Lake Atitlan Travel Guide: Tips and Advice

Hello all! Thinking of visiting Lake Aititlan? You definitely should! Welcome to your Lake Atitlan Travel Guide!

Lake Atitlan is one of my all time favorite destinations and one I keep dreaming of visiting again and again. In this post you will find essential tips and advice for your trip, as well as all of the information you need for planning your Lake Atitlan adventure.

Lake Atitlan is located in the Sierra Madre mountain range of Guatemala, about 3 hours by car from the airport in Guatemala City. Most travelers fly into Guatemala City, and make their way to the lake from there.

The lake itself is actually the deepest lake in Central America! It is also huge, with an area of more than 50 miles. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot to connect with nature and to meet amazing people, Lake Atitlan is for you!

Sound like your kind of trip?

Keep reading for your Lake Atitlan travel guide!

Lake Atitlan Travel Guide – Tips + Advice

Money

1: Exchange some money before your trip

This is one of my top recommendations for all foreign travel. Arriving to a destination with local currency makes things so much easier.

I use CitiBank and I’m able to order foreign currency in advance of my trips. You may not get the absolute best exchange rate, but it’s usually pretty good.

If you exchange money in advance you can also avoid long exchange lines upon arrival. Additionally, you avoid ATM fees. I’m not sure why, but I always have problems with ATMs abroad – even if I alert my bank that I’m traveling. Guatemala was no exception, and there were multiple ATMs that I was unable to use. Luckily, I had brought extra cash to exchange.

The current exchange rate is $1 USD = 8 Guatemalan Quetzals.

2: Don’t rely on credit cards

Some locations on the lake will accept credit cards, but not all.

While credit card payments are becoming a lot more common on the lake, especially in restaurants and coffee shops, you will definitely need cash for shopping for souvenirs in small shops, leaving tips, buying street food, etc.

Transportation

3: Arrange transportation to the lake in advance

Due to the fact that the lake is located about 3 hours away from the airport in Guatemala City, you should have transportation waiting for you.

Many hotels will arrange airport pick ups/drop offs, however, this can be pricy. Normally, a private car transfer to the lake will be around $90 total. However, despite the price, a private car is definitely the easiest way to travel to the lake.

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, there are also shuttles. Transport Guatemala offers shuttle services for around $28 per person. They also offer shuttles to Antigua and from Antigua to Lake Atitlan.

4: Be cautious with public buses

All around Lake Atitlan you will see local, public buses. These buses are commonly referred to as chicken buses.

They are very popular with locals, and they travel to many destinations, such as Antigua, Guatemala City and Chichi.

Although these buses are relatively convenient, I was urged by many locals and travelers not to take the chicken buses. It was expressed to me that they would likely not be safe for young, foreign female travelers. If you feel comfortable taking these buses, they’re a cheap option, but please keep safety in mind.

5: Travel by boat

The best way to get between towns on the lake is by boat.

You can flag down public boats on most major docking areas and from hotels. These boats run regularly throughout the day, although the timing isn’t the most reliable. A public boat trip should cost less than $1 for transportation between towns/hotels. Just be sure to let the driver know where you’re heading when you get on the boat. These boats are very safe for tourists.

You can also hire private boats for trips between towns. These are more expensive, but work well for groups. These private boats can be arranged by staff at your hotel. On average, these trips will cost at least $10/$15 each way, sometimes more.

Keep in mind that at night public boats do not operate on the lake. If you’re staying in a remote hotel you will need to get back before dark to avoid high private boat fees (the prices go way up at night).

Also keep in mind that the lake is extremely dark at night and the water gets much rougher in the afternoon – these are not ideal boat-travel conditions.

Hotels + Location

6: Pick your hotel location wisely

There are 11 towns located around Lake Atitlan. Some are much larger than others, and there are a few that are major tourist attractions.

Each town offers a different experience, so it is important to pick your location wisely. Additionally, some hotels that are located in the more rural towns are only accessible by boat or by walking long distances.

Remote + Relaxing Hotel Options:

If you are looking for a relaxing experience, away from other tourists, I recommend staying at either Laguna Lodge located in Santa Cruz, or La Casa del Mundo Hotel located in Jaibalito.

Both of these hotels are accessible mainly by boat, and once you arrive it is more difficult to spontaneously leave. However, they are true oases and lovely locations to spend time in nature.

Hotels in Panajachel and San Pedro:

If you want to be in a larger town, with more going on, I recommend staying in Panajachel or San Pedro.

Both of these towns are major tourist destinations and there is a lot to see and do. These towns are also accessible by car, and if you pick a hotel in town, you can easily walk all over.

• Selina Atitlan – Panajachel
• Hotel Atitlan – Panajachel
• Dreamboat Hostel – Panajachel
• Shanti Shanti Hotel – San Pedro
• Sababa Resort – San Pedro

7: Stay in San Pedro, at least for one night

Even if you’re staying in other towns for part of your trip, I recommend staying in San Pedro for at least one night.

San Pedro is the town with the majority of the nightlife, and it is definitely the most fun.

Additionally, it is one of the largest town on Lake Atitlan, and it is accessible by car. In San Pedro there are tons of restaurants and shops – and it is a major hub for activities and day trips.

San Pedro is a fun location for any age, but it is. especially popular with younger travelers.

• 

• 

• 

Packing

8: Pack warm clothes

I visited Lake Atitlan in mid-March, and the temperature varied greatly throughout the day.

