Lake Atitlán: Guatemala’s Serene Escape
Lake Atitlán is located in the highlands of Guatemala in Central America. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country, about 75 km (47 miles) west of Guatemala City, at an altitude of around 1,500 meters (5,000 ft). Lake Atitlán is a stunning volcanic lake renowned for its natural beauty. It is approximately 18 km (11 miles) long and 8 km (5 miles) wide, with a maximum depth of about 340 m (1,115 ft). The lake is surrounded by three towering volcanoes: Volcán San Pedro, Volcán Tolimán, and Volcán Atitlán.
Lake Atitlán is a popular tourist destination in Guatemala, attracting visitors from around the world. Its natural beauty, serene atmosphere, and indigenous culture make it a significant and cherished place. San Pedro La Laguna is a town on the shores of Lake Atitlán, specifically on the southwestern side of the lake, at the foot of the San Pedro volcano. San Pedro is accessible by land but is also often reached by boats from other villages across the lake. It has become a favored destination for backpackers and travelers seeking adventure, cultural immersion, and relaxation. Its laid-back atmosphere, affordable accommodations, and abundance of outdoor activities draw visitors from all corners.
The Lake region is home to several indigenous Mayan communities. The predominant Mayan group in this area is the Tz'utujil people, who possess a rich cultural heritage. The Tz'utujil language is still spoken by many locals, and their traditional customs and dress can be observed in the towns around the lake, including in San Pedro.
The area boasts a mild and pleasant climate throughout the year, enjoying a subtropical highland climate due to its elevation. The year can be divided into a dry season (November to April) and a rainy season (May to October). While temperatures remain relatively consistent between the dry and rainy seasons, significant temperature fluctuations occur between day and night. Due to the altitude, it warms up during the day but cools down at night. Generally, temperatures range from 21 to 27°C (70 to 80°F) during the day and 10 to 18°C (50 to 65°F) at night throughout the year. During the rainy season, rainfall typically occurs in the afternoon, with occasional thunderstorms. The lake temperature tends to be slightly warmer during the rainy season, but temperatures mainly depend on location, sunlight, and weather conditions, ranging from 18 to 27°C (65 to 80°F).
Reasons to Visit Lake Atitlán
Lake Atitlán is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery. The combination of the deep blue waters of the lake, surrounded by towering volcanoes and lush green hills, creates a picturesque landscape that attracts nature enthusiasts, photographers, and those seeking tranquility. Additionally, there are many villages around the lake that can be explored, each with its own unique charm and attractions.
Visitors looking for more action can enjoy swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating on the lake's calm waters. The surrounding hills and volcanoes provide opportunities for hiking, trekking, and birdwatching. Adventurous travelers can also explore nearby nature reserves and take part in zip-lining or paragliding.
The Lake Atitlán region is home to vibrant indigenous Mayan communities. Visitors are drawn to the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local culture, interact with the indigenous people, and learn about their customs, traditions, and traditional arts and crafts.
Similar to Antigua, San Pedro is also known for its many Spanish schools. Many travelers and visitors come here for some Spanish classes. Most of these schools are run by locals and local families. The teachers are experienced and qualified and are used to teaching Spanish as a second language. Schools often provide one-to-one classes to ensure a personalized learning plan. Next to the Spanish classes, many schools offer cultural activities as well, enabling students to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and learn about local traditions. Compared to other Spanish learning destinations, the schools in San Pedro tend to be more affordable, making it suitable for all types of travelers.
The lake has also become a popular destination for spiritual seekers and those looking for wellness retreats. The tranquil atmosphere, breathtaking views, and presence of holistic centers and yoga retreats make it an ideal place for meditation and yoga. Most of these centers and retreats can be found in San Marcos La Laguna.
Thre is also a thriving artistic community, with many local and international artists being drawn to the region's beauty and indigenous inspiration. Visitors can explore art galleries, workshops, and handicraft markets, where they can find many handmade textiles, ceramics, paintings, and jewelry. These artists and their work can be found all around the lake, however many seem to be around San Juan La Laguna.
Our Lakeside Home at Atitlán
We wanted to spend a month somewhere around Lake Atitlán, without a fixed plan on where to stay exactly. We just wanted to go with the flow and see what would come our way. After searching through the usual platforms, we stumbled upon some gorgeous tiny houses, casas, on Airbnb, tucked away a bit from San Pedro. Throughout June and July, this became our home. The property consisted of several tiny houses, nestled at the foot of a volcano, slightly above the lake. This location offered stunning views of Lake Atitlán from most of the casas.
