Location: San Pedro La Laguna
Day 1 - 24 Jan 2022
San Pedro La Laguna
Content: Lake Atitlan is a beautiful lake in Guatemala, bordered by lots of small towns and villages. You can stay or do day trips to whichever sound appealing to you. We started our trip to Lake Atitlan in San Pedro la Laguna, one of the larger and more touristy towns. In my opinion, this is a great place to visit. We travelled from Antigua via chicken bus. This requires a few changes and takes a large chunk of the day so I’d recommend leaving early in the morning! If you’re coming from Guatemala City airport straight here, it might be worth considering a private shuttle bus.
Hotel Pinocchio / Restaurante
Content: For a quiet place to stay, check into Hotel Pinocchio. They have affordable private rooms, 5 minutes walk from the main restaurant/bar road. A great breakfast of pancakes and fruit included and there’s also a communal kitchen.
Big Burger
Content: The food here was so good, I forgot to take a photo! We ate here a few times and I can’t recommend it enough. The best quesadilla of the whole trip and their smoothies are also great.
420 Reggae Bar
Content: A nice bar overlooking the lake if you fancy a drink in the evening!
Location: San Pedro La Laguna
Day 2 - 25 Jan 2022
San Pedro La Laguna
Content: Book a sunrise hike to the Indian’s Nose which gives a great view over the lake.
Salud Para Vida - Restaurant & Health Food Store
Content: Amazing vegan restaurant with a lovely balcony seating area. Would highly recommend any of the burgers!
San Pedro La Laguna
Content: Walk around the streets to explore the market stands and shops, take a dip in the lake or go for a massage!
HA FALAFEL
Content: I don’t have a photo of the food here but this is the best falafel pita ever. An absolute must try in San Pedro. Big portions and only £3!
Location: San Pedro La Laguna
Day 3 - 26 Jan 2022
Mr. Mullet's Hostel
Content: Move to Mr Mullet’s Hostel if you’re looking for a more sociable/party vibe. Good place to meet people and they run events such as beer pong and bar crawls. Nice bar area here which anybody can use if you’d rather stay somewhere quieter!
Location: Panajachel
Day 3 - 26 Jan 2022
Panajachel
Content: Day trip to Panajachel. Boat from San Pedro cost Q25/£2.50 and took around 50 minutes. Some boats make multiple stops and some are direct so time can vary.
Reserva Natural Atitlán
Content: You can walk or take a tuktuk to the nature reserve entrance from the dock. Entry cost Q70/£7 and we spent around two hours here. There’s a butterfly garden, lots of coatis, monkeys if you’re lucky, a few small hiking trails to beautiful viewpoints over the lake. Then a walk down to the small beach in the reserve.
Comedor Ríos de Agua Viva
Content: We ate a comedor at the dock before getting a boat back to San Pedro. It was ok, just local (slightly overpriced) food.
Location: San Pedro La Laguna
Day 4 - 27 Jan 2022
Cristalinas Cafe, Hotel & Restaurant at Lake Atitlan
Content: Cristalinas cafe serves lovely coffee with a view overlooking the lake. This was a peaceful spot to sit for a while.
Location: San Juan La Laguna
Day 4 - 27 Jan 2022
San Juan La Laguna
Content: Grab a tuktuk to San Juan - the next town along on the lake. Should cost no more than Q5/£0.50 per person and it takes 10 minutes.
San Juan La Laguna
Content: Made a quick stop at this cute chocolate factory/shop. You can do a short cacao presentation for free and the artisan chocolate is delicious!
San Juan La Laguna
Content: Enjoy walking through the colourful streets of San Juan and head towards Mirador Kaqasiiwaan.
Mirador Kaqasiiwaan, San Juan La Laguna
Content: Cost to walk up to the mirador is Q30/£3. The stairs and platform at the top are beautifully decorated so you can appreciate the murals as well as the view.
Location: San Pedro La Laguna
Day 4 - 27 Jan 2022
Salud Para Vida - Restaurant & Health Food Store
Content: Back here for some food! There’s also a health food store attached to the restaurant if you want to pick up some niche ingredients for cooking.
Mr. Mullet's Hostel
Content: Spend the evening at Mr Mullet’s bar!
Location: San Marcos La Laguna
Day 5 - 28 Jan 2022
Hostel Fé San Marcos
Content: This hostel is alright for a budget option, dorms and privates available. The free breakfast was really good.
San Marcos La Laguna
Content: Head to San Marcos for a change of scenery and a slower pace of life. This is the yoga and meditation spot so if you’re looking to unwind, this is the place. Boat from San Pedro Costa Q10/£1
Location: Unknown
Day 5 - 28 Jan 2022
San Marcos
Content: Walk down the Main Street, explore the shops and grab a bite to eat. I’d then recommend heading down to the lake and having a swim.
Location: San Marcos La Laguna
Day 5 - 28 Jan 2022
San Marcos La Laguna
Content: Do a yoga class! This is the place for yoga so you’d be missing out if you didn’t experience it here. There are countless yoga studios/classes available in hostels. Ask at the hostel or in one of the places on the Main Street for a timetables as they will obviously vary.
Comedor Konojel
Content: This restaurant serves a variety of local dishes and has a special each day (always a vegan/veggie option available). Proceeds go to a womens charity which I thought was a great concept.
Location: Unknown
Day 6 - 29 Jan 2022
Lake Atitlán
Content: And we’ve reached our final day in Lake Atitlan! Enjoy the free hostel breakfast and take a boat to Panajachel. This is the easiest place to get a bus back to Antigua or to Guatemala City if you’re catching a flight.
Location: Panajachel
Day 6 - 29 Jan 2022
Panajachel
Content: Details for chicken bus Panajachel -> Antigua: Panajachel -> Solola Q5/£0.50 Solola -> Encuentros Q5/£0.50 Encuentros -> Chimaltenango Q25/£2.50 Chimaltenango -> Antigua Q10/£1
Location: Antigua Guatemala
Day 6 - 29 Jan 2022
Antigua Guatemala
Content: If you don’t have to fly home at this point, I’d recommend Antigua as your next stop! It’s a beautiful town, surrounded by volcanoes (you can watch Volcan Fuego erupt in the distance regularly!) full of Guatemalan history, great markets and places to eat. You can also do lots of the famous volcano hikes from here!