A Guide To Visiting Lake Atitlán

An Overview of Lake Atitlán

Formed in the remains of a massive volcanic crater, Lake Atitlán is a vast body of water found in Guatemala’s stunning mountainous highlands. The region is known for it’s unique pointed volcanic cones, it’s busy tourism towns, lakeside activities, historic coffee plantations and hidden Mayan heritage villages. With dozens of hiking trails, unique lakeside communities, spectacular, mountain-edged sunsets and lovely wildlife, there are many wonderful activities for those visiting Lake Atitlán.

How To Reach Lake Atitlán

There are three main methods for reaching Lake Atitlán from Guatemala City, but all require a brief stop passing through the highland town of Antigua.

Visitors can book a shuttle online or through a travel agency, which is the most popular method. This takes travelers and their luggage to the Lake, switching to vehicles in Antigua. Alternatively, visitors can book a long-distance bus, through these are somewhat slower and tickets can only be purchased in person.

The final method for getting around Guatemala is by use of Chicken Buses. These retrofitted school buses painted with flames, designs and other eye-catching features, are the cheapest method for getting around the country. However, the buses are primarily used by locals, so they’re somewhat crowded and often require bus changes to reach a specific destination.

Note that while Guatemala is a small country, it’s very mountainous and many of the roads aren’t too developed. As a result, getting around the highlands is quite slow and the rugged terrain requires many switchbacks. Bring motion-sickness medicine if rocking vehicular motion is a problem.

The main entry point to Lake Atitlán is Panajachel, called Pana by the locals as a shorthand.  This is considered the ultimate tourist town along the lake, and it’s somewhat noisy when compared to other places.  Pana has very flat streets with numerous shops that are slightly more expensive than other places on the lake.

From Pana, visitors can explore the lake by use of water-taxis, which can seat roughly twenty or so people.

Advice When Visiting Lake Atitlán

Getting around Lake Atitlán is best done using the small water-taxi motorboats which rotate clockwise and counterclockwise through the lake, often stopping at individual settlements to pick up and drop off people.

The water taxis can cost up to 25 Quetzal if you’re heading to the far side of the lake, but generally short hops are always ten. All of the water taxi drivers will try to upcharge, but you can ask an honest local for the real price outside hearing range from the docks. For example, regular rides from Pana to Santa Cruz are only 10 Quetzal. This is also true for the tuk-tuks in various cities, they overcharge substantially. The “Tourist Price” is agreed upon by the various drivers, but they don’t charge the same thing for locals.

There are private water-taxis that can go directly to destinations at the docks in Panajachel. These are generally somewhat swifter but far more expensive. Poachers are usually found in front of the docks and provide this service if someone is interested. If one isn’t in a hurry, be sure to take the “public” taxi at the affordable price.

There are numerous hiking trails which are rugged terrain going between the lakeside cities. These trails, while clear, are known to have muggers armed with machetes along them. It’s recommended to travel these trails in groups. While muggings are not common, they are a frequent warning for people new to the lake area.

The majority of the Lake area only accepts cash. Cash can be withdrawn from ATM’s throughout Guatemala, but Cajero is the most popular ATM service. There is a $4.00 USD charge for cash withdrawals, so it is best to withdraw cash in bulk and hide it somewhere secure.

The trails up to the largest peaks around Lake Atitlán (such as Indian Nose) is well-labeled, but may take multiple days to hike. Most hikers choose to attempt the trail with a guide.

The water from taps around Lake Atitlán is undrinkable. Even filtered or purified water should be boiled before being used for cooking or consumption. Likewise, be wary of ice, which is often made from tap water.

Groceries are generally purchased from San Pedro, Pana or San Marcos. Smaller stalls can be found at other villages, but they’re generally not too diverse. Pana has the largest diversity of options and other goods (such as sunscreen).

Points of Interest Around Lake Atitlán

Panajachel (Pana) 

Known as Pana by locals, this is the main access point to Lake Atitlán. It is a pleasant, somewhat bustling little town with many tourist shops and a couple medium-sized supermarkets. Most visitors choose to stay at other cities and villages along the edges of the lake.

Las Chinitas 

This is an excellent, well-decorated restaurant with hanging plants under a shaded awning. The food here is great for breakfast with vegetarian options and unique Asian-Central-American culinary fusions.

Asawa-ko

This is a small coffee shop in Panajachel with robust WIFI and a great selection of coffee and cake slices. It is en-route down the main walking road going towards the water-taxi staging area

Santa Cruz

This is a small town on Lake Atitlán. Santa Cruz is known for being an extremely steep hiking area. There are many local shops and longer roads leading up into the mountain. Santa Cruz is especially good for the famed hostel-restaurant Iguana. It’s a great staging point for the Santa Cruz to San Marcos Hiking Route, since the trailhead near the docks is obvious and easy-to-find.

Santa Cruz to San Marcos Hiking Route 

This trail is a three hour hike going through several small villages and rather steep cliffs. It is well known for great sunrise views over the lake, but has a bad reputation for muggings. It is advised to hike this short trail with a group.

San Marcos 

This is one of the more popular destinations around the lake. San Marcos is known for being a “hippie town” with laid back vibes and a strong spiritual, yoga and self-improvement culture.

La Sala del Lago 

Located on the East side of San Marcos, this is a popular expat eatery destination. The restaurant has overlooks of the lake and boasts excellent breakfasts and lodging options.

Il Giardino 

This is an extremely shady and pleasant restarant with power outlets available and decent Italian-inspired dishes. The eatery can be found in San Marcos

El Buho 

This is a building with some unique owl artwork. It’s a secondary location for shade and vegetarian meals located in San Marcos.

Circles Café and Bakery 

A local bakery which makes truly splendid cookies and other baked goods. It’s located in San Marcos.

The Moonfish Café 

This is a well-liked local café with great coffee options located on the narrow pedestrian streets of San Marcos.

Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve

This is a slightly hilly nature reserve which is spread across a small penninsula with green spaces and lots of dirt trails. It’s most famous for a small platform made of wood which allows guests to jump into the lake. Other visitors often rest on the rounded boulders near the shore.

San Pedro

San Pedro is the large expat and tourism city located on the southern part of the lake. This city has numerous restaurants and is the launching point for party ferries which drift into the center of the lake. It is an extremely popular destination and has somewhat more traffic and noise than other towns.

Volcan San Pedro Trailhead 

Located just north of San Pedro and easily reached by tuk-tuk, this trailhead leads up to one of the tallest mountains of Lake Atitlán. The trail connects to others for multi-day hikes.

Thermal Baths 

The Thermal Baths of San Pedro consists of several massage and meditation centers which offer naturally heated waters for relaxation. Though there are several around Lake Atitlán, the most popular are in San Pedro.

Cancha Xetiaqapek 

This is a small basketball court located to the East of San Pedro, requiring about two hours to walk to. While the court isn’t popular with tourists, it has access to the numerous lowland trails beneath Volcan San Pedro. These trails lead through some interesting hikes and several extremely isolated beach areas which are excellent for relaxing.

Tzunun’ Ya’ Museum of Mayan Culture

This is a tiny and brightly painted museum which discusses the Mayan culture around Lake Atitlán, the actual geologic formation of the Lake and the Mayan religion. The staff is extremely informative regarding other points of interest around the Lake, especially Mayan ruins.

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