We have been waiting for years for the right time to visit Guatemala and for Kevin’s birthday (and a friend’s), we decided to head to Guatemala for a little exploration and R&R. This country has always been somewhat mysterious to me. Growing up, you would hear of mission trips to the country, or people going to teach English but I didn’t hear about vacations. But that has changed and in the last couple of decades, it has been found, but with still keeping that vibe that peaks a travel curiosity. Not knowing what you will get from a country that some say is dangerous. We say, not so much. We learned of its vibrant culture, laid back way of life and beautiful landscapes.

A little history to start. Lake Atitlan was created by a volcanic eruption, which created the massive volcanic crater. The United States has been a part of this country for decades since they gained independence from the Spanish. While not always the best relationship, the country could not be more welcoming. We couldn’t believe when we learned that Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, the 4th most populous country in North American and the 11th most populous country in the Americas with almost 18 million people.

With this history, it wouldn’t be a surprise that half the country is still considered indigenous Mayan. While part of the country is still Spanish speaking and with Spanish background, they seem to have been able to make it work and live together. This was the first trip where English was not the common language spoken. It was Spanish. With the many Mayan dialects, when everyone comes together, Spanish is the dominant language. English is not always taught. Even being in Guatemala City at the international airport, you will come across workers who do not know English. We loved every minute of that!

Exploring Guatemala

The three main areas that people decide to vacation in are; Guatemala City, Antigua and Lake Atitlán. After a lot of research and discussion we decided for our week that we would explore Lake Atitlán. We didn’t want a big city or a touristy town. We wanted to be immersed with the locals and their way of life. Plus we were looking for a laid back vibe and Lake Atitlán was known for that. With the towns surrounding the lake known for still being indigenous to Guatemala, it is where we felt like our experience would be what we wanted.

Exploring Lake Atitlán

The first thing to mention about Lake Atitlán is that it sits at 5,000′! I was not aware of this and didn’t even think to look, but you will notice that when you start driving to the lake, you climb and climb and at one point you hit over 8,000′. The lake is surrounded by mountains, hills and volcanoes and so every inch of lake has an incredible backdrop. You will also find that a lot of the eco friendly huts are along the hillsides. This isn’t a lake with resorts lining the waterfront.

Be aware that it is a bit of a trek to get to. Especially from the United States. We had 2 flights, then a 3.5 hour shuttle ride to the lake and that was only with about 75 km distance. Any trip starts and ends at Panajachel. This is one of the larger towns along the lake and has the best access via the road from Guatemala City or Antigua. Once you arrive you have to hop on a public or private water taxi to your destination along the lake. For us, San Marcos La Laguna was about 15-25 minutes (private) depending on the weather.

We know that a week was not going to be enough but we still decided to make the journey to the lake to see what we could. Here are the places we explored, a few that we missed and a few that we didn’t want to.

Panajachel

Known as the gateway to Lake Atitlan, it’s everyone’s first stop.

Tours (whether on the lake or to Antigua or Chichicastenango Market), or water taxis getting you to your first destination on the lake (or getting you to your journey home). It is a good destination to call home because there are always plentiful water taxis to get you to wherever you need to get on the lake and the most amenities of any town on Lake Atitlan. You will also find a campground, hotels and a lot more nightlife here. There are a few large grocery stores, department stores and gas stations if you are driving.

If you are staying somewhere else on the lake and get there in the evening, make sure to go to the grocery store first to get you through the night or any specific things you want to find to have during your stay.

San Marcos La Laguna

We ended up in San Marcos La Laguna and by the end of the trip we realized that it was the absolute best place to stay! We absolutely LOVED it! Even by the end of the trip, I still think it was the best decision and would stay here again over any of the other towns we explored.

It felt more like a community here and not just tourists. The ability to walk to town and go to any of its multiple produce markets, cafes or walk the pathway to the docks where all the fun shops are was the best. The community itself is laid back and welcoming. You will run into locals, tourists and expats that call it home. This isn’t a town that is known for its nightlife, more so for its way of life. Don’t expect night clubs or fancy restaurants but to help out local vendors and feel like you are home. It is a place to take in the indigenous Mayan culture.

Another great thing about San Marcos is the ability to get in or on the water. There are places where you should not swim around the lake, but San Marcos isn’t one of them. Kayaking/SUPing are very popular and there is a park where you can pay to enter to jump off the platform and then sun bath the rest of the day.

