Last Updated on: 18th January 2025, 09:20 am
Often touted as one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán is home to nearly a dozen villages, largely inhabited by indigenous Maya. And with so many towns and outdoor activities to choose from, planning your trip can be overwhelming. That’s where this guide to Lake Atitlán’s top things to do comes in.
Below, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about the lake, including local transport and what there is to do in each village. And at the end of the article, we’ll be going over recommended accommodation, as well as discussing whether or not the lake actually lives up to the hype.
To see all the highlights mentioned below, you’ll want to give yourself around four days at Lake Atitlán, though you could certainly get a good feel for the area with just one or two days.
The most interesting towns to focus on would be Santa Catarina Palopó, Santiago Atitlán, San Juan and Panajachel.
Getting Around Lake Atitlán
The town of Panajachel is the lake’s main transport hub, both in terms of land connections with the rest of Guatemala and boat connections with neighboring towns.
Panajachel has two separate ’embarcaderos’ (piers) from which you can take ‘lanchas’ to other parts of the lake. If you’re based in Panajachel, the embarcadero you’ll be using most often to get around is actually the smaller one.
On Google Maps, you can find it marked as Embarcadero Ferris Colectivos, and it’s located at the end of Calle Embarcadero.
From here, you can go as far as San Pedro and stop at any village in between. You can also use the lanchas on this route to get from village to village without having to transfer in Panajachel each time.
At the time of writing, a one-way lancha journey costs 25Q. That’s about $3, which is more than an NYC subway ride! And if you’ll be doing a lot of moving around, things can really start to add up.
That’s why you’ll also want to take tuk tuks between villages that are connected by road. While you might have to haggle, you can often ride to a nearby village for 10Q.
While there are indeed signs at the docks listing 25Q as the official price, there seems to be an unspoken agreement that locals pay less. If you can blend in based on your appearance, you might be able to get away with paying less.
Then again, a local complained to me that some of the lancha captains are even demanding 25Q from locals now as well!
In regards to payment, you’ll typically hand the money over to a staff member when getting off the lancha at your destination.
As mentioned, Panajachel also has a second, larger embarcadero, simply known as Embarcadero de Panajachel. You can find it by walking down Calle Santander. Most of the boats that operate out of here seem to be private. But if you plan on visiting the town of Santiago Atitlán, this is where you’ll want to come.
The system here works a little bit differently. The price is the same, but you’ll buy a roundtrip ticket for 50Q in advance. The lanchas here also run on a schedule, with one or two leaving per hour.
Panajachel
As mentioned, Panajachel is the lake’s main transport hub, which makes it a really convenient place to stay. But even if you initially just pass through to transfer elsewhere, Panajachel is indeed worth a visit at some point during your trip.
Reserva Natural Atitlán
Panajachel’s top attraction is the Reserva Natural Atitlán. You can take a tuk tuk there from the town center for about 10-15Q, or you can simply walk, which should take around 20-30 minutes.
Basic entry costs 80Q (about $10), while you can also pay more to do things like ride the zipline. The standard ticket includes access to the local nature trails which should take you around an hour to explore.
The hiking trail takes you across swinging suspension bridges and to various waterfalls. You won’t find these trails marked on apps like Maps.me, though the area is still pretty easy to navigate on your own.
The trail will eventually take you uphill, from where you can enjoy views of the lake. Unfortunately, it was rather hazy throughout the duration of my stay, and none of the distant volcanoes were visible.
Back at the bottom, you can also explore a butterfly garden, while another path can even take you to the lake if you want to go for a swim.
It’s a pleasant experience overall, but perhaps $10 is still a bit much for what you get. Then again, this is one of the only hikes you can do at Lake Atitlán where you don’t need to worry about being robbed by bandits or extorted by local property owners! But more on that below.
Museo Lacustre de Atitlán
Near the embarcaderos is the Museo Lacustre de Atitlán, which provides an interesting overview of the area’s pre-Hispanic past.
