Complete Lake Atitlan Travel Guide – Everything you Need to Know
Atitlan is a big lake in Guatemala that people often compare with lake Como in Italy. It is surrounded by volcanoes and 11 little towns, each with its own character. The temperature at Lake Atitlan is beautiful all year round, it’s like spring in Italy. I stayed for three weeks in total and found some really unique and beautiful spots that you shouldn’t miss when visiting the lake. In this guide you will find everything you need to know before visiting Lake Atitlan and get some useful tips for digital nomads.
Currency: Quetzales (80Q = 1USD)
Language: Spanish
How to get to Lake Atitlan
There are basically three ways to get to Lake Atitlan. You can either take a taxi, book a shuttle bus or take the chicken bus. Most people arrive at the airport in Guatemala City and book a shuttle bus from there to the lake.
You can book a shuttle bus to different locations around Lake Atitlan. If you want to get to towns like San Pedro or San Marcos, I would recommend you to book a shuttle bus directly from the airport to the town. Some people will tell you to take the bus to Panajachel and then a boat to another town, but in the end this way is more complicated and takes the same amount of time.
The chicken bus is a great option for the adventurous traveler, because you’re traveling like a local. This is definitely the most budget friendly way to travel, but there are no direct chicken buses going from Guatemala City or Antigua to Lake Atitlan. You will have to change about 4 times to get to the lake, so it might be a good option if you’re backpacking.
Is Lake Atitlan safe?
Traveling at Lake Atitlan is very safe if you respect general safety rules. I traveled solo at Lake Atitlan and never felt unsafe. Also, tuk tuks in San Pedro only cost 10 Quetzales (1.30 USD), so if you ever don’t feel 100% comfortable you can always get a tuk tuk. The only place I’ve heard of that you should avoid is the Volcan Atitlan hike. It’s the only hike that is not safe, even when you book a tour. Apart from that, hikes are very safe in Guatemala and you should definitely do some of them, like the Acatenango or the Pacaya hike.
Best Towns at Lake Atitlan
There are many towns around Lake Atitlan and the most popular ones are Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna and San Marcos La Laguna.
Panajachel
Panajachel is the place where many people arrive before they go to another town on the lake, which explains why this town feels like a small harbor city. The town has a lot of shops, restaurants and cafes you can explore. The only downside is that the town is built away from the water, so you won’t find many waterside restaurants or bars.
One reason why many people stay in Panajachel is the Selina hostel. The coworking space is the best place to work with a fast and stable internet connection at the lake.
San Pedro La Laguna
San Pedro is the most popular town around the lake where you will find most backpackers. The town is built around the water and it’s on a little hill, which means that you will find plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars that have an amazing view on the lake. The best cafes to work from are Idea Connection and Sababa cafe. The best restaurants to have dinner are Sababa restaurant and Pita Sabij.
It’s also a great spot to go kayaking and paddle boarding. If you walk up the hill you will find the local farmers market with fresh vegetables, fruits and more. What I love about San Pedro is that you will find street art around every corner.
San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos is the most spiritual town by the lake. If you’re interested in Yoga, meditation, cacao ceremonies, Temazcal, tarot readings and more, this is the place to go. It’s very small, so you can easily explore everything in about 2-3 hours. There is basically one street with lots of shops and cafes that starts right by the water and behind that you will find the place where the locals live. Eagles Nest, the most popular Yoga studio, is also in San Marcos.
If you would ask for my opinion, I think that San Marcos is the most beautiful town at the lake. It’s more laid back and quiet than San Pedro and Panajachel and it has countless good spots to swim in the lake. There aren’t that many restaurants or cafes, but the ones you find here are really good. You should definitely visit Circles Cafe, Cafe Bakery & Restaurant Tercer Ojo and Il Giardino.
Of course, that’s just my opinion. The best thing you can do is to explore different towns, make up your own mind and put it in the comments down below!
Best time to travel
The dry season at Lake Atitlan is from November to the end of April. Over the course of the year the temperature varies from 17 to 27 degrees, which makes this place feel like you’re traveling in spring/ summer. The great thing is that even the rain season is not that bad, compared to other places in Central and South America. It’s usually sunny in the morning and around noon/ afternoon it gets windy and it rains for a few hours. If you travel to lake Atitlan during low season to avoid the crowds, you can use the morning hours to explore and the afternoon to relax.
Best Things to Do at Lake Atitlan
1. Indian Nose
The Indian nose is a lookout from where you can see a spectacular sunrise at Lake Atitlan. The tour only costs 80 Quetzales (10 USD) and they will pick you up at your accommodation around 4am. The shuttle bus will drive you to the closest point of the lookout and from there you need to hike about 30min. The view from the Indian Nose is absolutely stunning, I personally could do this over and over again.
From there you can even see the Acatenango volcano, close to Antigua. When I did the hike I could even see an eruption with lava from the Acatenango! You will also arrive at the lookout pretty early, so you can see the full sunrise. While you’re waiting they will give you a small pastry and fresh coffee. It’s the perfect way to start the day!
2. Go Kayaking or SUP on the lake
Kayaking on the lake is one of the most fun things to do at Lake Atitlan. The rental costs between 15-20 Quetzales (2 – 2.50 USD) per hour. I always rented my kayak at Kayaks & Paddle Board Hito, but there are many rentals you can choose from. The best time to go kayaking, especially during the rainy season, is the morning. During the morning the water is super calm and it’s usually sunny. From San Pedro you can paddle across the lake and you will find many beautiful beaches with super clear water.
