Solola has one raison d'être: trading. For centuries, it's been one of the crossroads of the Guatemalan cordillera. With one foot on the coastal lowlands and the other on the highland plateaus to the east, the town has long attracted farmers, fishermen and craftspeople et al. The place to feel the pulse of local life is at the Mercado Mayoreo, where you can haggle on Tuesdays and Fridays for everything from waxy peppers and mega-hot chilies to colorful stacks of runner beans and crunchy handmade corn fritters. Solola’s culture and traditions on full display as well here, with locals in traditional costumes, and religious parades on Sunday mornings. Once the shopping's over, your Solola tour guide will likely take you down the road, beyond the colourful cemeteries to the enticing lakeshores of Atitlán. There, little Panajachel spills out onto the water's edge, with cafes and other chilled bars where an evening with the sunset is a must.