In addition to a summary of each major town’s history, you’ll find various pieces of pottery discovered in the area, while a separate room focuses on underwater archaeology.
Entry costs 35Q for foreigners.
LAKE ATITLÁN VILLAGE HOPPING ONE-DAY ITINERARY: While we went over the basics of lake transport above, you may still be wondering how much you can actually see in one day. On my first day in the area, I managed to visited four villages.
Beginning in Panajachel, I took a lancha all the way to San Pedro, which is typically the final stop on most lancha routes. The boat stopped at every other village on the way there, with the full journey lasting 50 minutes.
While we’ll go into more detail below, from San Pedro I walked to the neighboring village of San Juan. But most people will probably want to take a tuk tuk.
From San Juan, I again traveled by road to reach San Marcos, though two tuk tuks were required this time.
I later took another lancha to the village of Santa Cruz, and ultimately a lancha back to Panajachel. You should be able to follow a similar itinerary from wherever it is you’re staying.
Seeing as much as possible on the first day allowed me to get a feel for the lake and its villages as a whole, after which I could decide which villages I wanted (or didn’t want) to return to.
San Pedro
San Pedro La Laguna is one of Lake Atitlán’s most popular places to stay. With a population of about 12,000, it’s one of the lake’s larger towns. But it has two very distinct sides to it.
The area by the dock is entirely tourist-oriented. While I only visited the morning, I got the impression that it was basically a lakeside Khao San Road.
San Pedro is mainly known for its party scene, and many visitors choose to stay here just for the chance to socialize with other foreign backpackers.
Walking further uphill, things got a bit grimier, but I continued to encounter a seemingly endless amount of tourist offices and hostels. It’s no wonder why some people refer to San Pedro as a ‘backpacker ghetto.’ Personally, I did not get the hype at all.
There is, however, at least one cultural attraction of note in the lower part of town. San Pedro has long been inhabited by the Tzʼutujil Maya, and the Museo Tz’unun Ya is entirely dedicated to local history and culture.
Entry costs 35Q (closed weekends), but unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside. One of the highlights of the visit was getting to watch some old footage of San Pedro shot in the 1940s.
When visiting a new town or city in Latin America, it’s hard to feel like you’ve really been there until checking out the central square. And so I continued walking uphill to find San Pedro’s.
The atmosphere grew even more crowded and chaotic. But as I looked around, I realized there were no other tourists in sight.
While I’d heard that the towns around San Pedro were touristy, I never imagined them being so segregated. San Pedro is essentially two distinct towns in one.
Hiking at Lake Atitlán
Considering how Lake Atitlán is surrounded by volcanoes, it should be a hiker’s paradise, right? Well, for a variety of reasons, not quite.
When it comes to independent hiking at Lake Atitlán, there are two main things you need to worry about: robberies along the trail (or at the peak), or being extorted by local landowners.
San Pedro Volcano, situated near the town of the same name, is considered one of the lake’s most beautiful hikes. But many hikers have encountered armed bandits at the peak. They apparently take a boat from Santiago and then hike up the other side to evade police.
It seems like the problem has been going on for many years, but the police have been unable to solve it. As such, if you decide to do this hike (or any hike, for that matter), be sure to do thorough research, ask around about safety locally, and don’t bring too many valuables.
Another popular hike is the Rostro Maya (Mayan Nose) hike located near San Juan. While this hike is said to have a lower risk of armed robbery, the trail takes you over multiple farmers’ private properties, and you may be requested multiple times to pay up.
To avoid the hassle, you may want to take a guided tour. They typically cost between $50-60 USD, whether you book online or on the ground.
Sunrise tours are often the only option, so staying near San Juan would be ideal. While possible to take a tour from Panajachel, pickup time would be at 3:00 am!
As mentioned above, hiking in Panajachel’s Reserva Natural Atitlán would be the most stress-free option.
From San Pedro to San Juan
San Pedro is quite close to the neighboring village of San Juan. So while you could technically return to the dock and take another lancha, you’d still have to pay 25Q for the short ride.
