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42-403: The town is situated on Lake Atitlán , which has an elevation of 5,105 feet (1,556 m). The town sits on a bay of Lake Atitlán between two volcanoes. Volcán San Pedro rises to 2,846 metres (9,337 ft) west of the town and Volcan Toliman rises to 3,144 metres (10,315 ft) southeast of the town. Volcán Atitlán , with an elevation of 3,516 metres (11,535 ft), is south-southeast of

84-478: A stratigraphic marker in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (known as Y-8 ash in marine deposits). A chocoyo is a type of bird which is often found nesting in the relatively soft ash layer. Since the end of Los Chocoyos, continuing volcanic activity has built three volcanoes in the caldera. Volcán Atitlán lies on the southern rim of the caldera, while Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Tolimán lie within

126-743: A crowd of unarmed civilians on 2 December 1990. Lake Atitl%C3%A1n Lake Atitlán (Spanish: Lago de Atitlán , [atiˈtlan] ) is a lake in the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range. The lake is located in the Sololá Department of southwestern Guatemala . It is known as the deepest lake in Central America . Atitlán means "between the waters". In the Nahuatl language, "atl"

168-462: A moderate amount of rain. In numerous regions, it has escaped cultivation to become a weed and is classified as an invasive weed in some countries. Stems and fruits are susceptible to several diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, a nematode , and a virus. Overwatering or excessive rainfall can cause the flowers to drop and fruit to rot. The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris causes the stems to rot. Dothiorella fungi can cause brown spots on

210-486: A thick bloom of algae known as Microcystis cyanobacteria re-appeared in Lake Atitlan; the first major occurrence was in 2009. Bureaucratic red tape has been blamed for the lack of action to save the lake. If current activities continue unchecked, the toxification of the lake will make it unsuitable for human use. The lake is surrounded by many villages in which Maya culture is still prevalent and traditional dress

252-464: A variety of farm crops, most notably corn and onions. Significant agricultural crops include: corn, onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, chile verde, strawberries and pitahaya fruit. The lake itself is a significant food source for the largely indigenous population. The first volcanic activity in the region occurred about 11 million years ago, and since then the region has seen four separate episodes of volcanic growth and caldera collapse,

294-632: Is a concern for home growers. As their growth continues, these climbing plants will find something to climb on, which can involve putting aerial roots down from the branches in addition to the basal roots. Once the plant reaches a mature 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) in weight, the plant may flower. Commercial plantings can be done at high density with between 1,100 and 1,350 per hectare (445 and 546/acre). Plants can take up to 60 months/260 weeks to come into full commercial production, at which stage yields of 20 to 30 metric tons (22 to 33 short tons) can be expected. Pitaya flowers bloom overnight and usually wilt by

336-471: Is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Antigua . It should not be confused with the smaller Lake Amatitlán . Lake Atitlán is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and is one of Guatemala's most important national and international tourist attractions. German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt called it "the most beautiful lake in the world," and Aldous Huxley famously wrote of it in his 1934 travel book Beyond

378-449: Is an endorheic lake, fed by two nearby rivers and not draining into the ocean. It is shaped by deep surrounding escarpments and three volcanoes on its southern flank. The lake basin is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed by a supervolcanic eruption 84,000 years ago. The culture of the towns and villages surrounding Lake Atitlán is influenced by the Maya people . The lake

420-645: Is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Stenocereus fruit (sour pitayas) are a variety that is commonly eaten in the arid regions of the Americas. They are more sour and refreshing, with juicier flesh and a stronger taste. The sour pitaya or pitaya agria ( S. gummosus ) in

462-507: Is noted for its worship of Maximón , an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints, and conquistador legends. The institutionalized effigy of Maximón is under the control of a local religious brotherhood and resides in various houses of its membership during the course of a year, being most ceremonially moved in a grand procession during Semana Santa . Several towns in Guatemala have similar cults, most notably

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504-568: Is the lead exporter. The fruit may also be known as a strawberry pear . The names pitahaya and pitaya derive from Mexico, and pitaya roja in Central America and northern South America, possibly relating to pitahaya for names of tall cacti species with flowering fruit. Pitaya or dragon fruit is native to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala , Costa Rica , and El Salvador . The dragon fruit

546-509: Is the word for water, and "titlan" means between. The "tl" at the end of the word "atl" is dropped (because it is a grammatical suffix) and the words are combined to form "Atitlán". The lake has a maximum depth of about 340 metres (1,120 ft) and an average depth of 154 metres (505 ft). Its surface area is 130.1 km (50.2 sq mi). It is approximately 18 km × 8 km (11.2 mi × 5.0 mi) with around 20 km (4.8 cu mi) of water. Atitlán

588-636: Is worn. The Maya people of Atitlán are predominantly Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel . During the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the Kaqchikel initially allied themselves with the invaders to defeat their historic enemies, the Tz'utujil and K'iche' Maya, but were themselves conquered and subdued when they refused to pay tribute to the Spanish. Santiago Atitlán is the largest of the lakeside communities, and it

