LOCATION

 The township of San Pedro La Laguna is one of the 19 municipalities that belong to the Department of Sololá, it is located at a latitude of 14 ° 41´

25 ”North and a longitude of 91 ° 16´21” west, the Municipal head is at an altitude of 1,610 meters above sea level, it borders to the north with the municipality of San Juan La Laguna and Lake Atitlán, at south with Chicacao from the department of Suchitepéquez and Santiago Atitlán and to the west with San Juan La Laguna and Chicacao.

From the departmental head of Sololá you can reach the township on a 54-kilometer drive by road. From San Pedro La Laguna to Panajachel, 13 kilometers are traveled by lake and nine kilometers by paved road to the Departmental Head. 

San Pedro is 178 kilometers from the capital city, it is accessible by land through the national route CA-1 on a fully paved road through the detour located at kilometer 148 of the inter-American highway that leads to Santa Clara La Laguna and the route is 30 kilometers; Likewise, it is accessible from Santiago Atitlán by dirt road with a distance of 21 kilometers; Another access road is the CA-2 highway, 113 kilometers are traveled to Cocales and 37 kilometers of asphalt road through the municipalities of Patulul and San Lucas Tolimán to Santiago Atitlán, which is 21 kilometers from San Pedro La Laguna, of which 17.5 they are dirt and 3.5 asphalt.

 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SAN PEDRO

San Pedro La Laguna, was occupied since pre-Hispanic times, before 1942, by the Tz’utujil people, who had their capital in Tziquinahá or Atziquinahá (currently in Santiago Atitlán).

The Municipality was founded in the current location by the Franciscan missionary Fray Pedro de Betanzos, between the years 1,547 and 1,550. The original name was San Pedro, later it was known as San Pedro de Patzununá; Apparently around the year 1,643 the nickname "La Laguna" began to be used when a visitor, Antonio Lara, ordered that all indigenous surnames and geographical places be Castilianized.

With the signing of La Paz in 1996, the post-war period begins, which allows the inhabitants of San Pedro La Laguna an economic boom through the emergence of tourism.

In the year 2,005 the region of the Lake Atitlán Basin was affected by storm Stan, however the municipality of San Pedro La Laguna is the least affected in relation to the neighboring populations.

TERRITORIAL EXTENSION, AND POPULATION

San Pedro La Laguna is the municipality with the largest territorial extension of the Lake basin, with a total of 24 square kilometers, the Headwaters is located on the northeast margin of Lake Atitlán and north of the San Pedro volcano. The topography of the terrain is undulating, gently sloping to very sloping and volcanic cones, there is high stony and sand because they are soils of volcanic origin. It represents 0.02% of the National Territory and 2.26% of the department of Sololá with approximately 16,400 inhabitants between men and women.

LIMITS OF THE MUNICIPALITY

The Municipality is 178 kilometers from the capital city, it is accessible by land through the national route CA-1 on a fully paved road through the detour located at kilometer 148 of the inter-American highway that leads to Santa Clara La Laguna and the route is 30 kilometers; Likewise, it is accessible from Santiago Atitlán by dirt road with a distance of 21 kilometers; Another access road is the CA-2 highway, 113 kilometers are traveled to Cocales and 37 kilometers of asphalt road through the municipalities of Patulul and San Lucas Tolimán to Santiago Atitlán, which is 21 kilometers from San Pedro La Laguna, of which 17.5 are dirt and 3.5 asphalt.

ACCESS ROUTES / TRANSPORTATION

It is accessible by land through the national route CA-1 on a fully paved highway through the detour located at kilometer 148 of the inter-American highway that leads to Santa Clara La Laguna and the route is 30 kilometers; Likewise, it is accessible from Santiago Atitlán by dirt road with a distance of 21 kilometers; Another access road is the CA-2 highway, it travels 113 kilometers to coconut plantations and 37 kilometers of paved road through the municipalities of Patulul and San Lucas Tolman to Santiago Atitlán, which is 21 kilometers from San Pedro La Laguna, of which 17.5 they are asphalted and 3.5 are unpaved.

