Santa Ana in Petén offers several topics to consider when planning a trip: the history of two settlements within the municipality, a visitor package from Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte, and regional festival traditions. For suitable travel dates, it is worth distinguishing between the municipal festival in July and the Festival Gastronómico del Bollo Petenero, which took place in September 2026.
Settlement History of the Municipality
The first settlement was established in the Ixponé savanna, now known as Santa Ana Vieja. A second settlement was founded in 1890 in Barrio Buena Vista. The municipality’s settlement history therefore includes two distinct points in time: Ixponé and the later founding in Buena Vista.
The names help place the history geographically without treating the two places as one and the same. Those interested in the municipality’s development can view these settlements as distinct parts of its history.
Festival Dates and Regional Food Culture
Santa Ana’s municipal festival takes place in July, with its main day on July 26. On this day, the Catholic Church of Santa Ana honors Saint Anne, the mother of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the town’s patron saint. The set main date gives the celebration a specific place on the calendar, while that year’s events should be considered separately.
Separate from this is the Festival Gastronómico del Bollo Petenero, held as part of the 2026 Fiestas Patrias. At this edition, visitors could sample traditional bollos peteneros, preserves, and a variety of typical dishes from Petén and the municipality of Santa Ana at the Plaza Cívica Municipal. For the second year in a row, the festival brought together women from the municipality who preserve the traditional preparation of bollitos. For future editions, confirm the dates; the 2026 edition does not establish a date for a future event.
Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte Visitor Package
The visitor package combines conversations with former FAR guerrilla fighters about life during the guerrilla era with the history of the community and the cooperative. It also includes walks and experiences in the Bosque de la Vida, at Laguna de O’quevix, and at the reforestation project. The conversations and different locations give the package distinct areas of focus: community history, landscape, and reforestation.
The program also includes visits and experiences involving community-based economic activities. These include a fish-farming project, livestock farming, and a tree nursery. These examples complement the historical conversations and nature experiences with insights into community work. If you would like to include the package in your travel plans, arrange your visit directly with the Cooperativa; contact options are available to make arrangements.
Planning Your Trip and Hotel Search
The municipality of Santa Ana in the Departamento del Petén lies 21 kilometers southeast of the departmental capital and 461 kilometers from Guatemala’s capital. The first distance locates Santa Ana within the department, while the second places it in relation to the country’s capital.
The reason for your trip can be a practical starting point when choosing a hotel: if you are interested in the municipal festival, July is the key month; for the visitor package, coordinate the date with the Cooperativa. If you are interested in the gastronomic festival, confirm the dates of a future edition before planning your overnight stays around it.
Discover more destinations: San Andrés, Tikal, San Benito, El Chal, Flores, El Remate, Poptún, Boca del Monte.
For the broader travel overview: Petén.