I was expecting summer weather, and I didn’t take into account how cold it gets once the sun goes down, or that there would be a lot of wind on the lake. It is super important to bring clothes that are easy to layer. Sweatshirts and leggings/pants are a must, and a light jacket will definitely be helpful.

During the day, in the Spring and Summer, the temperature is usually in the mid 70s/80s, especially when it’s sunny. However, in the afternoon and evening temperatures can easily drop into the 50s.

Finally, rain and thunderstorms are common in the afternoon, so pack a rain coat with a hood!

9: Pack light

Lake Atitlan is a super casual destination. You will not need any fancy clothes. This was perfect for me, because I flew with Spirit Airlines and was only allowed to take a personal item – not even a full carry-on.

I packed in a small duffle bag and was easily able to fit enough for my trip. Even with the small size of my duffle, I still had plenty of room to take home souvenirs. I brought a mixture of cute and practical outfits, and I was able to easily mix and match pieces.

If you’re planning to be at Lake Atitlan for an extended period of time, there are also laundromats in many of the large towns like Panajachel or San Pedro. Many hotels also offer laundry service.

Tours, Activities + Things To Do

10: Take a boat tour of the lake + towns

No matter which town you choose to stay in, I recommend taking a day-long tour of the lake and its many towns. There are 11 towns in total, and each one is unique.

I did not plan my boat tour in advance, but instead found a tour guide while exploring Panajachel. I was approached by a tour guide and he offered a good deal of $100 for a six hour tour. I took this tour with my friend Leyla, who I was traveling with, and we felt completely safe. Miguel, our tour guide, brought us to five towns – Panajachel, Santa Caterina, San Antonio, San Juan and San Pedro. Miguel was incredible, he gave us a short history lesson in each town, and gave us a personalized tour based on what we wanted to see.

I highly recommend finding a tour guide for a day-long lake tour. If you’re not comfortable finding one on the street, there are tons of tourists centers in Panajachel where you can book tours.

If you prefer to arrange tours in advance, you can also book either of these great options:

• Visit Three Mayan Villages
• Lake Atitlan Village Tour

• 

11: Hike Indian Nose at sunrise

Indian Nose hike is a must-do when visiting Lake Atitlan. The views are absolutely incredible and it is such an amazing experience to see the sunrise over the lake.

For this hike I highly, highly recommend having a guide. While this hike is totally safe with a guide, I would not have felt safe embarking on this hike on my own. In addition to the risk of being robbed on the path, without a guide you could very easily get lost on the trail in the dark.

When you book a guided sunrise hike up Indian Nose, your guide will meet you at your hotel around 4am, and in the dark hours of the morning you will hike up the mountain to see the sunrise over the lake. The hike is only about 30 minutes each way, so it’s definitely doable for most travelers. However, keep in mind that it is very steep.

I booked this hike on Viator (Trip Advisor) with a local man named Salvador. He was absolutely amazing and went above and beyond to make the hike perfect for us. The hike with Salvador is $51 a person and is absolutely worth the price.

In total, this hike lasts around 5 hours. You’re picked up around 3:45/4am, and you’ll return to your hotel around 9am – just in time to have breakfast and enjoy a day of exploring!

• 

• 

12: Take day trips

There are tons of day trips you can take from Lake Atitlan. Personally, I recommend visiting Chichicastenango Market, one of the largest markets in Central America.

Chichi is a little bit of a drive from Lake Atitlan, about 2.5 hours. However, it is totally worth it! It was amazing to visit the market and I found so many items from super talented artisans.

There are public buses that go from Lake Atitlan, mostly the town of San Pedro, to Chichi – however, I do not recommend this method of travel because of safety concerns. I hired a private driver, which was a little pricy ($70 for two passengers.) However, I think this service was definitely worth the cost as we were able to go on own schedule and directly from our hotel.

There are also shuttle buses that are usually less expensive, but they can vary in price depending on day and time.

Keep in mind that the market is open on Thursdays and Sundays, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

• 

• 

• 

13: Visit Antigua on your way to/from the Lake

Antigua is a beautiful colonial city and the former capital of the country. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and definitely one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited.

I made the mistake of doing a day trip from Lake Atitlan to Antigua and back. This was a really bad idea.

Antigua is about an hour away from the airport in Guatemala City, and about 2.5 hours away from Lake Atitlan. I recommend visiting Antigua on your way back to Guatemala City, and spending a day or two in the adorable colonial city.

Since I only did a day trip, and had about 5 hours of driving total, I wasn’t able to explore the city as much as I’d like to. Antigua is small, so two days should be plenty. However, it is such an adorable location with so much to do and see, you might find yourself wanting to stay longer.

Safety

Normally, I would have safety tips to include – but for Lake Atitlan, I don’t have many.

The lake is super safe and I never felt like I was in a dangerous situation. That being said, be sure to always use common sense, especially if you’re a female traveler or a solo traveler.

14: When in doubt, get a guide

This is especially important for activities such as hiking. Once you’re outside of the town limits, safety may become more of an issue.

This is especially true for hikes, as robbers have been known to target tourists on hiking trails. If you’re with a reputable guide, you will most likely avoid these situations. Additionally, with a guide there is a much lower risk of getting lost.

---

So there you have it! I hope you found my Lake Atitlan travel guide with my best tips and advice to be helpful.

If you have any questions, or would like to add anything to this post, let me know in the comments below!

Be sure to also check out my Lake Atitlan itinerary, filled with all of the fun things you should do during your trip!

Lastly, I appreciate you sharing this Lake Atitlan travel guide with someone you know who would love to visit Guatemala!

pin me!

♡Kate

Note: This post includes affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.