Aldous Huxley once said, “Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing.”

Sitting on a bench overlooking the lake in the town of Panajachel, I take a sip of water and a munch from a bag of chips I bought. The sun is beginning to set over Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan on my first evening here, and Huxley’s words ring true. Not one but three volcanoes tower over the lake opposite me, small towns glimmering to the setting sun. The wind picks up, and small waves set out over the blue surface, foam echoed in the white clouds above. Boats, used as transport between the towns, pass regularly, carrying locals and visitors to different views and different experiences.

Lake Atitlan is a place of pilgrimage, one of the seemingly mandatory stops for tourists to Guatemala. Some come just for a day, others for weeks or longer, drawn by the promise of one of the world’s most beautiful lakes and a laid back pace of life along its shores. For me, it’s a chance to get out of Antigua for a weekend, to have a new experience or two, and to appreciate what life here means.

Lake Atitlan sits in a volcanic caldera about three hours’ drive from either Antigua or Guatemala City. The caldera itself is only the most recent remnant of a constantly shifting geological landscape over the last ten or so million years. Today’s caldera is the result of an eruption 84,000 years ago that spread ash from Ecuador to Florida.

Three more modern volcanos overlook the lake, having formed in and around the caldera in the years since that eruption. From Panajachel, one can see all three. The oldest, smallest, and closest to the lake is Volcan San Pedro, last active about 40,000 years ago. The twin volcanos of Toliman and Atitlan (the name of the lake, as well as the volcano and the predecessor volcano whose caldera we sit in) are more recent. Toliman is technically still active although it hasn’t erupted in recorded history, while Atitlan, the largest and newest, last had a major eruption in 1853. There is also a new cone called Cerro de Ora forming in front of Toliman.

Lake Atitlan is huge, and views bely that fact, since it seems one can almost reach out and touch the volcanos on the other side. But it is almost 10 miles across to Volcan San Pedro (a bit shorter to Toliman), and since the lake is over 1000 feet deep, it is a vast amount of water. And this isn’t even its largest; a 1976 earthquake fractured the bottom, causing the water level to drop by about six feet.

Panajachel is my home base here at Lake Atitlan, and the most common starting point for those here to explore. And from here, a system of boats takes visitors to any number of other towns. The most common visitor “loop” is the towns of San Pedro, San Juan, San Marcos, and Santa Cruz. (A single boat will service all of these, while other towns are accessed by other boats.) With a single day on the lake, one can try to see all of these towns, each of which has a slightly different feel. Or for a more relaxed day of exploration, pick two. This trip, I chose San Pedro and San Juan.

From a practical standpoint, finding a boat to another town is incredible easy. Just start walking toward the water, and you will be approached by someone asking if you want a “lancha,” a boat to one of the towns, typically to those four. These people are for real, and each works for a specific group of boats, sort of a co-op. Pricing is basically the same, so just allow that person to lead you to a boat. My round-trip visit to two different towns was Q75, roughly $10. Pricing might vary a bit, but haggling doesn’t seem worthwhile. I just agreed, paid, and was issued a receipt that I’d need to show getting back on one of these particular colored boats.

The crossing can be direct, or can go via the other towns on the loop. It really depends on the destinations of those on board. Regardless, don’t expect the boat to leave Panajachel until it is totally full. And then expect a reasonably bumpy ride. These are speedboats, expertly piloted by people who look like teenagers, and comfort is not a concern. Plastic windows zip down, but even then, if you’re sitting against the window near the back, you may get a bit wet. If you are sitting in the back row, you may get very wet.

There are eleven towns around Lake Atitlan, but let’s speak a bit about three of them. San Marcos is popular with a hipster crowd. It has a lot of yoga and meditation studios and retreats, as well as some shops selling crystals and such. If those things interest you, that will probably be one of your destinations. They don’t interest me.

San Pedro is the most popular backpacker place to stay along Lake Atitlan. As such, it has a lot of options for eating and drinking, and if you decide to stay late, for dancing. There are also a number of Spanish schools in San Pedro – and indeed all over the area – since the Guatemalan dialect is one of the easiest for Americans to understand and to learn. This was my first stop, a place to stretch after nearly 45 minutes on the boat crossing the lake, and to find something to eat. A bit of shopping, a bit of wandering, a bit of eating, and it had been a couple hours already. Time to move on.

My second stop was San Juan, and while the basic layout is the same – steep streets leading uphill, lined by shops and restaurants – the feel couldn’t be more different. San Juan prides itself on being traditionally Mayan, hosting a ton of shops selling local handicrafts, art galleries, and even some cultural organizations that are closed during my Saturday visit. I make a beeline to the Women’s Weaving Cooperative, a huge store selling everything handwoven from local Mayan women you could possibly imagine.

Two shawls for others and a stunning pillowcase for myself later, I make the steep walk up the Calle de las Sombrillas (umbrella street), popping into as many shops and galleries as interest me. It’s a lot. But as with San Pedro, the town is quite small, and after a couple hours of this, I’m ready to head back to Panajachel.

Being totally honest, even if you are not the sort who wants to get into a speedboat and head to another town, you can have a glorious weekend just staying here in Panajachel. With easily the largest collection of hotels and restaurants around Lake Atitlan, and an impressive number of shops, bars, and coffee holes, a weekend just spent here would be a good one. Plus the sunset views from here are the best, with all three volcanos in evidence across the lake.

While my lodging is nothing to talk about, I do have a dinner recommendation. 7 Caldos is just off Calle Santander, the main drag of town. It specializes in soups and in traditional (both Mayan and post-colonial) stews. The jocon (a stew of meat, potatoes, and carrots in a divine sauce of green chilis, green tomatoes, and herbs) is one of the best things I’ve eaten in Guatemala as a whole.

Back on my bench, staring at the magic of a Lake Atitlan sunset. It is easy to see why this place captures people. It is beautiful, more so than any place really has a right to be. It is both exciting and laid back at once. And with the Mayan community still active here in the Guatemalan highlands, it is a chance to experience that most amazing of cultures. But even if you just find my bench, grab a bottle of water and a bag of chips, and stare at the sunset, you’ll enjoy life here at Lake Atitlan.

Like it? Pin it!