A better alternative would be to take a tuk tuk, or simply walk, which takes about thirty minutes.
I ended up walking, and the views from the road were some of the best views of the lake I saw during my time at Atitlán. There wasn’t any designated space for pedestrians, though I did end up walking behind a local making the same journey.
I felt completely safe on the walk between San Pedro and San Juan, but I can’t say the same about another walk I’d attempt later in the day.
San Juan
San Juan was founded in the 17th century by Tzʼutujil Mayans who originally came from Santiago Atitlán. And near the top of the hill, you’ll find their main church which was built sometime during the colonial era.
At some point, the structure was damaged by an earthquake and had to be rebuilt, which is why the facade appears to have been built out of different types of stone.
At this point in the day, I was feeling hungry, though I didn’t have the easiest time finding a restaurant in the upper, less touristy part of town. A few restaurants that were clearly still serving customers told me they were closed.
I eventually did find a restaurant, and it was only a quarter full. But before long, a loud family walked in and just sat down at my table without acknowledging my existence – even when there were plenty of other tables!
It was a bizarre experience, especially considering how courteous and polite Guatemalans normally are.
Kaqasiiwaan
If there’s any reason to visit San Juan, it’s to visit the lookout point known as Kaqasiiwaan. At the time of writing, it costs 30Q for foreigners to access.
It’s a fairly tiring walk to the top, but the views are worth it. It’s quite a crowded and popular area – especially with locals. And along the way to the main viewing area, you’ll pass by a plethora of snack and souvenir stands.
In addition to the views of the lake, town and surrounding volcanoes, another highlight of Kaqasiiwaan is the painted wooden viewing deck. It’s been entirely adorned in colorful traditional patterns, as well as scenes from local life.
As mentioned above, it was hazy throughout my entire stay at Lake Atitlán due to farmers burning their agricultural waste in the months leading up to the rainy season.
While I still enjoyed the views, they may be even more impressive during your visit.
Next, I headed back down and walked along the main road in an attempt to find a tuk tuk taking me northeast.
From San Juan to San Marcos
To reach San Marcos from San Juan, you can of course take a lancha. Or, you can take a tuk tuk. The problem is, however, that many of the tuk tuks won’t take you there, so you’ll have to transfer in the town of San Pablo.
I originally took a tuk tuk to San Pablo, intending to just walk to San Marcos from there. But shortly after arriving in center of town, some teenager who was clearly drunk or high started shouting at me, asking what I was doing or searching for. He kept shouting as he followed me down the street, while local residents just ignored the whole situation.
I didn’t feel like he was an actual threat – mainly just a nuisance. But in any case, I decided that San Pablo was really not a place I wanted to linger, as it also appeared to be the most rundown and dilapidated of Lake Atitlán’s villages.
And so, I decided to take the next San Marcos-bound tuk tuk I saw, wishing I had just taken a lancha from San Juan.
I’d later read that even locals consider San Pablo to be one of the sketchiest parts of the region, and I’m not surprised that many suggest avoiding it altogether.
San Marcos
San Marcos is the part of the lake most popular with hippies, yogis and New Agers. But arriving by land, I first arrived in the indigenous part of town up on the hill.
The town was having a local fair at the time, and a live band was playing cumbia on a stage near the central park. I decided to check it out, but encountered drunks passed out everywhere I turned (it was probably 1 PM by this point), and was also asked by strangers for money. And so I decided to make my way toward the center.
As I proceeded down San Marcos’ main drag, the cumbia gradually faded away and was replaced by psytrance played through tinny speakers. I passed by all sorts of crafts shops, yoga studios, meditation centers, spas, a reiki center, and plenty of fancy restaurants.
San Marcos is indeed your stereotypical hippie town – a stereotype which locals seem to embrace. If you simply like this type of vibe, or want to participate in a meditation workshop like Las Pirámides, San Marcos is the place for you.
