Tours & Operators on Travelstride Awarded and Featured by: 2023 Travelstride. It's got something for everyone, and shouldn't be left out of any Guatemala backpacking itinerary. Then, enjoy the day at your leisure. 47 reviews 26 helpful votes Recommended itinerary 3 days 4n 1 year ago Save We will be in Lake Atitlan for three full days arriving late Saturday with a Wednesday departure. I spent 2860Q (290 or $365) during my six days here. When visiting Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is a place that absolutely must be on your list! And if youre looking to visit Antigua, get our take on the best things there are to do in Antigua! Lake Atitlan covers a huge area and is made up of many towns. Luckily, Antigua is a fairly small cityyou can cross it in 20 minutes on foot. Crazy, right? You will need at least a week at the Lake Atitlan to really do it justice. This hike starts in the village of San Juan la Laguna and takes most people between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to reach the top and slightly less to get back down. Take a Cooking Class at Caf Sabor Cruceno in Santa Cruz, 7. Wander Down Calle Santander In Panajachel, 10. If guides, itineraries, and travel content like this interest you, head over tomy blog pageto find out more. How does a hot spring and pool sound? Some recommended restaurants are Idea Connection for Italian food, The Fifth Dimension for vegetarian, El Barrios weekend brunch, and Smoking Joes Sunday BBQ. Get exclusive access to hidden treasures known only to local guides, and immerse yourself in the diversity of the local cultures. and then Lake Atitlan for 2 days. Places like Casa Flor Ixcaco, KEMO, Lema Association, and Womens Weaving Cooperative Artesana Maya are wonderful places to peruse the craft of loom weaving. The not-so-ideal time to visit Lake Atitlan is from June to October when the rainy season is in full effect. Santa Cruz is one of the best towns on the lake to paddleboard in. Starting at around 8 AM on Thursdays and Sundays, youll find streets exploding with locals selling traditional goods and foods. Antigua is 100% worth visiting! Once you are back from the hike, grab a shower, eat some breakfast, and pack before heading to your next stop in Guatemala. 11th-15th: Lake Atitlan Spanish lessons. While in Lake Atitlan, we took a cooking class with Caf Sabor Cruceno, a local restaurant and cooking school whose proceeds go directly to the Santa Cruz community, where the restaurant and school are located. Dont worry, its free! If you want to practice yoga and chill, stay inSan Marcos. On this four-day trip to Guatemala, explore the local culture, along with one of the most stunning lakeside landmarks. Muse D'Orsay | 3 Days in Paris Itinerary. If you are coming by boat from Santa Cruz you can be let off at their private dock for 15Q. Your Guide to Exploring Lake Atitlan 17 Adventurous Things To Do in Guatemala + Tips For Your Visit! For a challenge, you can climb any one of the three volcanoes beside the lake (Toliman, San Pedro and Atitlan). Thousands of You will soon realise that Guatemala has a huge array of products that you didnt even know existed! In Santiago and Panajachel, youll find bustling markets where locals sell local produce, fresh flowers, and the latest catch of the day. In fact, San Juan is our favorite town on the lake. Make the most of your trip to Lake Atitlan! with them directly. The sun rises over Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes in the distance whilst you can look down at San Pedro village and the other three volcanoes in the vicinity. 8th: fly to Flores, Tikal on 9th. The sites I visited were incredible and worth it. Since you can't drink the tap water, fill your reusable. There are notice boards around the village showing all the possibilities. Different tour companies have different routes to avoid each other at key stops. 22 June 2020 no comments, Things to Know About Cultural Etiquette of China Before Travelling, Dubai on a budget: The best places to visit in Dubai for free, Liverpool travel guide: what to do, where to stay, where to eat, and tips. . Youre beautiful, charming, and full of adventure, authenticity, and history. The majority of the hikes depart from either San Pedro or Santiago. After class, you can head to their onsite caf for a bite to eat and enjoy the cool breeze and lake views. It should take approximately a couple of hours to get to the top. We spent 9 days in Lake Atitlan and while we spent some of those days working, even with 9 days, there were still things we didnt get a chance to do in Lake Atitlan! Its easy to see why people fall in love with this place. NOTE: If you have your own GoPro, bring it! How To Spend 3 Days in Antigua, Guatemala, The 25 Best Things To Do In Antigua, Guatemala, The Ultimate 7-day, 10-day, and 2-week Guatemala Itinerary. What better way to make an entrance into Lake Atitlan than to fly high above it? I am planning my itinerary for Lake Atitlan. The company was well-organized and I enjoyed every activity they planned for this trip! If you have more time, I would recommend going to Tikal and Semuc Champey. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Situated 4,500 feet (1,371 meters) above sea level, this is one place you can hike up any time of day to enjoy the view. Return to this screen after you click on the link to complete sign-in. I'm having such a hard time figuring out where I want to stay according to what I'm interested in doing and seeing. Since it's your first day in the city, take things slow. Unfortunately, there is no airport within any of the towns of Lake Atitlan. Note: There is a 20Q fee to enter the Nature Reserve. I really had an enjoyable trip and felt well taken care of. