Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is without a doubt the most fascinating destination I’ve ever visited.
Although plenty of backpackers pass through this lake while they’re in Guatemala, very few settle down and spend six weeks there as I did in late 2017/early 2018.
During my time at Lake Atitlan I walked across swinging bridges, visited a drunken Mayan deity, watched a volcano erupt in the distance, and made friends with numerous locals. It was the greatest experience that a traveler could ask for and one which had a truly profound impact on my life.
With this being said, I want to tell you everything that I know about Lake Atitlan.
Even if you don’t plan on visiting Guatemala in your lifetime, I hope you will use this article to learn about a unique corner of the world and to broaden your view of Central America as a whole.
Is Guatemala Safe?
Before I start talking about Lake Atitlan specifically, I wanted to answer the question that may be on your mind: is Guatemala safe?
The answer is, for the most part, yes.
Now if you’re wondering why Guatemala is often synonymous with violent crime, look no further than it’s capital, Guatemala City. Similar to most large cities in Central America, Guatemala City definitely has a problem with violence.
The solution?
Get out of Guatemala City as soon as your flight lands! You can arrange for a shuttle or private taxi to take you from the airport in Guatemala City to Antigua, which is about an hour away. Antigua is very safe and you won’t have any problems getting there.
Similarly, Lake Atitlan is also very safe. Compared to the rest of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan experiences an unusually low level of crime throughout its numerous villages.
One important factor that contributes to this low level of crime is the fact that most locals are of indigenous heritage and they abide by strict community guidelines relating to crime and moral behavior. If a local is caught committing a crime, they will be ostracized by the entire community.
Another element that I want to point out is the fact that violent crime in these countries is not generally targeted at tourists. When you read about violence in places like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc., you are reading about violence between people that live there.
Simply put, don’t make yourself a target and you won’t become one.
Lake Atitlan Overview
Lake Atitlan, which is the deepest lake in Central America, is home to numerous villages of indigenous Maya heritage. Each village has unique characteristics and yet they all share a common goal of celebrating their rich cultural identity. For a detailed description of this fascinating identity, see our article about Mayan culture in Guatemala and Mexico.
While Lake Atitlan is known for this vibrant culture, it’s also incredibly scenic. In fact, the Prussian naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt once described Atitlan as “the most beautiful lake in the world.”
If Alexander von Humboldt said so, it must be true. However, you may be wondering, what really makes this lake so visually striking?
For one, Lake Atitlan is flanked by three immense stratovolcanoes on its southern end. These three volcanoes (Volcan San Pedro, Volcan Toliman, and Volcan Atitlan) tower above the surrounding landscape and can be seen from almost every village on the lake. The best views are from Santa Cruz and San Marcos, which we’ll discuss later on.
Now I’m sure that you’ve seen a volcano before but have you ever seen three that are so close together that they appear to be touching?
I didn’t think so.
Aside from the volcanoes, the terrain around the lake is very mountainous and it gives off the impression that the outside world doesn’t exist. Oftentimes you’ll see dramatic clouds rolling over these hills and giving depth to the skies above this enormous lake.
When you aren’t admiring the water itself you may fall in love with the lush greenery that encompasses the edges of the lake. Many restaurants and hostels around Lake Atitlan are situated within this greenery so you’ll likely feel like you are constantly immersed within nature.
Basically you have an extremely large body of water, three immense volcanoes, sharp peaks that encircle the lake, and dense vegetation almost everywhere.
What more do you need?
How To Get To Lake Atitlan
Now let’s get into the logistics. For those who want to read about Lake Atitlan but aren’t necessarily planning on visiting, you can skip ahead to the next section.
If you’re wondering how to get to Lake Atitlan, it’s pretty easy. You have two options after landing in Guatemala City: either you go through Antigua or you go straight there.
