Ultimate Guide to Guatemala's Lake Atitlán
Into the heart of Guatemala’s highlands we go to find the deepest lake in all of Central America. Situated in Sololá, roughly three hours from Guatemala’s capital city of Antigua, you’ll find Lake Atitlán. The lake rests within a colossal volcanic caldera and has been the home of indigenous Mayan peoples for centuries.
With rising slopes covered in lush jungle, Lake Atitlán has enough scenery to entertain travelers for weeks, if not months. However, like many backpackers with overbooked travel itineraries, we could only allot a few short days to the adventure.
Getting There
Assuming you’re coming from Antigua, there’s a number of options for the roughly three-hour journey to get to Lake Atitlán.
The cheapest by far are the notorious chicken buses which will take you one way for a grand total of $6-8. However, these colorful rebranded school buses are neither the most comfortable nor safe, so we wouldn’t recommend them unless you’re really strapped for cash.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s completely possible to book an Uber, taxi, or private car to enjoy the drive in peace. However, this can cost you anywhere from $100-200 one way.
The best option as we see it is the shuttle bus. You can book one online via numerous travel sites and they should cost you between $15 and $25 each way. These shuttles carry roughly 10-15 people and will pick you up from your hotel/hostel within an allotted time window. We booked through Magic Travel for $16 each way and couldn’t recommend it more.
Take note, most of these options will likely drop you off in Panajachel, so if you’re heading to any of the other villages, you’ll have to take a lancha from there.
Getting Around
Lanchas, basically water taxi boats, can be found arriving and departing from the main dock in each of the villages. They are the primary means of transport for both locals and tourists in Lake Atitlán.
Two boats tend to leave from Panajachel and San Pedro, running opposite each other, every half hour. While these rough schedules do exist, it’s generally most effective to simply walk down to the dock, say where you want to go, and you’ll be directed to the next available boat that will leave when it’s full (the max time we waited was 10 minutes).
The main timetable to pay attention to, however, is that the boats only run from 6:30am-7pm, with the last boat departing San Pedro at 5pm. If you find yourself needing to travel outside of these times, it’s possible to book a private boat, but it will cost you much more.
The cost of a lancha ride depends on how far you’ll be traveling. For example, the 25-minute trip to San Pedro from Panajachel costs 25Q (a little over $3), while a shorter ride like San Pedro to
San Marcos might cost you 10Q ($1.25). You can also pay ahead at the dock for day-of roundtrip tickets, in which case you’ll need to hold onto a small slip of paper for your return journey.
Lanchas carry dozens of people each trip, so it's important to be courteous and conscious of where you sit. The boats board from the front and back, so it's best to fill in the middle seats upon arrival and adjust as people disembark to make space for new arrivals.
Also keep in mind that it's often not a smooth ride. Seats near the front of the lancha will be the most bumpy and window seats typically offer refreshing splashes to the face.
As for getting around on land, taxis and the occasional Uber are present in the larger villages, but tuktuks remain king. Tuktuks are three-wheeled, open-aired rickshaws that scurry everywhere on the roads of towns like San Pedro and Panajachel and can take you where you want to go for a nominal fee.
Where to Stay
Lake Atitlan hosts roughly a dozen villages along its shores, each unique from the rest, so choosing the perfect place to stay all depends on what you want to get out of the trip. Most people tend to position themselves in one of the larger towns where there are plenty of restaurant options, a larger tourist scene, and ATMs. From here, you can easily day-trip to any of the other villages and return before dark.
We go more in depth into the many of the villages in this article, but for a short trip, we highly recommend basing yourself in San Pedro la Laguna and visiting the other villages from here.
Top Tips
Whether you’re visiting Lake Atitlán for a few days like us or plan to make the lake your next month-long travel destination, it’s good to be prepared. Here are our top tips for staying along the lake:
Plan Around ATMs
Lake Atitlán runs on cash for nearly everything. You would think that would mean an ATM in every town, but when we went, you could only find them in Panajachel and San Pedro. So if you’re taking a day trip, or even basing yourself in one of the more remote villages, make sure to stock up before you go!
Don’t Drink the Water
As with most of Central America, it’s best to steer clear of the tap water. This goes for raw fruits and vegetables as well (Abbey got pretty stomach sick after some restaurant pico de gallo). Luckily, most hostels in the major villages have filtered water stations for guests to use 24/7.
Bring a Portable Charger
Power outages are quite frequent in Lake Atitlán and come without warning. Late one night at our hostel in San Pedro, there was a loud pop and all the lights, music, and outlets stopped working. Standing on the roof, you could see the power had gone out in the entire town and each of the neighboring villages as well.
While the dark and the near-silence of the lake were breathtaking to witness, our hostel, like many on the lake, didn’t have a backup generator. We were told we would have to wait for either the power to come back, or for the morning when we could walk to a nearby cafe with a generator. Luckily, the power came back late that night, but we were told it can sometimes take days.
To Swim or Not to Swim
This is an ongoing debate and you’ll hear different stories from locals, scientists, and the internet. Regardless, there are two general rules of thumb for swimming in Lake Atitlán.
The first and least debated: never swim near the main docks. This is in part due to the danger of getting taken out by a boat, but also because of the visible contamination the boats leave on the water’s surface there.
The second rule is to avoid swimming near the larger villages entirely. Runoff is a major issue in Lake Atitlán and with each village having been built on a slope, most of these contaminants run directly into the water. Thus, the lake is contaminated with cyanobacteria and it’s not uncommon for tourists to come down with skin rashes and other illnesses following a dip in the lake.
So, if you’re still willing to look past the potential health hazards, it’s best to head over to any of the smaller villages before you swim (San Marcos is the best!).
Pack Your Meds
If you do happen to drink the water or swim in the wrong spot, you might be on the lookout for some medicine. The major villages have small pharmacies and there are hospitals in Panajachel, San Pedro, and Santiago. Keep in mind though, because of the remote nature of Lake Atitlán, even basic over-the-counter meds can cost quite a lot. So, if you’re prone to anything from infection to motion sickness, it’s best to buy before you go.
So, whether you're planning a month-long Guatemalan holiday, or just a brief week-long stay, Lake Atitlán should be on every Central American bucket list.
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