Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala's Western
highlands, is even more spectacular in real life than it was in my
imagination. A sparkling lake hemmed in by 3 volcanos, mountains and
steep cliffs is jaw-dropping no matter which direction you look.
Villages are nestled into the nooks along the shoreline and climb up
the lake's steep slopes. The weather is near perfect, in our opinion.
Warm and sunny but not too hot during the day and slightly chilly at
night. Whether you want to hike, explore the villages or just relax
in a hammock, life on the lake is a delight.
The local Mayan towns that surround the
lake are all built high above the lake's water level. Every village
around the lake its a steep hike up to the town with tuktuks waiting
at the boat launch to take locals up. Studies show that the lake's
depth has risen and fallen over the course of the centuries, so the
locals with generations of knowledge know that building on the water
is risky. Often, this land is sold off to foreigners. The risks of
building so close to the water has never been as apparent as after
Tropical Storm Stan in 2010. The lake rose 5m in 18 months! One
theory is that landslides from the storm blocked drainage channels.
Paths were washed away and some of the town's docks had to be
rebuilt. Now you see trees standing off shore that have slowly drown
since then and, most obviously, in San Juan, houses and the old
cement dock sitting half covered in water! Its a disturbing,
fascinating sight. One positive is that now, the sunken bars and
houses offer interesting underwater sights for 
Warning: The ever changing vistas,
colourful sunsets and the many different species of birds, along with
the different vantage points from the various villages can lead to
the whiling away of many lakeside hours...or days. Other than its
gorgeous setting, what makes Laguna de Atitlan extra special is just
how very unique the villages that surround it are. The party in San
Pedro, which is only a quick boat ride from yoga in San Marcos might
as well be a world away. The tranquillity of Jaibilito, inaccessible
by road is unmistakeable and feels completely detached from the
artisan weavers in nearby San Juan. We spent a week on the lake,
staying in San Marcos La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna and Pana. We
visited the villages of San Pedro, San Juan and Jaibilito as day
trips. One could easily find themselves squeezing a few more days out
of their itinerary for the lake and it's outings, especially because
there are so many great places, with very different atmospheres to
spend the night.
Useful Stuff: Getting around by boat
(lancha) is very easy. Don't believe the scam-o-ramas in San Juan
when they tell you that another boat isn't coming for an hour or two.
However, if you are going to San Juan, tell the Captain because they
won't necessarily stop there if no one is getting off or on.
Actually, it makes sense to always tell the Captain (or his helper)
where you are going to keep everything as smooth as possible. There
are boats to all the villages all the time. (Exception: Santiago
Atitlan is on a different route) We never had to wait longer than a
half hour, and even then, you're sitting on a dock on the water with
a beautiful view- so its not that rough. Take a quick look at
the map so you know what direction you're headed and everything
becomes very clear from there. If you are walking down towards a dock
and a boat is pulling out, point in the direction you want to go and
the Captain will
Here are some pictures from the few
hours we spent in party-centric San Pedro:
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