Just note that it’s one of the priciest parts of the lake, while a local resident I spoke with complained of an increase in crime.
I originally intended to visit the Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil to the west of town, but as it had been such a long and eventful day already, I headed straight for the dock.
I’d return once more to the San Marcos area to hang out with a local I’d met during my explorations. We had dinner at a large hilltop house owned by a Guatemalan couple, with the conversation turning to topics like lucid dreaming and astrology – a very San Marcos-esque experience!
If you’re interested in learning more about San Marcos, there’s plenty of information out there online, as it’s one of the most popular places along the lake to stay.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz has been a majority Kaqchichel Maya town since ancient times. Today, it’s becoming more popular among visitors looking for a quieter lakeside experience. The neighboring villages of Tzununa and Jaibalito to the west are other popular options.
You’ll find numerous accommodations near the water. But if you’re hoping to visit the town center, it’s probably the least accessible of all the lakeside towns. It’s a very steep uphill climb, so most people take a tuk tuk to get up and down.
Once in the town center, there really isn’t a whole lot to do other than check out the main church.
Also near the main square is an artisan store where you can buy various handmade goods embroidered with traditional Mayan designs. And on the upper levels of the same building, you’ll find Cafe Sabor Cruceño which offers excellent views of the lake.
Given its lack of traffic, Santa Cruz seems like a good place to experience outdoor activities, such as this kayaking excursion.
Santa Catarina Palopó
Exploring the street art of Santa Catarina Palopó is easily one of the top things to do at Lake Atitlán’s.
In stark contrast to San Pedro and San Marcos, locals here have figured out a way to attract tourists without large backpacker districts from taking over much of the town.
They’ve done this by painting hundreds of buildings in designs that were inspired by the huipils (traditional blouses) worn by the local women.
You can learn a lot more about the history of the project and what it’s like to explore Santa Catarina Palopó independently in our separate dedicated guide to the town.
GETTING THERE: Santa Catarina Palopó is the only town in this guide that can’t be reached by lancha, as all the boats that stop at its dock are private. Therefore, you can reach the town either by tuk tuk or shared pickup truck from Panajachel. Check out our dedicated guide for specific details.
Santiago Atitlán
While, as mentioned above, Panajachel is the lake’s main transport hub, Santiago Atitlán is actually the lake’s largest town with over 50,000 inhabitants.
It’s also among the lake’s least touristy destinations, but as we’ll cover shortly, it’s worth a visit for an encounter with the local deity known as Maximón.
Santiago is a little tricky to get to, as it can only be reached directly by boat from either Panajachel or San Pedro.
Arriving at the dock, you’ll immediately be greeted by guide after guide who will offer to take you to the city’s main sites. They charge around 200Q, and if you like the idea of having a guide, this might be a good deal for you.
But if you’re the type of person who likes to do things independently, you can easily walk to most of Santiago’s main landmarks.
From the dock, it just takes around fifteen minutes to walk to the central square. Within the park is a monument commemorating the Guatemalan 25 centavo coin, which features the face of Santiago-born peace activist Concepción Ramírez.
Not far away, meanwhile, is Santiago’s main church, dedicated to St. James the Apostle. It’s said to be the oldest colonial church around the lake, and it also appears to be the largest.
As was common in those days, the Spanish chose the most sacred local temple on which to build their church. But according to local legend, the Tz’utujil had had a premonition, and were able to evacuate many of their sacred relics before the Spanish arrived.
And today, there’s probably no better place to witness a traditional Mayan ritual than Santiago Atitlán.
Maximón
Having been to dozens of Mayan archaeological sites throughout Mexico and Central America, I couldn’t recall ever hearing of a deity named Maximón before visiting Lake Atitlán.
Yet Maximón is a very big deal to the local indigenous community, with his idol receiving regular visitors day and night. And as I’d later learn, Maximón does indeed have ties with ancient Mayan mythology.
