Lake Atitlan is an amazing scene of beauty. Some 84,000 years ago, a volcano erupted and the crater it left behind is now a 1,100 foot deep lake with steep volcanos and small towns scattered around the shores. Because there is no road around the lake, each town is connected mostly only by boat (lancha). This also uniquely means that there are multiple different languages spoken in these towns—3 Mayan languages, and most of the younger generation speaks Spanish as a common language to interact with tourists.
We didn’t even go for a low end chicken bus or collectivo, but the gringo shuttle to the lake still was a vomit-inducing experience. First, you start on the stone streets of Antigua where all of the fillings in your teeth are tested for structural integrity. Once you pass through the town, you are on to the main roads of Guatemala. The bus is underpowered, on a two-lane highway with no 30 seconds of straight roads, where every other vehicle is moving at 2 miles per hour and needs to be passed. After three hours of bus ride, you’ve arrived in Panajachel ready to burst from the doors of the shuttle into the stunning views.
As you emerged, you are politely hustled by the lancha (small boat) drivers, and have the option of taking the public lancha or paying for a private one to take you straight to your destination. We arrived at 11am on the earliest shuttle but the afternoon winds had already picked up to a slight hurricane. We sat on our public lancha with a bunch of other people, only to be bounced through high waves at top speed on towards our hotel for the week. About 20 minutes later, we arrived with our suitcase at the dock for Casa del Mundo.
There’s no amount of photos that can prepare you for the amount of stairs you’ll need to take to get to the reception desk at the hotel. While it never seemed quite so bad as the first day, it always seemed like a part of a Buns of Steel workout.
We settled in to our cozy room with stunning views. The winds were fierce and honestly, we just hid indoors looked out over the water and marveled at how gorgeous it was.
The next morning we awoke to sunrise over the mountains and lake, with not even a hint of wind. Now I realized why people say you need to spend days at the lake—you need 1 day to recover from the transit! Once we had put that travel day behind us and gotten a wind-free morning we understood what all the fuss was about. It’s idyllic, serene and something that seems like it can only be out of a movie. I can really only imagine what the Mayans who found it years ago must have thought.
Town around the Lake
Each little town around the lake has its own feel. We were only there for 4 days, so we certainly didn’t do justice to exploring them. That being said, we did get to spend many hours in each Jaibalito, San Marcos and San Juan La Laguna.
Jaibailito: Definitely a local town. There’s not too much here and felt extremely poor. There’s one “road” where the tuk tuk driver will bring people up or down the hill from town to the boat dock. Everyone was pleasant and friendly. There was so much dog crap on the “roads” that it made it hard to look around and keep your shoes tidy. There was one really delightful restaurant El Indigo run by a Persian woman that overlooked the water. We’ve also been told about a German gentleman who brews beer that is supposed to be worth checking out.
San Marcos La Laguna: The town with all the hippies. Are you into crystals? Cacao ceremonies? Aligning your chakras? If yes, this is the town for you. There’s a lot of white people with dreadlocks and flowy pants, and not a lot of shoes being worn. Given the number of yoga classes and massages, people here are surely the most relaxed on the planet.
One thing we did really like about this town is that many of the “streets” are small tiny walking alleys that would require you to stop in and explore along the way. Many of these places were very cute looking, but we weren’t able to stop in and explore more than a few hours. There’s also a long list of restaurants and cafes (both gringo and local) that look pretty tasty in town.
San Juan La Laguna: We adored this little, steep village. They have a culture that is proud of their local art, weaving and coffee production. Immediately after you get off the boat, you’ll climb up a steep road lined with art shops and coffee shops targeted to tourists. At the top of the hill you will find an adorable street and square with local art and sombreros hanging above the walking street. (They were just starting to put in poles on the steep street from the dock while we were there so they could a another sombrero-like art installation.)
We spent more than an hour at Cooperativa La Voz watching local farmers bring in their coffee crops, while chatting with an employee over coffee and learning the entire process. (They also offer tours in English or Spanish.) We also spent about 30 minutes at Casa Flor Ixcaco learning about the dyeing and weaving process the local women use. (We spent a lot of additional time shopping their gorgeous merchandise!) I even learned a whole two words in the local language: Tz’utujil. Not sure where I will have a chance to use those ever again!
Panajachel: This is the thriving metropolis of the lake area with 11,000 people. This is where a lot of the other villagers come into for bigger shopping item. It felt impersonal after days in the smaller towns. Because most of the shuttles drop lake tourists in this town there are a lot of services and restaurants catered to that, but we felt like we spent a lot of time declining offers of boat rides and tours as we walked through the town.
Lodging
We stayed at La Casa del Mundo just next to Jaibalito. The hotel was very nice and the views were unbeatable from almost every part of this hotel. However, it’s not where I would stay if I were to do it again.
What I didn’t fully appreciate when I booked, is how early the public lanchas stop running—around 6:30. While you can get a private lancha, it’s just a process that you aren’t going to do all of the time. The early end of service means that wherever you live is likely where you will have dinner and any evening roaming around.
Because Casa del Mundo is set apart from the town, the only things to do are on the hotel complex or via a 10 minute “hike” to Jaibalito which only has so much to offer.
Next time, I would focus on the character of the town that most resonates with me (San Marcos=hippy, San Pedro=nightlife, San Juan=arty, etc) and pick a town to be based in first. Then, pick a hotel in that town. This will guarantee you’ll have a great town to explore in the evening once the boats stop running.
This area is weird, quirky and one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been. It feels like a secret you’ve learned about until you find out it is the most visited place in all of Guatemala. (Where have I been?!?!) Try to not do this as a day-trip, as you need to be here for sunrise to be awed by the majesty of this place.