Lake Atitlán is a crater lake in the Guatemalan highlands, surrounded by 3 volcanoes and colorful Mayan towns. It's one of Central America’s most surreal places to travel slow, train outdoors, and reset. Towns like San Pedro, San Marcos, and Panajachel each have their own vibe. Whether you're hustling, healing, or just chilling lakeside.
Atitlán is not easy to reach, which adds to its charm and appeal. Once you’re in Guatemala, take a chicken bus to the junction at Los Encuentros. From there, catch another chicken bus for 5Q to the town of Sololá. This is a good spot to grab a quick bite at the local market while you wait for the final chicken bus to Panajachel for 5Q.
Hotel del Sol (Panajachel) – A chill hostel near the main town center in Panajachel. Amenities include secure padlock lockers, free water and good showers. Plenty of desk space for digital nomads. Dorms are comfortable and affordable. Easy access to boat docks and cheap street eats.
Hotel Peneleu (San Pedro) – One of the low priced guesthouses right on the lake in San Pedro. Huge outdoor space with decent views of the lake. If you're balancing meditation and calisthenics, it's a nice option.
San Pedro Outdoor Gym – Rusty bars, concrete blocks, and mountain views. Raw and basic, but great for pull-ups, dips, and high-volume work under the sun.
Volcano Treks – Commit to a full day hike up to Volcan Atitlan - the highest of the 3 volcanoes. The starting point is from either San Lucas or Santiago. This was a tough one which personally took me 9 hours and some serious dehydration.
Lake Swims – If you're a strong swimmer, early morning dips in the lake are crisp and refreshing. Just check for clean spots (and avoid rainy season runoff).
Back in 2023, I hiked up Volcán Atitlán solo, the tallest of the three volcanoes surrounding the lake. From the main town of Panajachel, it’s a 25Q boat ride to San Lucas Toliman. I spent about two hours wandering the village looking for a guesthouse, since the only hostel was full.
The next morning, I started the summit hike with just 1L of water and a few snacks. Not for the faint-hearted — it was probably the second hardest hike I’ve ever done.
The climb took five hours, cutting through crop fields, dense forest, and finally steep volcanic rock. I only passed one other hiker the entire day — a woman descending with her guide, probably after camping overnight near the summit. Most people do this hike over two days. Trying to squeeze it into one, solo, with minimal supplies was borderline reckless.
Luckily, there were thermal vents at the summit where I could warm up before beginning the long, rough descent.
I wiped out at least ten times on the way down. It took another 4.5 hours to get back to San Lucas. By the time I reached town, I was dirty, exhausted, and extremely thirsty. My only pair of running shoes were wrecked.
I don’t recommend most people attempt this solo. If you do, come better equipped than just one bottle of water and some trail snacks.
Atitlán is beautiful but slow. Wi-Fi can be spotty, especially during storms. Transport to neighboring cities Antigua and Quetzaltenango are mainly by chicken bus - notoriously uncomfortable and sketchy. Transport between towns on the lake is by boat only, and basic supplies aren’t always available. Still, if you’re down to unplug a little, train in nature, and breathe volcano air, it’s magic.