Lake Atitlán, also known as Lago de Atitlán, is a stunning natural wonder nestled in the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range. This breathtaking lake, whose name means “between the waters” in Nahuatl language, is the deepest lake in Central America. It is also said to be the most beautiful lake in the world.
What sets Lake Atitlán apart from other lakes is that it borders 22 towns and villages. Most of these villages are only accessible by boat, meaning you can expect to take a beautiful 20-40 minute boat ride each to get there :).
If you’re looking to explore Atitlán, there are plenty of boats to catch from anywhere to another village, even to the smallest of the villages, for a small fee. We were lucky enough to spend five days on the lake, exploring several villages including Panajachel, Santiago and San Pedro La Laguna. With 5 days, we only got a glimpse of what Atitlán has to offer. Hope to visit again some day.
Visited in August 2019.
Getting here...
Our adventure began from Copan Ruinas, Honduras, crossing the El Florido border into Guatemala (the easiest border crossing ever). Then we took a 7 hour shuttle to Antigua, Guatemala. This was our lucky day – we were the only riders in the van!
We stayed the night in Antigua and caught a “Chicken bus” to Sololá, approximately 3 hour unforgettable bus ride over the Sierra Madre mountain range – with winding roads and breathtaking scenery.
As usual the bus was crowded with people, chickens (hence the term ‘chicken bus’), vegetables and other supplies to the lake towns. This was our first chicken bus ride in Guate, Harini managed to get a seat by the window, I managed to secure a spot on the steps of the bus – best view.
Once in Sololá we spent a few hours exploring the beautiful town, had drink and a Guatemalan pizza, then to catch another chicken bus to Panajachel on the lake, arriving at our hostel just before sundown.
The memories of the next 5 days are unforgettable.
People...
Mayan civilization may be extinct but it’s way-of-life, language, religion, cuisine etc. are all very much alive here.
People in traditional (Traje Tipico) clothes of colorful patterns, unique to even their village. We were told that the locals can recognize what village they are from by the unique patterns on the cloths, handed down by the Mayan ancestors of that village.
Pit-Stops
There is no place on earth that you can see the entire lake, that is the beauty of this place. You can always find hidden gems around the lake, such as Santiago, San Pedro or San Marcos. All these places have two thing in common: they are all interconnected and full of life.
Panajachel
Panna for short, “Panajachel” derives from the Kaqchikel language and roughly translates to “place of the Matasanos,” the white sapote fruit tree.
This is the entry point to the lake with highway connections. This probably is the most visited town in Guatemala its colorful and lively, with a perfect mix of locals, resident foreigners and travelers.
Updates coming soon.
whoiscall
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