Most people land in Guatemala City, take a shuttle/taxi over to the colonial city of Antigua (1 hour), spend a few days there, and then take another shuttle over to the lake (3 hours). You can use either private transportation or a shared shuttle in both scenarios. My recommendation would be to contact your hotel or hostel and have them help you arrange transportation.
The second option would be to skip Antigua altogether and go straight from the airport to Lake Atitlan. In this case, you’ll likely want to hire private transportation as shared shuttles pass through and stop in Antigua for multiple hours, which will definitely slow you down.
In terms of your actual arrival at the lake, the simplest method would be to arrive in Panajachel via the Pan American Highway and then take a small boat called a Lancha to your final destination. Lanchas are the main method of transportation around Lake Atitlan because the roads are overall in poor condition. Further, there aren’t that many cars around the lake.
If you’re staying in San Pedro and want to forgo Panajachel altogether, it is possible to drive straight there. However, in my opinion, it’s more complicated and will likely cost you more money. Further, the road is somewhat precarious so don’t take this route if you’re prone to motion sickness.
Where To Stay In Lake Atitlan
What To Do In Lake Atitlan
There are so many cool things to do in Lake Atitlan that I’m not sure I could cover all of them even if I tried. What I can do is offer you ideas for activities that I’ve done in various villages around the lake.
Panajachel
Let’s start with Panajachel. My favorite thing to do in Lake Atitlan’s main hub is to visit the Atitlan Nature Reserve. It’s full of swinging bridges (remember this from the intro?), waterfalls, hiking trails, wildlife, and zip lines! There’s also a huge butterfly garden that’s quite interesting to walk through.
It costs 70Q (about $9) to enter and then there are additional costs if you would like to zip line. Visiting the reserve is truly an adventure in and of itself and a great way to stay active in Panajachel.
Santa Cruz La Laguna
In Santa Cruz you can walk around the village and then eat lunch at Cafe Sabor Cruceno, which is a part of the Amigos de Santa Cruz nonprofit charity. Eating at this restaurant will actually help the community as the charity works to combat chronic malnutrition and poverty within Santa Cruz and the surrounding area.
If you need further convincing that you should eat at this restaurant, let me say that the food is delicious and the views are incredible! The Amigos de Santa Cruz charity does so many beneficial things for this community so feel free to check them out to see the incredible work that they do.
San Marcos La Laguna
In San Marcos you should attend some of the daily events that I previously mentioned. You’ll find a chalkboard along the main walkway that lists these events alongside their times and locations.
San Marcos is also home to numerous restaurants that all seem to serve incredibly healthy food. My two favorite restaurants in San Marcos are Circles Cafe & Bakery and the Konojel community center. Circles is a cafe and bakery in the center of town that has a very European vibe. They have the most amazing combination of breakfast food, pastries, breads, and organic coffee. There’s also a beautiful outdoor seating area situated within a lush garden.
Similar to Amigos de Santa Cruz, Konojel is both a restaurant and a nonprofit charity that serves the community in various ways. If you eat at their restaurant you’ll be supporting charitable causes such a daily lunch program for malnourished children, skill and business training for local female entrepreneurs, and a computer access program to support educational projects for students.
Circles Cafe and Konojel are actually right across the walkway from one another so why not check them both out while you’re there?
In terms of physical activity, you can spend time relaxing in or hiking around San Marcos’ nature reserve, which is called Cerro Tzankujil. This reserve is not nearly as large as the one in Panajachel but it’s scenic, has access to the lake, and it features a nice hiking trail. There’s also a platform that you can jump off of and descend a whopping 30 feet into the lake below.
Yikes.
San Juan La Laguna
San Juan is probably my favorite spot on Lake Atitlan since it doesn’t experience as much tourism as some of the other villages. It’s a great place to just observe the local way of life. However, my favorite thing to do in San Juan is to take a guided walking tour of the various cooperatives within the village.
These cooperatives are composed of multiple individuals or families that have decided to work together to sell a specific type of product. They’re created with the goal of improving the lives of the families involved and to promote local businesses within the community.