ECOLOGICAL FACTORS / LANDSCAPE FACTORS / GEOLOGY / CLIMATE / HYDROLOGY / FAUNA / FLORA / FAUNA

FLORA

The San Pedro volcano has a fairly steep topography with very steep slopes, with dry sandy soils on the surface and very humid in the depth, with slopes covered with secondary mixed subhumid forests that host varieties of flora such as mountain pitahayas, ferns, oaks with a diameter of 1.6 meters, the arboreal layer formed by alder, alnus jorullensis, Quercus oaks, tree species called Rhamnus capraeifolia and Prunas cocoon, there are abundant vines, especially the Smilax subpubescens species present in the mountainous forests of Guatemala.

FAUNA

The predominant species of fauna in the Municipality are distributed throughout the area, especially in the San Pedro Volcano, which provides an adequate habitat, this situation benefits the existence of pandemic species in the region and provides them with an adequate environment.

Among the species that this ecosystem houses, the following can be mentioned: snakes, amphibians, lizards, birds, exotics, wild mammals and others.

SOCIOCULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

CULTURE AND PEOPLE

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

The traditional female costume includes a multicolored tunic called huipil, a colored skirt or solid mold called court; an embroidered or woven sash; a headband called a ribbon and a variety of multi-function cloths called tzute. Men's clothing is a Western influence, however some of the older locals still wear the typical costume, wearing tie-dyed shirts and pants or ikat, a cloth known as jasper, and wide hats.

It is part of the ethnic groups in the country, the Mayan ethnic group Tz´utujil being the same with the mother tongue Tz´utujil.

Holy Week is characterized by religious processions and the creation of carpets made in the streets with sawdust, flowers and vegetables.

The San Pedro fair is on June 29, it celebrates the patronal fair, the main area of ​​the fair is located along the beach that goes directly to the Santiago dock and nearby roads, with games and booths, food stores, exhibits. The event lasts for several days with music and dancing in the evenings. The entire town is decorated in vibrant colors.

Religion

Catholic and Evangelical

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELFARE

According to the data collected, the municipality of San Pedro La Laguna does not have many sources of diversification of productive activity. Of the branches of activity of the economically active population (EAP), it is reflected that 49% of the population is mainly engaged in agricultural activities (Graph 2). In order of importance, mechanical arts follow with 30% of the population employed in this branch, and 8% in services and shops; technicians and middle-level professionals 5% of the other productive activities occupy a very low percentage of the EAP.

LEADING INSTITUTIONS OF THE POPULATION

- COMMONWEALTH

- JABEL´ YA´

- ADENISA

- FEDEPMA

- ASSOCIATION OF PICOPEROS TRANSPORTERS-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

- COCODES

- COMUDE

- TOUR GUIDES

- FISHERMEN

- BANRURAL Ces

- COLUA

- FUNDEA

- SPORTS ASSOCIATION-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

- Research Center

- Organization Center for Children, Adolescents and Youth CONAJ

- Waqaxaqii Noj Youth Group

- CFSA Center

- We are Children of the Lake rehabilitation center

- Tzunun Ya´ Women's Network

- ASSOCIATION OF PASTORS-ACCOMPANIMENT

- CATHOLIC CHURCH

INSTITUTIONS THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE POPULATION

- MAGA-ORGANIC

- FRIENDS OF THE LAKE-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

- ANACAFE-ORGANIC

- MARN-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

- MINISTRY OF HEALTH

- MINEDUC

- CONAP-FOREST NURSERIES

- PROATITLAN-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

- ASOLAN-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

- INAB-FOREST NURSERIES

- SERJUS-PUBLIC POLICIES

- INGUAT-AWARENESS

- Sustainable Management Authority of the Lake Basin and its Environment AMSCLAE -

- BUSINESSMAN (RESOURCES).