Lake Atitlán is really my favorite place in Guatemala. It’s especially good for adding a stop to your itinerary for a few days. There are a good amount of things to do in Lake Atitlán Guatemala, proper backpacking culture, wellness and relaxation and some adventure travel sprinkled in as well.
For the most part, a few people visit Guatemala and wonder: is Lake Atitlán is worth visiting? I can assure you, Lake Atitlán is one of, if not the coolest place in Guatemala.
After spending 3 days in Lake Atitlán myself, I’d say what you do really depends on the type of trip that you want to have. Everyone here is really doing their own thing. I would say that I have a really good sense of what every type of traveler would like to do and find enjoyable. But it’s not simple and easy figuring what Lake Atitlán has to offer.
In order to make things clearer for people, I am making this Atitlán guide based on my experience and some activities I wish I did.
Honestly, Lake Atitlán is not one of these places where tourist attractions and activities are the main things. Lake Atitlán is more about the vibe and what you feel and experience when doing things like eating while overlooking the lake, having coffee while looking at the sunset and immersing yourself with the local Mayan culture.
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Things to do in Lake Atitlán: My experience
I stayed in Lake Atitlán for 4 days and I thought that was a perfect amount of time for us to explore the towns, do some cool activities, try many different places to eat and drink and travel at a good pace. Depending on what your goal for Lake Atitlan is, you can switch it up and stay for longer or if you’re doing a quick 2 day stop, that’s fine too. How many days in Lake Atitlán for you will depend on what pace you want and the amount of things you decide to do.
In my opinion, The best time to visit Lake Atitlán is on the off season. The best things to do are not really dependent on weather or temperature. So, seasons are not really stopping you from coming here. In the off season everything will be cheaper and Lake Atitlán will also be way less crowded.
I decided to stay in the main hub town of Lake Atitlan called Panajachel. There are many top notch hotels in Lake Atitlán to stay in, especially in Panajachel. San Juan, San Pedro and San Marcos are also really good places to stay in Lake Atitlán. From these towns, you can take a ferry to the other towns and explore as you like.
I mostly did all of my exploring on foot. When I am in a really bustling place with lots of street vendors, street food and things to see, the best way to explore is to just walk. Whichever town we decided to visit, we would just start walking and things would catch our eye. Whether it be great looking food, coffee or shopping, discovering cool places is always really fun.
Everywhere I went was mostly touristy with a lot of backpackers walking around exploring just like me. But, it didn’t feel overwhelming at all. The tourists just looked like they were living normal lives, they weren’t being too touristy. If you know what I mean.
1. Visiting the different Lake Atitlán towns
For me, visiting some of the other towns were the best experience and most fun thing to do. I think the fact that each town is unique and really draws a specific type of traveler is really cool. If you are staying for only a few days, the towns you definitely should visit are:
- San Juan – This is one of the most popular towns in Lake Atitlán. You don’t have to stay here, you can just visit for a day. This town is all about art and culture. The local people know really well what attracts tourists, so they decorate and paint the buildings in really bright colors. There are galleries displaying artisan handicrafts, art and textiles. I recommend visiting these places and they will offer to show you how to strap weave and dye clothing. It would also be nice to show support to the local groups that display these crafts by purchasing anything no matter how small.
- San Pedro – If you’re not already staying in San Pedro, then you must visit this town for some nightlife and partying. If you are a budget backpacker and want a cheap hostel, San Pedro is the place. There are many bars and restaurants by the lake to have a good time at. San Pedro was probably my favorite town.
- San Marcos – If you want to swim in Lake Atitlán, the place you should do it is in San Marcos. Most places in the Lake say no swimming and I can understand why. Because it’s polluted. But, San Marcos has great water quality and a good wooden beam you can jump from into the lake. If you are into yoga, meditation and overall wellness you can come here for a day retreat and stay at an eco lodge. It’s really quiet and peaceful here. San Marcos is definitely a town I would get a hotel in.
2. Indian Nose Hike
For those of you looking for more outdoor activity and adventure travel vibe, go on this hike. Make sure to wake up very early so you can see the epic sunrise at the end. This hike is very popular and people usually do it very early in the morning. You have a small window to take lots of pictures and videos as the sun barely rises. If you only have one day in Lake Atitlán, like if you’re only doing it as a day trip from Antigua, you might not have time to do a long hike.
The hike only takes about 2 hours both ways and it gets steep at the end. Walking uphill can make you out of breath really easily. My recommendation is that you should just go at a slow and steady pace, even if you think you’re fit enough. My tour guide in Peru taught me that.
There are many guides in the towns around the lake. I stayed at a hotel in Panajachel that could arrange a guide for you easily. Just be sure to tell them like a day in advance. There are also many other tour buildings all over Lake Atitlán.