Due to availability, we stayed in two different casas during our time there. For the first 10 days, we resided in one of the higher situated houses, while the rest of the month was spent in a more private, lower casa. Both places were absolutely fantastic; lovingly crafted by the owner, who had ingeniously made the most of every corner. Both casas had an amazing, comfortable king-size bed. Plus, the kitchen was well-equipped, and there was even a water purification system on the property, so we could enjoy tap water without worries.
Although the casas shared many similarities, each had its own unique charm, from the layout to the surroundings. The first casa had a balcony with a full glass wall, offering panoramic views of Lake Atitlán. It was a beautiful, light, and bright space. Every morning, the sunrise would wake us up, lighting up the sky with vibrant colors. The second casa was nestled amidst lush greenery. It did not have the same views of the lake; however, here you were surrounded by the garden, with its berry plants, banana trees, and daily visits from local wildlife like squirrels and hummingbirds.
Situated just a short distance outside the center of San Pedro, the property was easily accessible via a scenic lakeside road. The walk to San Pedro's center takes about 20 minutes, or you can take a quick 5-minute tuktuk ride, which should only cost you 5 Q. This road is a dead-end street ending in what feels like a jungle, and is populated by a community of street dogs. This prompted us to remain vigilant during our walks. Yet, as time passed, we grew accustomed to the surroundings, gradually recognizing both the dogs running around as well as the familiar faces of the locals roaming the area.
The owners of the casas were super friendly and welcoming, and every once in a while, we were greeted or visited by their kid. The owners were always happy to provide us with any information or show us where in the garden you'll find the herbs you are looking for, which were there for us to use.
Next to the drink-water-from-the-tap luxury, there was also very stable wifi available. Not many places on the lake provide the stable and fast wifi, but here we had never experienced any issues. For us, this was a great place to base ourselves.
Life by the Lake
There are many different primary languages spoken around Lake Atitlán. One of the most widely spoken languages is K'iche', one of the indigenous Mayan languages spoken by inhabitants of several villages around the lake. Another Mayan language is Tz'utujil, which is the dominant language in Santiago Atitlán. The third commonly spoken language is K'iche'. This language is more common in the Western Highlands, yet it can also be found in the villages near Atitlán. As Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, it is also widely spoken. Most of the locals are bilingual, speaking Spanish and at least one of the indigenous languages. Due to tourism, locals have also learned to speak English. It is not widely spoken yet; however, some business owners will be able to communicate in English too.
The official currency of Guatemala is the Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ). In San Pedro, there are a few ATMs where you can withdraw cash using major credit or debit cards. These ATMs will only allow you to withdraw 2000Q per transaction and will charge you at least a 30Q fee each time. The prices of most groceries, products, and services were a little cheaper here compared to Antigua.
We spent most of our time wandering around San Pedro, as it was the closest village. We went there at least a few times a week for groceries. There isn't really one big supermarket in San Pedro. There are multiple stores that provide you with most of the basics. However, we usually needed to go to 2 or 3 different stores to get all of the supplies. Several days a week, there is a market in the center where you can buy all the fruits and veggies you'd need. Closer to our place, there was also a great fruit and vegetable stand from a local family (where they would also offer some basic stuff like rice and pasta), which would sometimes save us the walk to town if we just needed a few things. In our street, we also had some small tiendas that were great for picking up eggs, basic necessities, or snacks. The people owning these tiendas were always super friendly.
If you are looking for a laundry place, it won't take you long. There are many laundry places in town. When paying attention, you'd notice that in a lot of places around the lake, the local families would do their laundry in the lake. We were able to do our laundry on the premises of our stay.
The lake is a popular destination for water-based activities. It is also possible to swim in the lake, yet it depends very much on the location what the quality of the water is like. Many areas are suitable for swimming, but some of them are somewhat polluted, so it's advisable to check before you go.
As it was the first time in a while (we had been staying in hostels and apartments with shared spaces the months before) that we had our own (and not shared) kitchen again, we really enjoyed cooking here. This resulted in us not going out for meals very often. There were enough places to go to; however, we were focused on cooking our own meals and making full use of our kitchen. Afterward, we would enjoy the meal in our cute cabin/casa.
Local bars & restaurants for food and drinks;
Pita Sabij
Idea Connection - for breakfast and lunch
Al Tempo Panadería y Pizzería - for freshly baked bread
Villages, Views, and Volcanoes
We loved our month on this peaceful property, in our two tiny houses. As mentioned, we had been traveling for a few months at that time, where we mostly stayed in places with at least a shared kitchen. This makes you extra grateful for having everything to yourself, and it enables you to appreciate it even more. We quickly developed a nice routine for ourselves, where we were focused on work, other projects, making good food, and workouts. Due to the thin curtain, we would wake up early with the sunrise, start working, go to town during our breaks or at the end of the day, workout in the afternoons, and be outside daily.
