Health and Safety

Several groups of travelers have been robbed while hiking around the Lago Atitlán area. It is always a good idea to hire a guide, especially when you are not familiar with your destination. In Quetzaltenango and Chichicastenango it is best to avoid the areas outside the city center at night, as gang activity is reportedly on the rise.

In Panajachel, Clínicas Médicas Pana Medic offers 24-hour medical attention. The physicians, Francisco Ordoñez and his wife Zulma Buitrago both speak English. Quetzaltenango is home to two fine private hospitals, the Hospital Privado de Quetzaltenango and Hospital La Democracia. The Hospital Nacional Dr. Jorge Vides Molina in Huehuetenango and Hospital Nacional in Panajachel are both public hospitals. Farmacia La Unión is a full-service pharmacy in Panajachel. Farmacia Batres is a chain with many pharmacies in the highlands.