pool places found in the town and to one side of the road.

There are many places you can visit in Amatitlán. The important thing is to get there and be acquainted with it, and if you can, collaborate with the organizations that work in order to save the lake.

Its origin. More than forty thousand years ago, as the product of seismic movements and eruptions from the volcanoes that surround the Valley of Amatitlán, a great cavity was formed and inside of it an impressive lake that measured more than forty square kilometers. But the erosion that provoked the running waters for thousands of years, and the effect of the seismic movements reduced the lake to an extension of only 15 square kilometers.