Tips for Lake Atitlan Guatemala: what to do and where to stay
A visit to Lake Atitlan should not be missed during your trip through Guatemala. This beautiful lake with clear blue water between huge mountains and volcanoes is a must-visit. There is a lot to do in the various villages around the lake. Each village has its own character and vibe, so where should you stay during your stay there? Lake Atitlan? Below you can read more about the different villages, the best activities, the tastiest restaurants and hotels that we recommend!
The villages around Lake Atitlan
There are a number of villages around Lake Atitlan between the mountains and volcanoes, each with their own character and atmosphere.
- Panajachel: This is the largest village around Lake Atitlan and also the place where you arrive by bus. This village is a bit chaotic and not very pleasant.
- San Pedro: This is the largest village after Panajachel. This village is much livelier and you will find many hotels and nice restaurants here. In addition, most backpackers stay here and there is a lot to do.
- San Marcos: San Marcos is a small and spiritual, somewhat hippie-like village. You will find nice stalls and restaurants here and if you want you can do yoga in plenty of places.
- San Juan: A colorful village with lots of arts and crafts. Nice to visit during the day, but there is not much to do here in the evening.
- Santa Cruz: This is a very quiet and traditional village. There is not much to do and it is therefore not very pleasant to stay.
Fact: In 2010, Lake Atitlan became a popular destination among Jews. As a result, you sometimes see Hebrew texts and a number of restaurants have responded to this with, among other things, pita, hummus and falafel on the menu.
What to do: tips and activities
Rent a SUP or kayak
Around Lake Atitlan you can rent a SUP or kayak in several places to actually discover the lake from the water. If you want to SUP for a long stretch, you can choose to go on a tour. You also get the space to discover things and swim in the clear water of the lake. You can actually rent kayaks anywhere along the water. At some accommodations you can even use the kayaks for free.
Watch the sunrise from the Indian Nose
The Indian Nose is one of the mountains around Lake Atitlan that you can hike. It's called the Indian Nose because the mountain resembles the side of a face. The hike is quite steep, but only takes 40 minutes. After this you can enjoy the sunrise upstairs (if there are no wakes) and the view over the lake. We recommend that you do this with a tour, as the route is quite famous for robberies that take place here. As long as you are in a group with a tour, you don't have to worry about this!
Jump from the 40-foot platform in San Marcos
In San Marcos you will find a park along the edge of the lake where you can take a short walk and have some nice viewpoints. At the end of the walk you come to a 12 meter high platform above the lake. If you feel like it and dare, you can take a leap of faith and enjoy the wonderfully clear water. Would you rather not take such a high jump? Then you can also enter the water through the rocks in several places!
Visit the viewpoint in San Pedro
At the top of the village of San Pedro there is a colorful viewpoint over the village and Lake Atitlan. You can choose to hike here or have a tuc tuc take you there. At the top there are several beautiful paintings with which you can have your picture taken. A nice trip at the end of the day!
Visit the market in Panajachel
In Panajachel there is a huge market with many stalls selling all kinds of things: clothing, key rings and other souvenirs. The market is only open on Thursdays and Sundays and you can also visit with a tour.
Where to stay around Lake Atitlan
We only slept in San Pedro, because we were only there for a few days. We chose this after doing thorough research online. After visiting several villages around the lake, we came to the conclusion that this was a good choice for us. We recommend that you also sleep here if you need a lively environment, even in the evening. You will also find the tastiest restaurants on the lake here. Do you come more for peace and quiet? Then San Marcos can also be a nice place to sleep. You will find nice hotels all around Lake Atitlan, it just depends on what you need in terms of environment!
Transport around the lake
Around Lake Atitlan, one of the means of transport is of course a taxi boat. For a small fee, between 10 and 20 quetzals, you can be taken from one village to another with the local taxi boat. The boat often only leaves when there are enough passengers to fill the boat properly. Sometimes you are lucky that he leaves right away and other times you have to wait a little longer.
You can also use tuc tucs in many villages around Lake Atitlan. When you do something with a tour, you are often picked up by a minivan. There are simply roads between the villages, even though most people use boats. In San Marcos there are no tuc tucs or cars and you can only go by foot.
Restaurants in San Pedro
All the activities around Lake Atitlan will make you hungry. In San Pedro you will find the best restaurants:
- Pita Sabij
- Sababa Restaurant
- TLV Chef BAR
- Tornado’s Coffee
- Coffee Victoria
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Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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About us
Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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