630-517: The Sonoran Desert has been an important food source for indigenous peoples of the Americas . The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the fruit, and call the plant ziix is ccapxl "thing whose fruit is sour". The fruit of related species, such as S. queretaroensis and the dagger cactus or pitaya de mayo ( S. griseus ), are also locally important foods. The fruit of the organ pipe cactus ( S. thurberi , called ool by

672-659: The extinction of the Atitlan grebe , a rare bird that lived only in the vicinity of Lake Atitlán. A unique aspect of the climate is what is referred to as Xocomil (of the Kaqchickel language meaning "the wind that carried away sin"). This wind is common late morning and afternoon across the lake; it is said to be the encounter of warm winds from Pacific meeting colder winds from the North. The winds can result in violent water turbulence, enough to capsize boats. In August 2015

714-416: The "Dragotini". The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea . The red and purple colors of some Selenicereus fruits are due to betacyanins , a family of pigments that includes betanin , the same substance that gives beets , Swiss chard , and amaranth their red color. The USDA FoodData Central database published their analysis of the nutritional contents of raw Pitaya in 2022. The majority of

756-455: The Caribbean, Australia, Brazil, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus , while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus ), both in the family Cactaceae. The common name in English – dragon fruit – derives from the leather-like skin and scaly spikes on

798-684: The Lake Museum in Atitlán. Because of the concerns of a private organization as is the Lake Museum in Atitlán the need to start the exploration of the inland waters in Guatemala was analyzed. There is no road that circles the lake. Communities are reached by boat or roads from the mountains that may have brief extensions along the shore. Jaibalito can only be reached by boat. Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó are linked by road to Panajachel. Main places otherwise are Santa Clara La Laguna , San Juan La Laguna , and San Pedro La Laguna in

840-475: The Mexique Bay : " Lake Como , it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing." The area around San Marcos has particularly tall cliffs abutting the lake and in recent years has become renowned for cliff diving. The area supports extensive coffee and avocado orchards and

882-486: The Seris) is the pitaya dulce "sweet pitaya". Sweet pitayas come in three types, all with leathery, slightly leafy skin: The fruit normally weighs from 150 to 600 grams ( 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 21 oz); some may reach 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz). Early imports from Colombia to Australia were designated " Hylocereus ocampensis " (or " Cereus repandus ", the red fruit) and " Cereus triangularis " (supposedly,

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924-513: The caldera. San Pedro is the oldest of the three and seems to have stopped erupting about 40,000 years ago. Tolimán began growing after San Pedro stopped erupting and probably remains active, although it has not erupted in historic times. Atitlán has developed almost entirely in the last 10,000 years and remains active, its most recent eruption having occurred in 1853. On February 4, 1976, a very large earthquake (magnitude 7.5) struck Guatemala, killing more than 26,000 people. The earthquake fractured

966-525: The cult of San Simón in Zunil . While Maya culture is predominant in most lakeside communities, Panajachel has been overwhelmed over the years by Guatemalan and foreign tourists. It attracted many hippies in the 1960s, and although the civil war caused many foreigners to leave, the end of hostilities in 1996 saw visitor numbers boom again, and the town's economy is almost entirely reliant on tourism today. Several Mayan archeological sites have been found at

1008-407: The evening. They rely on nocturnal pollinators such as bats or moths for fertilization. Self-fertilization will not produce fruit in some species and while crossbreeding has resulted in several "self-fertile" varieties, cross-pollinating with a second, genetically distinct plant of the same species generally increases fruit set and quality. This limits the capability of home growers to produce

1050-462: The fruit by weight is water (87g out of 100g). One serving of 100-gram ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce) provides 240 kilojoules (57 kilocalories) of food energy. The USDA also reports one limited product label entry from a manufacturer of a branded product, showing that a 100-gram ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce) reference serving of dried pitaya provides 1,100 kilojoules (264 kilocalories) of food energy , 82% carbohydrates , 4% protein , and 11% of

1092-401: The fruit exterior. Depending on the variety, pitaya fruits may have sweet- or sour-tasting flesh that can be red, white, or yellow in color. These fruits are commonly known in English as "dragon fruit", a name used since 1963, apparently resulting from the leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes on the fruit exterior. The fruit is often designated as "Vietnamese dragon fruit" as Vietnam

1134-592: The fruit. However, the plants can flower between three and six times per year depending on growing conditions. Like other cacti, if a healthy piece of the stem is broken off, it may take root in the soil and become its own plant. The plants can endure temperatures up to 40 °C (104 °F) and short periods of frost but will not survive long exposure to freezing temperatures. The cacti thrive most in USDA zones 10–11 but may survive outdoors in zone 9a or 9b. Selenicereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with

1176-445: The fruit. Other fungi known to infect pitaya include Botryosphaeria dothidea , Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Bipolaris cactivora . The fruit's texture is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit because of its black, crunchy seeds. The seed oil contains the fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid . Dragon fruit is used to flavor and color juices and alcoholic beverages , such as "Dragon's Blood Punch" and