As we were close to the lake, we tried to find a place to swim. A lot of shores on our street were owned by the locals and not freely accessible. One of the owners told us about a place, where we would first have to walk for about 15/20 minutes. This place on the lake was on the opposite side of where the town lies. At the end of our street the road ended completely, and there was no other town next to us, which means there were fewer and fewer houses and there was more and more nature. The road to get there took us past some houses of locals, that were really tucked away into nature, living without any electricity or running water, just with their kids, chickens, and (at the time) a puppy running around, in between the green wilderness. The beach was quite big but very tranquil, with a great view on the other side of the lake. The water of the lake was refreshing and calm. As we were aware of the state of the water, we knew this place was OK for swimming.
During our stay, we also visited some of the other towns around the lake; we went to San Juan La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna, Santiago, and Santa Cruz la Laguna, from which we walked to the town next door, Tzununa. The boats, or 'lanchas', are used for transportation between the various villages and towns surrounding the lake. These lanchas serve as the primary means of travel for locals and tourists alike, connecting the lakeside communities and providing access to different points of interest around the lake. They were always a little more expensive than we'd expected. Depending on the destination, they cost about 10/20 Q per ride (one-way).
In most of the towns, we just spent some time walking around, exploring the town, admiring the views, and colorful streets. In San Juan La Laguna, there is also a beautiful viewpoint where you can walk up to. It costs a few Quetzales, but it is worth seeing the lake and volcanoes from up there. San Juan also has plenty of cafes and restaurants to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The town is full of street arts and wall paintings, and colorful decoration all around. Even the pier where the lanchas arrive is decorated.
We went to Santiago, but we didn't go to Santiago for the town itself in the first place. A short drive away from the town, there is a jungle, where you supposedly can see the Quetzal, Guatemala's national bird (as well as the name of the local currency). We heard about a guide that would take you on a tour for a few hours, trying to find it. We took the lancha to Santiago early in the morning and met the local guide. Together with two other visitors, we took a truck that took us a little higher up the mountain. We visited a viewpoint and then jumped out of the truck and started walking into the jungle. We quickly saw a green Toucan, which was pretty cool. The guide was very knowledgeable and guided us safely through the jungle for about 3 hours. It was an interesting walk (in which we came across way too many mosquitoes), but unfortunately no Quetzal. It wasn't the best time of the year, as the birds were mating, so it was to be expected. After the hike, we walked through the town, had a coffee, and took the lancha back 'home'.
One of the famous things around the lake is the so-called "Indian Nose," "La Nariz del Indio," or "Rostro Maya" hike. This trail leads hikers up a steep ascent to a viewpoint that offers breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Atitlán and the surrounding volcanic landscape. The hike is renowned for its stunning sunrise views, making it a favorite among visitors who want to witness the first light of dawn illuminating the lake and the many volcanoes around. On a clear morning, you can see an entire row of volcanoes from this viewpoint. If weather conditions permit, you will be able to see Agua, Acatenango, Fuego, Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro. It's not an overly difficult hike, but it does require a moderate level of fitness due to the steep and rocky terrain.
As the town is full of Spanish schools, and we wanted to improve our Spanish and learn from locals, we decided to take a week of Spanish classes during our stay. There were many places to choose from, so we looked at some reviews from schools nearby. We just walked into one of the schools and asked if they had room for us. The second one had and showed us where the classes were held. The woman took us to their garden, situated on the waterfront. The big garden was full of trees, plants, and small, open houses, each with a table and a few chairs. They taught most of their classes as 1to1 or 1to2, which is very common here.
We took the class together. The school is owned by a lovely local family, really motivated to help you speak Spanish. Every single person we came across, was deliberately speaking in a very clear and not-too-fast manner, so we would be able to understand. At the same time, they tried to minimize/speak no English. That being said, during classes we could sometimes ask for clarification in English, if things were unclear. Apart from the classes, the school also arranged other activities, as hikes and cooking nights, where we'd make a local meal with the teachers and students. The family and teachers were all super friendly, welcoming, and patient and the atmosphere was quite nice. We were always offered local coffee and snacks during our breaks and everyone would take the time to talk to you.
The day before we were going to leave this place, we went to one of the smaller tiendas in our street to get ourselves some snacks for the travel days ahead. We made some basic conversation with the owner and when he found out we were leaving, he went into the back of his store, came back with a locally made gift, and gave it to us. He explained he had just been happy with us visiting his store (which was 1 or 2 times a week). This was honestly such a kind gesture and reflects the warmth and kindness of the locals around the lake.
