Event: Guatemala

Lake Atitlan

When:	Daily
Where:	Lake Atitlan

The late Aldous Huxley thought that Lake Atitlan beat Lake Como hands down. Fringed by dormant volcanoes and mountains, this mammoth natural pool (18km by 12km at its widest) has a life of its own. Hundreds who visit it are destined to return and even the most unromantic of types admit to its magic.

Each hour of each day throughout the year, the colours cast on the water's surface change their shade and intensity - from azure to olive green and, more often, to colours that don't have words to describe them. Such is the pull of this stunning lake that many (mainly North Americans) have been rooted to the lake shore since the 1960s. Guatemalans are, rightly, so deeply proud of their number one tourist attraction that they claim it ranks with the Seven Wonders of the World.

Most get their first glimpse of Atitlan from the biggest of the lakeside villages - Panajachel, which is also the end of the road as far as the tourist bus is concerned. From Pana, (as it is fondly known) there are boats out to over a dozen other lakeside villages of varying degrees of accessibility. As the number of tourists continues to grow, so does the influx to these villages, along with the inevitable changes that are the consequence of such popularity.

Recent changes include the growth of the area as a fashionable venue for wealthy Guatemalans from the city (less than three hours' drive away). This means speedboats zip about at the weekends, diving schools and retreats are the latest big business and the abundant bars and restaurants spill over. Pana is inevitably losing some of its charm, but when you have your back to its mayhem, you only have the colours of the water to worry about.