4 days in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
I visited Lake Atitlan in June 2022 while I was in between changing jobs. This place is filled with stunning nature and amazing people. I spent about 4 days in Lake Atitlan and wish I had more time.
Getting to Lake Atitlan
I flew from San Francisco to Guatemala City via a red eye flights. Getting from the airport to Lake Atitlan is a journey in itself. There are a few options available depending on your budget:
Chicken Bus for $10 and about 4 hours
Uber for ~80 and about 3.5 hours
Shared shuttle for ~$40 and about 4 hours
Private shuttle for ~$70 and about 3.5 hours
What to do in Lake Atitlan
Situated right on the lake, the options for activities are endless! Getting from one town to another is super easy - simply go on the dock of your town and waive down a lancha going in the direction you need. Here are some of my favorite things we did:
Hike to San Marcos
We stayed in Santa Cruz, a town situated next to Panajachel. We started the day off with a hike to San Marcos, the next big town over from Santa Cruz. The hike took about 2 hours and then we had lunch in San Marcos. San Marcos definitely gave a hippie dippie vibe which I loved! Took the lancha (boat) back to Santa Cruz. The boats stop running running around 6ish, so definitely plan your day accordingly.
Reserva Natural Atitlán
We took the lancha from Santa Cruz to Panajachal and then took a three wheel rickshaw over to the natural park. I had pre-arranged doing zip-lining in the park which was stunning! The zip-lining gave panoramic views of the lake and the lush greenery around the lake - truly a spectacular experience.
Explore San Pedro
Another day of taking the lancha to explore a different town - this time it was San Pedro. San Pedro is known as the backpacker town and that’s definitely the vibe I got. We start our day by having lunch at Sababa restaurant overlooking the water - it was honestly so pretty and relaxing. I could sit there all day reading a book and talking to the other travelers. We then headed out to explore the town and ended our day at a yoga studio. It actually started POURING while we were at the studio and we ended up staying with instructor for an extra 30 minutes waiting out the rain before heading back to Santa Cruz.
Relax
The people in Guatemala are kind and welcoming. The culture in the country is very relaxing and values the relationships with other people. I found myself being ingrained in the culture and also slowing down. Rather than worrying about what’s next on the itinerary, I wanted to just take it slow. One of the days was just spent kayaking around the lake followed by reading on the balcony. It was a perfect trip and Lake Atitlan is definitely worth a visit.