Santa Ana: Settlement History, Festival and Food Culture

The municipality of Santa Ana in the Department of Petén can be explored through several specific topics: its settlement history, the festival held in July, the visitor package offered by Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte, and regional food culture. A notable culinary event was the Festival Gastronómico del Bollo Petenero, held in September 2026 as part of the Fiestas Patrias.

Settlement History and the July Festival

The settlement history includes two named sites. 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. Ixponé, or Santa Ana Vieja, and Barrio Buena Vista represent two distinct place names and points in the settlement’s history.

The municipal festival takes place in July, with its main day on July 26. On this day, the Catholic Church honors Santa Ana, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the town’s patron saint. The July date gives your trip planning a clear time frame. If you would like to attend the celebration, check the dates of that year’s festival in advance.

A Visitor Package from Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte

Cooperativa Nuevo Horizonte offers a visitor package that includes conversations about the history of the community and the cooperative. Contact the cooperative to arrange a visit. The same package includes walks and experiences in the Bosque de la Vida, at Laguna de O’quevix, and at the reforestation project. Visits and experiences involving community-based economic activities round out the program: these include a fish-farming project, livestock farming and a tree nursery.

When choosing the purpose of your trip, you can distinguish the visit from the festival calendar: the package brings together community history, walks and community projects, while the festival takes place in July.

Culinary Traditions of Petén

The food culture also offers a specific connection to the community. At the Festival Gastronómico del Bollo Petenero, held as part of the Fiestas Patrias 2026, 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 of Santa Ana who preserve the traditional preparation of bollitos. The municipality planned to continue holding the festival annually; check the dates of future editions before your trip.

Location and Trip Planning

The municipality of Santa Ana in the Department of Petén is 21 kilometers southeast of the departmental capital and 461 kilometers from Guatemala City. You can use this information to match your search for a vacation rental to the focus and timing of your trip.

Discover more destinations: San Andrés, San José, El Naranjo, El Chal, Flores, Tikal, El Remate, Jobompiche

For the broader travel overview: Petén.