3. Cliff Jumping at Cerro Tzankujil
There is a nature reserve in the town of San Marcos called Cerro Tzankujil. In this reserve there is a wooden platform high up where you can jump into the lake. This is the only area where I saw it was okay to swim in the water. Everywhere else around the popular villages it’s always advised not to swim in the water.
You can take a boat to the nature reserve for 15Q and then another 20Q to enter it. That’s still pretty cheap if you ask me. I think it looked very safe and sturdy. I was of the assumption that it would be a rickety old plank of wood. While you are here, there are other parts of the nature reserve to explore as well.
4. Coffee tour in San Juan
The best coffee I ever had I bought it in Panajachel Lake Atitlán and it was made in Coban Guatemala. The coffee here is out of this world. One of the best things about visiting a coffee plantation is seeing the process of how they treat the coffee from little fruits to a cup of coffee. The free coffee samples are great too.
5. Kayaking in the lake
I loved kayaking in Lake Atitlán, especially early in the morning when the wind and water is really calm. I did a double kayak with Chloe and me. We got to kayak around some bushes in the water and see tiny fish. We even kayaked out to some local fishermen who looked like they were in a self-built wooden kayak.
I stayed at a hotel right on the water and the hotel had kayaks and arranged everything for us. If your accommodation doesn’t have kayaks you can do it through a tour. This way you’ll see a large portion of the lake towns from the perspective of the lake.
I never get tired of being on the water either fishing or just kayaking. I do this all the time, even when I’m home. If you use kayaks from your hotel like I did, they won’t let you go too far away. But if you do it with a guided tour, the tour guide will be on the water with you. You can go as far as the tour goes.
6. Nightlife in San Pedro and the food scene
Experiencing food everywhere I go is one of my favorite things to do in the world. I think there’s so much to be realized culturally by tasting many different types, even if it’s not my style or something I would usually eat. I honestly do not particularly think the food in Lake Atitlán Guatemala is great. I just wanted to try everything I saw that looked interesting.
Some of the things I had in Lake Atitlán to eat were chicharron tacos, lots of rice plantains and beans, amazing coffee, pizza and local food. When I say local food, I really mean local. While waiting for a shuttle, a small family in a tiny sandy house invited us into their home to eat. I actually can’t remember exactly what we ate. I just know it was a great experience and the kids were cute and funny.
One of the best places to have food and drinks is the village of San Pedro. Now, this is a town that you’d either love or hate. San Pedro can be crowded. Thankfully I traveled in the off season and there weren’t that many tourists there.
San Pedro is bustling with nightlife and hostel parties all about. There are loud groups of tourists all over. I do not recommend staying in San Pedro for this reason. One of the best things to do in San Pedro is to find a nice restaurant down by the lake and eat with some amazing lakeside views. Then, when it gets dark, visit some of the cafes and local bars for some of that backpacker energy and social vibe.
If you want parties, drinking, clubs, food and socializing, San Pedro is your place.
In hindsight I wish We choose to stay in San Marcos instead. It just seemed more like my vibe, it would be quieter and calmer with the nature reserve really nearby.
7. Walk Calle Santander and Explore Panajachel on Foot
This is one thing I actually wish I spent more time doing. We walked around Panajachel a lot, but when we were leaving Lake Atitlán I started seeing all these side streets filled with street food, shops and local vendors that we never really explored. In hindsight, I would have dedicated a few more hours to simply walking around without having anywhere specific to go.
Calle Santander is the easiest place to start. It is basically the tourist center of Panajachel, with handicrafts, textiles, cafés, restaurants and shops leading toward the lake. But don’t only walk Santander. Turn off onto some of the surrounding streets as well. Some of my favorite travel experiences happen when I’m just walking around and something interesting catches my eye.
8. Visit a Weaving Cooperative in San Juan
San Juan was probably the most colorful town we visited around Lake Atitlán. There is art everywhere and a big part of the experience here is seeing the textiles and handicrafts made by local Tz’utujil artisans. When I visited, there were places where you could walk in, look around and learn a little about how the clothing and fabrics are made.
If I went back, I would spend more time doing an actual textile demonstration instead of just browsing. Women’s weaving associations in San Juan demonstrate backstrap weaving and the process of creating natural dyes from things like plants, fruits, leaves and tree bark. Buying something directly from one of these groups is also a much better souvenir than some random mass-produced thing from a gift shop.
9. Visit Santiago Atitlán and Learn About Maximón
Santiago Atitlán is somewhere I would add to my itinerary if I went back. I visited San Juan, San Pedro and San Marcos during my trip, but Santiago gives you another side of the lake. It has a strong Tz’utujil Maya identity, traditional textiles, markets and religious traditions that are still very much part of everyday life.
