Lagua de Atitlan, (English: Lake Atitlan), is a lake in the western part of Guatemala. Famous among backpackers, who usually relax in San Pedro or in the "less party, more meditation" village of San Marcos. Due to the region's popularity, other towns along the lake, such as Santa Cruz and San Juan, are now starting to see growing tourism.

Cities

• San Antonio Palopo
• Santa Catarina Palopo
• Panajachel Lake Atitlan's most visited town

Other destinations

• San Pedro
• San Marcos
• San Juan

Understand

The Atitlan Lake located at 1560 m of altitude, and the Tolimán volcano at the bottom (3158 m). If the depth being reproduced on the charts is 320 m, investigations carried out in the years 1970 evaluate to 600 m the depth on the San Lucas Tolimán side.

Talk

Get in

Get around

See

Do

Eat

Drink

Sleep

• Casa Del Mundo, Perhaps the best value for money hotel to be found in Atitlan. It is only accessible by boat, the food is fantastic, the rooms are clean and the grounds are amazing.

• Trippy's Hostel, - http://www.trippyshostel.com - A communal, home-style hostel in San Pedro. Laid back owners, beautiful garden, amazing kitchen!

• Villa Sumaya, An elegant, yet simple small lake-front hotel near Santa Cruz La Laguna, accessible only by water taxi. The owner has an amazing knack of adding beautiful, subtle touches everywhere you look. The food is great, and there are good vegetarian options. The "Blue Tiger Temple" is the most beautiful meeting/yoga room I've ever seen. It's not the cheapest place on the Lake, but its unique and still very reasonable.

Get Out

Stay safe

On the road around the Lagua de Atitlan, especially between the villages St. Juan and St. Marco, some daytime violent crime has been reported (Nov 2004). Tourists have been robbed (although not injured), and there were also rumors of rapes against women.

Although the road from St. Marco to the next northern village is now controlled by the "Tourist Police", walking this way with backpacks or large amounts of money is not recommended.