The Popol Vuh, a sacred Mayan text that tells the story of creation, mentions a deity known as Rilaj Mam, or the ‘Great Grandparent.’ Rilaj Mam taught humanity how to track time and how to live in harmony with the earth, among other things.
And though Maximón in his current form of a wooden statue didn’t emerge until after the Spanish conquest, he’s commonly identified with the ancient deity of Rilaj Mam.
But rather than a temple or shrine, Maximón can be found in an ordinary residential home. Every year, a different local family is tasked with hosting Maximón, which is considered to be a great honor. But for outside visitors, this can make finding the deity a bit hard to find.
But it’s not nearly as hard as it’s made out to be. While local touts will offer you their services to help locate Maximón, I simply found him by checking Google Maps, which is presumably updated each year.
Stepping into the residential courtyard, I asked someone if was in the right place, and I was directed to the room where Maximón was on display.
I sat down in a chair against the wall that was facing the idol as I observed what was taking place.
Inside were several men, all of whom appeared drunk. Drinking is apparently normal and encouraged in the presence of Maximón, who seems to be a big drinker himself. Seated in a separate area, meanwhile, were a few local females.
Maximón was wearing two hats and had an unlit pipe in his mouth, while beneath the idol were a plethora of candles and flowers. Traditional marimba music was playing in the background.
At one point, a girl of about fourteen or fifteen came over and sat in a chair directly facing the idol. They took off one of Maximón’s hats and placed it on her, while she also stepped into a pair of men’s leather shoes that were several sizes too big for her. I was under the impression that she was trying to dress up as Maximón himself, perhaps to mirror his energy.
The leader of the ceremony that was about to take place came and sat next to her. He lit some sage, in addition to a cigarette that they placed in the idol’s mouth (replacing the unlit pipe). Another men would regularly ash this cigarette and light a new one whenever it depleted.
The ceremony leader also brought about ten new smaller candles to light in front of the bigger ones. He began with what sounded like a Catholic prayer in Spanish, but it was immediately followed by a long prayer in the local Mayan dialect.
The ceremony probably went on for about 40 minutes, with the leader talking to Maximón the entire time. The girl sat there mostly motionless, but near the end, they repeated a prayer together.
Also near the end, it was time to give Maximón liquor. One man held up a towel below the idol’s chin to catch any drops, as they were indeed pouring the alcohol directly into Maximón’s mouth.
There must be a hollow cavity inside the idol, and I wondered what eventually happened to the liquid inside. While I was there, they must’ve poured around two shots’ worth into the idol’s mouth.
While I’m glad I got to witness the entire ceremony, I was mainly waiting for the right time to ask if I could take a few photos. According to what I’d read online, foreigners are expected to pay 5Q, while it would be an additional 10 for photography.
Interestingly, nobody ever said anything about money to me until I asked them first, and I felt a lot more welcomed here compared with some other parts of the lake.
Throughout the ceremony, a few groups of foreign tourists wandered in with a guide. But most of them left after several minutes. While I hadn’t intended to stay so long, I was indeed glad that I’d come without a guide.
Parque de la Paz
In the southern part of the city is a park dedicated to thirteen people who were murdered at the spot by the Guatemalan military in 1990. Today, the site is home to the Parque de la Paz in commemoration of the tragic event.
You should be able to take a roundtrip tuk tuk ride from the center for about 10Q, though it may or may not be open. Unfortunately, the park was closed during my visit, and I could only view it through the fence.
GETTING THERE: As mentioned, above, you can reach Santiago directly from Panajachel’s larger embarcadero along Calle Santander. Here you’ll buy a roundtrip ticket for 50Q in advance. The lanchas here also run on a schedule, with one or two leaving per hour. The one-way journey lasts about 30 minutes.
It should also be possible to take lanchas directly between Santiago and San Pedro.
Additional Info
Lake Atitlán is one of the most talked-about destinations in Guatemala, if not Central America as a whole. But while I don’t regret visiting, I found it rather underwhelming overall.