San Marcos has a lot of hostels and homes to rent. We decided to rent a home through VRBO and loved its location and private dock. It was a 10 minute walk to the center of town but then nestled in a cove where you could relax and really enjoy the landscapes.

San Pedro La Laguna

San Pedro La Laguna is one of the more popular towns along the lake. Popular with backpackers, this town has a lot of amenities, cheap places to stay and the nightlife that some love.

When you arrive at the docks, you are immediately welcomed with the colors that Guatemala is known for. Decorations and beautiful streets. I didn’t do my research regarding what it would be like around the lake. I am from Minnesota so around every lake it is flat. I know that people come here to hike the volcano, but I guess I didn’t realize that the entire lake was surrounded by mountains. Whenever you go you would arrive to a climb to get to the main area.

San Pedro had many options for getting a bite to eat with a view, coffee or a drink throughout the day. Mostly focused on food and drink (which is never a bad thing), you could also find a place for Spanish lessons, a dock to swim or a few local shops. You may even be sharing your lounge area with a local street cat!

You can swim in this area but they suggest only from the docks provided right from town. Waste and toxins are dumped into this lake in certain areas, so you must be aware of where you are swimming. The docks were very popular here, as most you could have a drink while sun bathing.

San Juan La Laguna

This was our favorite town to explore while being on Lake Atitlan. The multiple streets lined with colorful decorations, the street art and the plentiful restaurants was great. It was an easy boat ride from either San Pedro or San Marcos.

The street with umbrellas is your first stop when getting off the water. Most of the local shops are along this street. Make sure to get some freshly cut fruit or some fried chicken! Once you get to the top you have a few more areas to explore. Find the street with Sombreros! It was a fun walk and you get to go by a local school. San Juan does have some markets and small grocery stores if you are looking for snacks to have during the day.

I was not expecting all the street art in all the towns, you could really make a day of just checking that out. It was incredible to see. Some of the towns actually hire artists and locals to paint.

The local church is in the center of town, just a few steps away from the main street. You can peak inside but it isn’t meant for tourists to hang around.

Panajachel, San Marcos, San Pedro and San Juan were the towns we explored around the city and we were happy with those choices. These are definitely worth your while if you are coming to Lake Atitlan for a short or long stay and in our opinion are the must see towns to give you an idea of the local community.

Towns we missed and ones that we didn’t want to see.

We missed Santa Cruz La Laguna, Jaibalito and exploring more of Panajachel. Unfortunately our time didn’t include Santa Cruz and Jaibalito. With having to take a water taxi every time we left town, we didn’t make it to every stop on the lake. We also missed hiking any of the volcanos or exploring the camping stops.

We didn’t want to explore San Pablo. We walked through during a run to get our legs moving a bit one day and it was hard. This town had the most stray dogs in the worst shape. It was unfortunate. There also wasn’t any touristy thing to do here. No markets, shops or restaurants that were apparent for tourists.

Traveling on Lake Atitlan

While exploring Lake Atitlan, you can either drive around most of the lake but water taxis are a lot faster and more efficient and cheaper. Picture on the left is a private water taxi that might cost 500 quetzals for four people which is about $60 USD round trip or depending on the captain $350 quetzals for one way for four people, which is about $44 USD. Picture on the right is the public water taxi. Locals take these taxis every day. So when you hear their cost, do not expect to get the same thing as a tourist or expat. One way is 25 quetzals for one person, which is about $3 USD (so don’t try and haggle). The thing with the public water taxis, is there is no schedule. You show up at the dock and they fill the boat before they take off. So you could wait 1 minute or 30+ minutes. And they do fill the boats.

Tuk tuks are a nice options around town or to your lodging. They are fun and around 10 quetzals, one way for one person. You can hire them for the morning to take you to the markets to pick up everything you need and take you back. That is a price you can figure out with the tuk tuk you find. Don’t worry, they are everywhere, you will never have problems finding them. They will even take you to the next town if it is close enough. It is popular between San Pedro and San Juan and between San Marcos and San Pablo.

One of the days that we were there we decided to take a day tour to Chichicastenango and experience the famous Chichicastenango Market! Subscribe below to not miss this amazing experience at the largest indigenous market in Central America!

Love to pin? Use this one!