Lake Atitlan – How To Almost Disappear Completely For Nearly A Month

As I traveled through Guatemala, one of my most-anticipated stops was going to be Lake Atitlan. There’s no denying it’s beauty, the history and sheer volume of places to visit. On top of all this, it has the best weather in the country.

Lake Atitlan doesn’t come without it’s struggles too, however, and those also need to be acknowledged. Lake Atitlan is bursting at the seams, in almost every sense. The population has nearly doubled among the dozen or so towns and communities in the past 20 years. A combination of expats and locals moving to the area has left it struggling to keep up with waste, with infrastructure, and there were times where it was easy to feel guilty about being there.

Having said that, I did have a wonderful time there. It truly is a stunning place, filled with wonderful people and places, and feels like a unique part of the country, almost isolated from the rest of it in some ways.

During my time in Lake Atitlan, I stayed in five different towns around the lake, and visited another, to make it an even six.

I wanted to provide some tips and tricks, a list of places I stayed at, along with some restaurants that I checked out. I also have a full video series from the lake, in eight parts, which I will link to at the bottom.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but is simply a reflection of my time there, the places I experienced, and other help I can provide.

Arriving In/Getting To Lake Atitlan

Personally, I arrived at Lake Atitlan via Xela (Quetzaltenango), by bus. I booked a shuttle via GuateGo to drive me. I usually just take chicken buses and colectivos, but for whatever reason I decided to go with this. The tourist shuttles are… fine. They’re comfortable, they have AC, and usually do a good job of getting you there on time. This one was $35US for the 5 hour (or so) ride. They picked me up at the door of the place I was staying, and dropped me at the port of Panajachel to grab the water taxi to San Pedro.

You can do the same thing with chicken buses, but it’s a couple of transfers, and waiting around, which can turn it into a longer day for sure.

Anyway, I opted for a shuttle this time (one of only three times in my entire trip so far!).

San Pedro La Laguna

This is where it all began. San Pedro La Laguna is one of the more developed towns around the lake, and has become a bit of a backpacker haven. Bars, hostels, Spanish schools, and an impressive variety of restaurants make this an easy place to settle in.

I stayed at Hotel Peneleu a budget-friendly spot right in the heart of the town with an upper terrace that offered a great view of the lake.

San Juan La Laguna

From my first stop in San Pedro, I took a short tuk-tuk ride over to San Juan La Laguna. What a contrast. San Juan is known for its strong embrace of Mayan culture and arts. It’s quieter, more traditional, and filled with co-ops and artist collectives. This was the first place around the lake where I really felt immersed in something ancient and alive.

I visited the town square, walked the main road lined with art galleries, and tried all the local places for meals. Deleite Ancestral experience was an incredible experience in San Juan, and I can’t recommend it enough.

I stayed at Alojamiento San Juan, which offered a quiet, comfortable place with a terrace that had a killer view.

Santiago Atitlan

Santiago Atitlan is the largest town on the lake and deeply rooted in Tz’utujil Maya culture. I visited the famous church with its haunting history, the main market, and of course, paid my respects to Maximón — the cigar-smoking folk saint.

I stayed at Casa Rebeca, which was a quiet, locally owned place with an amazing view of the volcano out the windows. This town left me with a lot to think about. It has layers. It was a powerful, grounding stop.

San Lucas Toliman

Possibly one of the quietest stops, but also one of the most authentic. San Lucas Tolimán isn’t a big draw for most tourists, which made it feel even more genuine. It was here I found calm mornings and long, slow meals at local comedores.

I stayed at Casa Qatzij, a popular local place that offers both shared and private rooms. It had one of the most relaxing vibes of the whole journey, and one of the most affordable private rooms anywhere!

Panajachel

Panajachel (or Pana) is the main transportation hub for the lake. It’s where most people arrive before heading to other towns by boat. Pana has the most infrastructure, banks, pharmacies, big markets, and a pretty extensive tourist strip.

This was also where I stayed for a few days to catch up on editing and eat some western food. I stayed at Mario’s Rooms, which was super comfortable and quiet, despite being right on the main road. I still took time to explore the backstreets and waterfront paths, enjoying some great views of the lake.

Getting Around The Lake

Getting around the lake, it’s really a few options, depending on your plans. The water taxis are everywhere in Lake Atitlan, and generally do a great job getting you from Panajachel to the other towns. Getting around the edge of the lake from town to town can be a little trickier. For example, getting from San Juan over to Santiago would be easy, you’d think. But it involved going from San Juan to San Pedro’s east dock, then hiking across town to the west dock to find a boat heading to Santiago. It took some time (and double the cost) this way.

Another option is chicken buses, as they seem to do a good job of circling the towns around the lake, I used one to go from Santiago over to San Lucas as again, the boats were infrequent. Super cheap though, and a great way to get around if water options aren’t lining up.

Lastly of course are Tuktuks and taxis. Great for zooming around towns, or going from one town to the next. A lot of them will stop at the town line, and have you get out there, to connect with a Tuktuk from the next town you’re headed to.

Hikes Around Lake Atitlan

While I didn’t stay in San Pablo itself, I did hike to it along the main road that goes around the lake. I left from San Juan and it took a little over 90 minutes to get to San Pablo, a sleepy local town that had almost zero tourists in it. Was a really nice hike along the lake, and a great experience.

My other main hike was to the mirador (lookoff) above San Lucas Toliman. It was a bit of a rough path, mostly just a dirt walking path carved out of the side of the hill. But the view at the top was amazing and well worth it.

Recommended Eats

One of the reasons to check to many different towns around Lake Atitlan, is the food. Every town was incredible, and had its own unique flavors. Deleite Ancestral Experience in San Juan tops them all.

This locally owned, traditionally inspired food comes from a place that looks like you’ve stepped back in time. An amazing meal created by the owner, who spent time talking to me about her family and history. It was a really great experience, made more by the fact that the night I was there, I was the only guest.

YouTube Video Series On Lake Atitlan

If you want to watch the full 6-part video series, check out the playlist on my YouTube channel.

Thanks for being here. ✌️