As it’s often called one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, my expectations were pretty high. But as mentioned above, I could hardly see the surrounding volcanoes during my visit due to all the haze caused by the agricultural burning season.
Apparently, this goes for months each spring, yet I hadn’t come across any articles or guides to Lake Atitlán mentioning it.
Aside the lake’s natural scenery, many of the towns themselves are quite bland, especially if you’re coming straight from Antigua. There’s little remarkable architecture to speak of, while many of the towns have an overall gritty feel.
Another issue with Atitlán lake is safety, and it’s a shame that so many visitors complain year after year of getting robbed during hikes. Therefore, it would be much better to save your money and energy for the Acatenango hike near Antigua.
Though not very impressed overall, I still enjoyed my time at the lake for a couple of reasons. I met some interesting people with whom I got the chance to hang out with, while I also had a memorable cultural experience in Santiago. Furthermore, accommodation is the area is quite cheap compared with Antigua or Flores.
But speaking of Antigua and Flores, I would highly recommend anyone with limited time in Guatemala to choose those destinations over Lake Atitlán. Then again, you may also want to consider this one-day Lake Atitlán tour which departs from Antigua and covers many of the best things to do at Lake Atitlán.
As mentioned in the guide above, there are lots of different villages and towns surrounding Lake Atitlán, and many visitors have their own personal preference. But when first researching the area, figuring out where to stay can be overwhelming. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options.
Panajachel
The lake’s main transport hub is the town of Panajachel. If you’ll be arriving at Lake Atitlán by bus or tourist shuttle from anywhere else in Guatemala, you’ll first be arriving at Panajachel. And if you’ll be staying in another town along the lake, you’ll most likely have to get there by boat.
I decided to base myself in Panajachel, and looking back, I feel like it was the correct decision. The main reason is convenience, as the town has road links with the rest of the country and boat links with the rest of the lake.
While Panajachel is indeed touristy, I found the town to have an even mix foreigners and locals. While there’s no shortage of things like tourism offices, you can also easily find restaurants that charge standard local prices.
So why don’t more people seem to stay in Panajachel? I’m not sure why, but a lot of travel writers online talk about Panajachel as if it were merely a stopover place before moving onto one of the more ‘authentic’ towns along the lake. But I actually found Panajachel to be the most authentic of all the tourist-oriented towns of Atitlán!
Regarding accommodation in Panajachel, a highly-rated budget option is Posada don Miguel, while a good mid-range choice would be Perla Maya Hotel. And those looking to splurge a bit might want to consider Villa Santa Catarina.
San Pedro
San Pedro is one of the largest and most popular towns along the lake, and it has quite a lot of accommodation options to choose from. And if you don’t speak much Spanish, the area near the dock seems entirely catered toward tourists.
Overall, San Pedro is quite affordable. One of the cheapest private rooms in town is Hotel Adulam, while a slightly higher-end choice would be Mikaso Hotel. And those not on such a strict budget should consider the highly-rated San Pedro Suite.
Before booking accommodation here, you should understand that San Pedro is especially known for its party and nightlife scene. And some criticize the town as being a ‘backpacker ghetto.’ So if you’re looking for more of a relaxing stay, you might want to look elsewhere.
San Marcos
San Marcos is Lake Atitlán’s – and Guatemala’s – main hippie town. It’s here that you’ll find things like yoga workshops, shamanic ceremonies and even Indian kirtans. San Marcos also has no shortage of plant-based and organic restaurants, but prices are nearly what you’d pay in the West.
San Marcos is slightly more expensive than the rest of the lake, but you can still find some budget accommodations, such as Earthship Cabins. Pricey but popular options, meanwhile, include Lush Atitlán and Baba Yaga Atitlan.
Elsewhere Along the Lake
Other quieter options that still have plenty of accommodation options to choose from would be San Juan or Santa Cruz.
And you can even stay in Santa Catarina Palopó, though the only two options (Hotel Casa Palopo and Tzampoc Resort) are very luxurious.