One of the things Santiago is particularly known for is Maximón, also called Rilaj Mam. The figure is looked after by a local religious brotherhood and doesn’t necessarily stay in one permanent place, so visitors commonly ask a local guide or tuk-tuk driver where to find him. I wouldn’t treat this like just another tourist attraction either. This is a living spiritual tradition, so go with some respect and preferably with someone who can explain what you’re actually seeing.
10. Explore Reserva Natural Atitlán
If you’re staying in Panajachel and want something involving more nature without having to cross the lake, Reserva Natural Atitlán is an easy one to add. The reserve is right outside the main part of Panajachel and has forest trails, hanging bridges and a butterfly area. There are also ziplining activities if you want something a little more adventurous.
I stayed in Panajachel and somehow never did this, which is kind of crazy considering how close it was to us. I would probably use this as a slower half-day activity between bigger days exploring the other villages. It’s also a good option if you’ve already spent a couple of days taking boats everywhere and just want to stay on the Panajachel side of the lake for a while.
11. Take a Yoga Class in San Marcos
San Marcos has a completely different atmosphere from San Pedro. Everything feels slower and quieter, with little paths, cafés, nature and a much bigger wellness scene. After visiting, I actually thought San Marcos probably would have suited me better as a place to stay than San Pedro.
Yoga is a huge part of the travel scene here, and you don’t necessarily need to book some week-long spiritual retreat to experience it. You can just visit San Marcos for the day, take a yoga class, get something to eat and combine it with Cerro Tzankujil. Even if you’re not normally into yoga, doing it somewhere overlooking Lake Atitlán is a pretty good place to try it. San Marcos is widely known around the lake for yoga, meditation and wellness tourism.
12. Go Paragliding Over Lake Atitlán
This is probably the activity I would be most excited to do if I went back to Lake Atitlán. I like adding at least one proper adventure activity to most of my trips, and paragliding over the lake seems like one of the best ways to do that here.
Flights operate around the Panajachel area and give you an aerial view of the lake, towns and surrounding volcanoes. I didn’t do this during my trip, so I can’t tell you what the flight itself is like firsthand, but this would easily make my personal list for a second visit. If you’re already staying in Panajachel, it also means you don’t necessarily have to take a boat somewhere else just to do it. Paragliding is one of the adventure activities currently offered around Panajachel and Lake Atitlán.
13. Visit Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó
Most first-time visitors, including me, naturally end up focusing on Panajachel, San Pedro, San Juan and San Marcos. But if you have more time, I would start looking at some of the smaller communities on the eastern side of the lake as well. Santa Catarina Palopó is especially recognizable because of its brightly painted buildings and patterns inspired by local Maya textile designs.
You can also combine it with nearby San Antonio Palopó, which has a strong pottery and artisan tradition. I like this option because it gives you something different from repeating another backpacker town. If you have four or five days around Lake Atitlán, I think spending half a day exploring these smaller villages would make the trip feel much more complete.
14. Take a Sunset Boat Ride on Lake Atitlán
You are probably going to spend plenty of time in boats anyway because that is how you travel between many of the towns. But taking a boat simply for the experience is different from sitting in a lancha trying to get from Panajachel to San Pedro.
Lake Atitlán looks completely different when the light starts dropping behind the mountains. This is one of those activities that doesn’t really need to be complicated. You can book an actual sunset cruise or arrange a private boat depending on your budget. I would probably save this for one of the last evenings of the trip, after you’ve already spent a few days exploring the places you’re now looking at from the water. Sunset boat trips are offered from Panajachel alongside regular village tours.
15. Try a Traditional Temazcal
Lake Atitlán isn’t only about adventure activities and running around trying to see every village. A big part of why I liked this place was how easy it was to slow down. Sometimes we would just sit somewhere with a coffee and look across the lake at the volcanoes. You don’t always need an activity planned every hour here.
A temazcal fits that slower side of Lake Atitlán perfectly. It is a traditional steam-bath experience, and you can find temazcals at different hotels and wellness centers around the lake. I didn’t do one during my trip, so this would be another experience I’d save for a return visit. After a few days of walking, kayaking and bouncing around the lake in boats, spending an evening doing basically nothing inside a hot steam bath doesn’t sound too bad at all.
Final thoughts
As I mentioned before, I think Lake Atitlán has a really nice vibe that makes you relax and not think about personal problems back home. Everything is slower and it’s mostly about taking it easy. Some people might think that there are not many things to do here because it might not be their travel style. But, all the things we did in Lake Atitlán I enjoyed to the fullest.
Overall I had a great time, eating food, shopping for coffee to take back home and just looking at the lake and volcanoes in the distance. Some of my favorite moments actually came from not doing anything, just chilling.