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes from Panajachel dock to Santa Cruz, though you should account for waiting times as often the captain wont leave until the boat has filled up with passengers. Read unbiased user reviews, pick the company that fits your style, and connect Your email address will not be published. The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to April. They are all over Lake Atitlan, however, San Juan is home to womens co-ops specializing in naturally dyed textiles and not to mention, just a wonderful town to explore! You can also rent kayaks at the nature reserve entrance! If you are content remaining in one place for the duration of your visit, 3 days in Lake Atitlan will give you a little taster. Depending on where you are coming from in Guatemala, there may be only one transport per day or multiple per day going to Lake Atitlan. One night I was doing research when I came across CharlieTheTravelers tour to Guatemala. And no visit to the lake would be complete without some quality hammock time since, despite all the opportunities to get active, ultimately, Atitlan is all about relaxation. The caldera-forming eruption is known as Los Chocoyos eruption and ejected up to 300 km 3 (72 cu mi) of tephra.The enormous eruption dispersed ash over an area of some 6,000,000 square kilometres (2,300,000 sq mi): it has been detected from Florida to Ecuador, and can be used as a stratigraphic marker in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (known as Y-8 ash in marine deposits). Two of the main hostels (Free Cerveza and La Iguana Perdida) both offer family dinners at 7pm for a reasonable price. le-de-France France. All of my guides were great people! The Lower Mayan Trail and Indian Nose hike are by no means the only hikes on offer around Lake Atitlan. A vast selection of trips on every continent, for every style. must check the box to subscribe. Another option is to go to the Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve on the edge of the village that has a few trails and, more importantly, is a good place to access the lake for swimming. They will take you up to the launch point in the mountains which is a 30-minute drive away. You can coordinate your pick-up and drop-off with the tour company you are hiking with. The route below shows the trail from Santa Cruz to San Marcos and back again. The scenery, temperature, Mayan culture, variety of villages, and the wide range of things to do in Lake Atitlan make this an amazing place to visit in Guatemala. The trail has amazing views of the lake and its volcanoes but be aware that there are some steep drop-offs so you need to be steady on your feet. If you dont want to hike the whole distance you can take local transport up to the top and have a short hike from there, or join a tour that will arrange the transport and guide for you. If you opt for a shuttle, the journey should take 2.5-3 hours, whilst the chicken bus takes nearer 4 hours. Looking to swim in Lake Atitlan? This is one of the best things to do in San Marcos and youll see why Im recommending it in this 7 days itinerary for Lake Atitlan. A private transfer will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Guatemala City Airport. At 12 miles in length, 6 miles wide, and at its deepest, 1,049 ft., the best way to explore the lake is by boat. Unlike most travel agencies and websites that only show options from large companies that pay big commissions, we show you all the options we can gather, and were adding more all the time. You can opt to book a private ride (around 150Q to 300Q total) or opt for the public lancha costing around 25Q per person. If youre heading to Lake Atitlan, its highly likely that your first stop will be Panajachel. Do your best to keep your mouth closed when jumping into and swimming in Lake Atitlan or you may end up with a gurgling tummy. Our . Of historical interest are the chteaus of Versailles, Mantes-la-Jolie, Rambouillet, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, and Champs. In addition, stroll the Main Square, along with the surrounding municipal building, palace, and cathedral. Lake Atitlan is located roughly 150km west of Guatemala City. One of the best things to do in Lake Atitlan is hiking San Pedro Volcano. It sits at 5,125 ft. in elevation with three impressive volcanoes (Atitlan, Toliman, and San Pedroaka The Three Giants), sitting on its lake shores. Thank you for reading my 6-day Lake Atitlan itinerary. While the bulk of the town is farther up the hill, almost all the buildings along the lake are owned by long-term expats who went looking for someplace beautiful, quiet, and secluded and found all three in Santa Cruz. . Once you reach the top, someone will be waiting to check your ticket. For more places to stay on Lake Atitlan, you cancheck out thelatest places and prices here. Its, therefore, no surprise that you can spend an amazing week in Lake Atitlan! You will return to the kitchen to prepare your food! Using natural dyes, TzutujilMayan women weave fabrics together using a traditional loom to create anything from table clothes, dresses, shirts, placemats, and much more! Day Trips. From plates and cups to serving dishes and vases, they offer a store full of beautifully handmade, decorated pieces. While we did not partake in paragliding over Lake Atitlan (we did this in Colombia a few months prior! View travel requirements for countries around the world. The closest airport to Lake Atitlan is Guatemala City, some 3.5 4.5 hours away. Ok, back to textiles. It wont take you long to wander along the main street, but be prepared to get lost in the backstreets! It is always best to have exact change. Ok, if you are staying in Panajachel and staying over a weekend, you HAVE to pay a visit to Jos Pinginos for a night of Galo drinking (Guatemalas National Beer) and live music listening. Also, there are no passenger trains in all of Guatemala, so traveling by train is out of the question. Check out the 8 Lake Atitlan towns you cannot miss right here! 10th: fly out Flores, transit to Lake Atitlan. 4 Day Itinerary - Lake Atitlan Forum. I did observe other tourists on a couple of occasions having to sit, waiting for their transportation to fill so that they could go. The neighbouring village of San Juan la Laguna only a 10Q tuk-tuk ride away is perfect for a short visit as the centre of arts and textiles on the lake. 948 Reviews . The first element on this Lake Atitlan guide is the best time to visit the place. Santa Cruz La Laguna is a small town on the edge of Lake Atitlan. A large Disneyland theme park in Marne-la-Valle also is a significant tourist draw. We stayed in Panajachel and quickly, Azul Rosa became a favorite sunset happy hour spot for us! CerroTzankujilNature Reserve, located in San Marcos, offers a 40 ft. (12 meters) jump into Lake Atitlan, known as the trampoline. If you are staying in San Pedro, Los Thermales are personal jacuzzies that can be reserved an hour to 30 minutes ahead of your arrival. Lake Atitlan Hotels and Places to Stay. My trip with Charlie the Traveler was great. But first, before we dive into activities in Lake Atitlan, lets set the stage, shall we?!