Once I went kayaking in San Pedro with my friends and we found a beach called Playa Las Cristalinas, which is between San Juan and San Pablo. Because it’s not right by a town there is usually nobody here and the water is the clearest I have seen at Lake Atitlan. It’s perfect for a little swim and you can easily get here by renting kayaks in San Pedro.
3. Take a Yoga class
As mentioned earlier there are lots of Yoga studios in San Marcos and it’s the best place to do Yoga at Lake Atitlan. Eagles Nest is definitely the most beautiful spot to do Yoga, but also the most expensive one. If you’re on a budget, you could just visit Eagles Nest to see the Yoga deck or visit some of their events. There are a lot more Yoga studios where you pay less. A single class at Eagles Nest is about 150 Quetzales (19 USD) and at other Yoga studios you only pay about 50 Quetzales (6 USD). Another option would be to buy a package of Yoga classes at Eagles Nest, this way each class costs you a lot less.
4. Explore the Street Art
Like mentioned before, there is so much street art at Lake Atitlan, especially in San Pedro. The best thing you can do is to just walk around and keep your eyes open. You will see amazing paintings around every corner. For me, exploring San Pedro felt like a free art exhibition. The paintings are definitely something special, because they tell about the culture and history of Lake Atitlan.
5. Go cliff jumping
In San Marcos you can also do cliff jumping, which is super fun! The highest point from where you can jump is 12 m/ 39 ft high, but there are many spots from where you can jump. It’s also a fantastic spot to relax and go for a swim on a sunny day. The cliffs are in a national park, so you will have to pay 15 Quetzales (2 USD) to get in (unless you walk in from the west side). If you walk up to Atitlantis Magic Shop and then take the stairs down on the other side of the road you’re entering the national park for free. If you keep walking to the left you will get to the spot where you can do cliff jumping.
6. Go handicraft shopping
In the local shops you will find beautiful clothes, paintings, bags, wallets and more souvenirs. I usually don’t buy souvenirs, because I’m a full time traveler, but in this case I couldn’t resist. The ponchos in Guatemala are so pretty and Lake Atitlan has the best shops to buy them!
7. Visit a street market
There are lots of street markets around the lake. In San Pedro you will find the street market when you follow the main road up the hill. After a few minutes walking you will feel like you’re in an authentic Guatemalan town. The main road by the water is the spot where you will find most cafes, bars, restaurants and of course, tourists. If you walk up the hill you will mostly see locals and you will find the market. Here you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables and more for the local price.
8. Explore the other towns
Panajachel, San Pedro and San Marcos are just the three most popular towns, but there are 8 more towns and villages around Lake Atitlan. The boats are really affordable and they run from early morning till afternoon. For example, the boat from Panajachel to San Pedro costs 20 Quetzales (2.50 USD). For shorter distances, like San Pedro to San Marcos, you will pay even less.
9. Go horseback riding
Horseback riding tours in San Pedro only cost 120 Quetzales (15 USD) for two hours. It’s a unique and fun way to see more of the area. The only thing you need to know is that you need to book for at least two people to do the tour, so if you’re a solo traveler you need to find someone who wants to join you. There are different times available in the morning and you can book it with Benjy tours, which you will find everywhere in town.
10. Visit the Chichicastenango Market
This market is known to be the largest and most colorful market in Central America. Long before tourists visited this market Maya groups have traveled far and wide to Chichicastenango to trade their food, textiles, medicines and more. Until this day you can find the market in Chichicastenango twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Chichicastenango is about 1.5 h from Panajachel and the easiest way to get there is by shuttle bus. If you book a tour they will pick you up at 8am and you should be back in Panajachel by 2pm.
Where to stay
Sababa Resort (luxury)
The Sababa resort is located in San Pedro and is right by the water. The rooms are large and luxurious, there is a big pool with a bar, volleyball field and Yoga deck. It’s the perfect place to relax and it’s only a few minutes walking from the main road in San Pedro where you will find most restaurants and bars. Also the breakfast is absolutely amazing, probably the best I have ver had in a resort!
Hostal Corazón de San Pedro (budget)
Hostal Corazón is a simple hostel in San Pedro, perfect if you’re traveling on a budget. The hostel has a kitchen and rooftop terrace from where you have a really nice view on the town and the lake. I personally really liked this hostel because of it’s rooftop and the fact that it’s not on the main road, which means it’s more quiet at night.
Useful to know
The people at Lake Atitlan believe in the spirit of the Lake, which is one of the deepest lakes in Central America. Some parts of the lake can reach depths exceeding 300 meters (1,000 feet) and there is a town buried beneath the waters of Lake Atitlan. The town is called Samabaj, and it’s a submerged Mayan village that was discovered in the early 2000s. The town was believed to have been established around 300 B.C. and was eventually abandoned for unknown reasons.
At Lake Atitlan the boats always drive close to the shore, nobody goes straight through the middle. The people also don’t like to be on the water after sunset, which explains why the last boat from San Pedro to Panajachel goes at 4pm, so it can be back before sunset. The last boat from Panajachel to San Pedro goes at 5pm.
Lake Atitlan is a really magical place you should definitely see when you’re traveling through Central America. If you’re backpacking a few days at the lake might be enough for you to see everything and if you’re working remotely you might want to spend a little more time here.
I would love to hear if this is a destination you would like to visit or if you’ve already been here in the comments down below!