1218-489: The indigenous people of Santiago Atitlán. Santiago Atitlán was the site of considerable state-sponsored violence during the country's civil war . Some of the most notable incidents that occurred during the war include the assassination of Roman Catholic priest Stanley Rother by right-wing death squads on 28 July 1981, and the massacre of 14 people (and wounding of 21 others) when the Guatemalan Army opened fire on

1260-407: The lake bed and caused subsurface drainage from the lake, allowing the water level to drop two metres (6 ft 7 in) within one month. In 1955, the area around Lake Atitlán became a national park . The lake was mostly unknown to the rest of the world, and Guatemala was seeking ways to increase tourism and boost the local economy. It was suggested by Pan American World Airways that stocking

1302-430: The lake was the scene of many terrible human rights abuses, as the government pursued a scorched earth policy. Indigenous people were assumed to be universally supportive of the guerrillas who were fighting against the government, and were targeted for brutal reprisals. Some believe that hundreds of Maya from Santiago Atitlán have disappeared during the conflict. Two events of this era made international news. One

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1344-406: The lake with a fish prized by anglers would be a way to do just that. As a result, an exotic non-native species , the black bass , was introduced into the lake in 1958. The bass quickly took to its new home and caused a radical change in the species composition of the lake. The predatory bass caused the elimination of more than two-thirds of the native fish species in the lake and contributed to

1386-581: The lake. Sambaj, located approximately 55 feet below the current lake level, appears to be from at least the pre-classic period. There are remains of multiple groups of buildings, including one particular group of large buildings that are believed to have been the city center. A project titled "Underwater archeology in the Lake Atitlán. Sambaj 2003 Guatemala" was recently approved by the Government of Guatemala in cooperation with Fundación Albenga and

1428-417: The massacre was damaged in the 2005 mudslide. Torrential rains from Hurricane Stan caused extensive damage throughout Guatemala in early October 2005, particularly around Lake Atitlán. A massive landslide buried the lakeside village of Panabaj , causing the death of as many as 1,400 residents, leaving 5,000 homeless, and many bodies buried under tonnes of earth. Following this event, Diego Esquina Mendoza,

1470-476: The mayor of Santiago Atitlán, declared the community a mass gravesite: "Those buried by the mudslide may never be rescued. Here they will stay buried, under five meters of mud. Panabáj is now a cemetery." Four and a half years after Hurricane Stan, Tropical Storm Agatha dropped even more rainfall causing extensive damages to the region resulting in dozens of deaths between San Lucas Tolimán and San Antonio Palopó . Since then roads have been reopened and travel to

1512-530: The most recent of which began about 1.8 million years ago and culminated in the formation of the present caldera. The lake now fills a large part of the caldera, reaching depths of up to 340 m (1,120 ft). The caldera-forming eruption is known as Los Chocoyos eruption and ejected up to 300 km (72 cu mi) of tephra . The enormous eruption dispersed ash over an area of some 6,000,000 square kilometres (2,300,000 sq mi): it has been detected from Florida to Ecuador , and can be used as

1554-410: The region has returned to normal. Pitahaya A pitaya ( / p ɪ ˈ t aɪ . ə / ) or pitahaya ( / ˌ p ɪ t ə ˈ h aɪ . ə / ) is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala , Costa Rica , and El Salvador . Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States,

1596-674: The residents are indigenous Maya . It was the capital of the Tz'utujil people in pre-Columbian times and its name was Chuitinamit . Santiago Atitlán is the home of the Cojolya Weaving Center and Museum, founded by the Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers. The museum shows the history, tradition, and process of backstrap-loom weaving, the evolution of the traditional costume of the Tzutujil, and tells about

1638-486: The town. Santiago Atitlan is southwest of Panajachel across the lake. Major highways reach Lake Atitlán at San Lucas Toliman and Panajachel. A road links Santiago to San Lucas Tolliman. Boats connect the numerous communities around the lake. Santiago Atitlán has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen : Aw ) with warm days and cool nights. Santiago Atitlán has a wet season extending from May to October. The rainiest months are typically June and September. The majority of

1680-531: The west; Santiago Atitlán in the south; Cerro de Oro in the southeast; and San Lucas Tolimán in the east. Recent studies indicate that a ceremonial site named Samabaj was located on an island about 500 metres (1,600 ft) long in Lake Atitlán. The site was revered for its striking connection to the Popol Wuj of the K'iche' Mayan peoples. During the Guatemalan Civil War (1960 - 1996),

1722-415: The yellow fruit or the three-sided cross-section of the stem). After a thorough cleaning of the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, the seeds may be stored when dried. The ideal fruit is unblemished and overripe. Seeds grow well in a compost or potting soil mix – even as a potted indoor plant. Pitaya cacti usually germinate after between 11 and 14 days after shallow planting. As they are cacti, overwatering

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1764-474: Was the assassination of Stanley Rother , a missionary from Oklahoma, in the church at Santiago Atitlán in 1981. In 1990, a spontaneous protest march to the army base on the edge of town was met by gunfire, resulting in the death of 11 unarmed civilians. International pressure forced the Guatemalan government to close the base and declare Santiago Atitlán a "military-free zone". The memorial commemorating

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