Lago de Atitlán is one of the major tourist attractions in Guatemala, and that made it a must visit for me. From Antigua, Lake Atitlán isn’t that far away. There are lots of shuttle vans that can take you there directly. They cost anywhere from 12-20 USD each way depending on the tour company. It takes about 3 hours to get to Panajachel (the town by the lake) so a day trip is definitely doable. Take the first shuttle out and take the last shuttle back. However, there are lots of places that can be explored in the areas surrounding the lake, so I’d recommend spending at least 2 nights. All of the towns are pretty chill, any one of them can be an ideal place to unwind and relax for a couple of days.

If you have time and you want to save money, chicken buses are a reliable option. You have to do a number of transfers though because there’s no direct bus route to Panajachel from Antigua. And since you have to make several transfers, it would be best to take one of the early morning buses. It’s fairly easy, though you’d have to know a bit of Spanish. Ask the staff in your hostel/ hotel where the buses to Chimaltenango are. That’s gonna set you back 5 Quetzales. Now you have to ask the driver to drop you off where the buses to Los Encuentros stop, or you can just ask your fellow passengers to tell you where to get off. This bus will set you back 15 Quetzales. At Los Encuentros, look for buses heading to Sololá. A ride costs 3 Quetzales. At Sololá, catch another bus to Panajachel for another 3 Quetzales. All in all, that’s less than 4 USD when you convert it and the whole trip will take you about 4 hours.

 

Since Panajachel is the drop off point for people heading to the lake, it’s a really busy town. There are lots of stores catering to tourists, and at first it does look chaotic. Everything is really expensive here as well, so I suggest saving your money for food and souvenirs until you reach the other towns. If you plan to spend a night by the lake, choose to stay in another town— one that isn’t as touristy. Walk toward the lake and you’ll see lots of boats heading to the other towns surrounding the lake. If you choose to go to the nearest ones, it’s only 10 Quetzales each way. The farther towns cost 25 Quetzales. If you’re not too keen on public transport, you can hire a boat for your own use, but i imagine it would be really expensive. Several guys were quoting 50 Quetzales one way to the nearest town. One was offering a one hour trip around the lake for 150 Quetzales. I may have considered that if the view was perfect. When I saw pictures of the lake I was mesmerized. The view was indeed amazing based on those pictures. I guess December isn’t a good month to visit the lake. All those volcanoes I saw in pictures? All of em were hiding behind clouds. i do get to see a silhouette every now and then, but a view like that is hardly worth more than 100 Quetzales.

What made the trip worth it? The other towns surrounding the lake. A popular option for those on a day trip are tours that would take you from Panajachel to three other towns by the lake. Depending on who you’re dealing with, this type of tour would set you back anywhere from 40 to 100 USD. I think visiting three towns in half a day would be really rushing it, but if you don’t have the luxury of time I think it’s a viable option if you can book a cheap tour. As I’ve said earlier, any of the other towns would be a perfect place to spend time on. Even Santiago, the largest one, isn’t as chaotic as Panajachel. San Pedro La Laguna is an exception though. It’s a good place to stay long term since this town seems to offer the cheapest accommodations. This comes at a price though. Since it’s cheap, it attracts a lot of young backpackers. So yeah, it has a reputation of being a party place, and that attracts even more travelers looking to party. It can get really wild at night which is great if that’s what you are looking for. But I imagine a lot of travelers head to Lake Atitlán for some peace and quiet. If you’re not in the mood to party, any of the other towns would be a safe bet. You get to experience more of the local culture in other towns too. The people who inhabit the towns surrounding the lake are real Mayans. (I just had to say that since I saw some folks in Antigua who seemed to be pretending to be Mayans just to get some cash from unsuspecting tourists). Spending a night or two in one of the less touristy towns would enable you to observe their daily lives, and you’ll be able to know more of their culture in the process.

It would have been better if I visited the lake on a clear day so I would have been able to witness that amazing view that everyone was talking about. But since there are so many things to see and do in the area, I still believe it’s a must visit place any time of the year. And the whole area is indeed very beautiful, even without seeing those volcanoes and mountains in the background.