During this walking tour you’ll visit diverse cooperatives that sell items such as plant-based medicines, handwoven textiles, locally produced chocolate, artistic paintings, and leather products. Although you can certainly purchase any of these products (I bought a bar of cinnamon chocolate and a small painting), you’ll also hear the inspirational stories that lead to the creation of these cooperatives.
It’s truly heartwarming to learn about and support these local businesses in a community that’s plagued by a lack of employment opportunities.
Santiago Atitlan
Santiago is the largest town on Lake Atitlan and yet it is arguably the most difficult one to reach. This is due to the fact that public boats travel to Santiago less frequently (only from Panajachel and San Pedro) and they don’t depart from the main docks. Your best bet is to ask someone to point you in the direction of the dock that serves Santiago.
Although reaching Santiago is somewhat inconvenient, the journey is definitely worthwhile as there are many fascinating sites within the town. When you arrive at the dock you’ll no doubt be approached by diverse people trying to sell you diverse items and services.
The only service you should be interested in is the guided Tuk Tuk tour of Santiago’s five famous sites. Tour operators will likely pitch you on this specific expedition and you should definitely bargain with them before accepting it.
Once you’ve paid for the tour, you’ll step into a Tuk Tuk (which is similar to a taxi) and be driven around the town. Here are the five sites that you’ll stop at:
- Lookout Point: A scenic lookout point where you can take pictures of one of the volcanoes and the surrounding terrain.
- Parque de la Paz/Peace Park: A park in Santiago that was the scene where 14 unarmed protestors were killed by the military during the vicious Guatemalan Civil War. The park is a memorial to these victims and serves as a reminder to all of the devastating consequences of war.
- Mayan Bath: This is a site where residents of Santiago go to bathe and wash their clothes in the lake. The tour guide called this place “Mayan Facebook” because the families will supposedly gossip about each other and what is happening around the town.
- Maximon: Maximon is a Mayan deity that some residents of Santiago worship. He is a lifelike wooden statue that is consistently dressed much nicer than you or I. Residents who are ill, old, or infertile will visit Maximon and pray for improved health or fertility. In order to facilitate this ritual, Maximon must always be smoking a lit cigarette and people will often give him liquor as an offering. If you ask someone what Maximon does, they will tell you that he only smokes, drinks, and sleeps.
- Santiago Atitlan Church: At the very end of the tour you’ll be dropped off at Santiago’s main church, which is right next to the outdoor produce market. You can enter the church and walk around if you like.
Read More: 21 Best Things To Do In Guatemala
The Land Of Eternal Spring
We’re now at the end of this crazy long article! I hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about this unique destination and that you may consider visiting and supporting the local communities sometime.
Before finishing I wanted to leave you with one last fact about the lake and Guatemala as a whole. Lake Atitlan is located within the Guatemalan highlands, an area which receives favorable year-round weather due to its elevation and distance from the equator. This weather has caused Guatemala to be known as the “Land of Eternal Spring” and I think it’s quite fitting.
The Land of Eternal Spring is so much more than people make it out to be. Contrary to popular belief, Guatemala is not a country where danger lurks around every corner. It’s a country full of vibrant culture, small villages, imposing volcanoes, lush forests, and friendly locals that welcome you with open arms.
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Plan Your Trip To Guatemala
Accommodations: We recommend using Booking.com and Hostelworld for reserving accommodations. Both of these booking sites are easy to use and they feature a wide range of options. You can compare prices, view photos, and read reviews to help you find the perfect accommodation.
Lake Atitlan Hotels:
Lake Atitlan Hostels:
Flights: We recommend using Kiwi to find cheap flights. Their interface is user friendly and they help you find the best deals on flights to any destination.
The closest airport to Lake Atitlan is the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City:
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What a wonderful post. Love all the information you provided and even though I never heard of this lake before I really want to visit now. Photos of it are breathtaking, such green water. Stunning.
Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment! Yes the lake is very beautiful, I’m actually going back there in a little over a week.
This is a great post! It was smart to address the violence factor early in the post, as I have heard many stories of Guatemalan refuges and gangs. The writing here is fantastic and I especially enjoyed this line: ” The tour guide called this place “Mayan Facebook” because the families will supposedly gossip about each other and what is happening around the town.” That made me laugh, and I can picture it in my mind. I learned so much from this!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Kevin! Haha yes that is an interesting fact about the Mayan Facebook, I’m glad that you enjoyed learning about this beautiful destination.
I loved reading this interesting, deailed post about Guatamala – a country I knew very little about. Rather tempted now to visit to explore it for myself.
Very happy that you enjoyed the article and I hope that you’re able to visit someday!
Looks beautiful!
Yes it’s quite stunning there!
We won’t make it to Central America this time, but your article confirms that should be among our next trips. And when that happens, we’ll learn your whole blog by heart to make sure we don’t miss on anything!
Central America is awesome! I’m similarly going to learn your entire blog by heart before I embark upon a South America trip, which I’m definitely planning on doing within the next year.
Sounds amazing! Your articles and photos always make me feel like I’m there! Thanks for sharing!
I’m very happy to hear that, thanks for the thoughtful words Kim!
Honestly, you have convinced me to add this one in my bucket lists!
Thanks for the comment April, convincing other people to go somewhere is every travel blogger’s dream!
Interesting article this I just read here in your blog, I am following your articles a few days and are many interesting information I liked.
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Thanks for the comment!
Wow – what a beautiful place. I never thought to add this to my must-see list, but here it is now!
Very happy that you enjoyed the article and are interested in visiting now!
If I come to Guatemala, I will visit this lake. Sounds very beautiful,
I love lakes..
Thanks for the comment! Yes you’ll love this lake in that case.
Guatemala has been on my bucket list for some time and now Lake Atitlan is, too! Such a great, detailed post. I can relate to your note about safety. I lived in Peru for two years and the countryside is such a different story safety-wise from the capital of Lima.
Yeah the countryside of any country is generally much safer than the big cities. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the article and that you’re interested in visiting!
Amazing scenery, fabulous read Thankyou for taking me there.
You’re welcome Lyn, thanks for leaving a comment!
Great article Michael! It’s so nice to hear that crime is low around Atitlan due to strict cultural guidelines forbidding violence at the cost of being ostracized. Aside from the crime, those guidelines really say a lot about the people that live there and how nice they are. Lake Atitlan sounds like an amazing place; it’s definitely on my bucket list!
You’re right Matt it does say a lot about the wonderful people that live there. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, Lake Atitlan looks absolutely gorgeous!! Is there any particular reason why no public boats go into town or is that the locals’ way of preserving their culture and environment? Anyways, I really loved this post! I’d love to visit someday. And the tuk tuk reminds me a lot of the Filipino trisikad!
Hi Eena, great question! It turns out that public boats do go there but not as frequently as other destinations. It’s just because the town is further away so it’s a bit more difficult to reach. I’m very happy that you enjoyed the post and that you’re interested in visiting!
Interesting post. You are definitely inspiring me to want to travel more!
Thanks Tamra! That’s my ultimate goal! 😎
Great post! I liked learning about why the crime is so low in the villages in the area. Thanks for sharing about the local culture.
You’re welcome Jamie! Thanks for stopping by and engaging with the article!
Great detailed post about Lake Atitlan! These informational posts are the kinds I like to read as I learn a bit more about another location in the world!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment Tammy! Very glad to know that you liked it and I agree it’s great to learn about new locations!
I’ve often heard Lake Atitlan referred to as the “Lake Como” of the Americas. Having been to Lake Como and thoroughly enjoyed it, I’ll need to add Lake Atitlan to my destination list, it looks wonderful.
I’ve heard this as well, I’ll have to visit Lake Como to check the accuracy! Thanks for reading.