Lake Atitlan is one of Guatemala’s most popular attractions—and for good reason. Surrounded by volcanoes, the ancient caldera lake is mesmerizing in its beauty, while the villages that line its shores are all unique and fascinating. Perfect for travelers who have limited time, this small-group day tour from Antigua is a great way to squeeze in the highlights of the lake while delving deeper into the colorful local culture.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Panajachel, Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Solola Department, Western Highlands
Here is where the tour starts. At your arrival you will have around 45mins to have breakfast (Not included). After that, you walk to the dock to take the boat. Panajachel, also known as “Pana”, is a charming city located on the shore of Lake Atitlan. Is the most important center of the area, reason why it concentrates the majority of hotels, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment centers and shops. Ideal for shopping for handicrafts and contributing to local tourism.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: San Juan la Laguna, San Juan la Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Solola Department, Western Highlands
First town to visit. San Juan la Laguna, a quaint town onf the west shore of the lake, there are serveral cooperatives: from beekeepers, coffee growers to backstrap loom weavers, who work using natural dyes. Using ancestral techniques, they extract dyes from tree bark, vegetables, coconut shells and so on to paint of colors their products.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: San Pedro La Laguna, San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Solola Department, Western Highlands
Second town to visit San Pedro la Laguna, spreading onto a peninsula at the base of the volcano of the same name. It is as famous as Panajachel, it is the favorite place of many foreign tourists, who are fascinated by the tranquility of the environment.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Santiago Atitlan, Santiago Atitlan, Lake Atitlan, Solola Department, Western Highlands
Third town to visit: Santiago Atitlan it is a place with a lot of natural beauty and color, due the handicrafts that are made there as well as for the costume of its inhabitants. The residents wear their regional costume and the women wear colorful huipiles (blouses) woven in white cotton with geometric designs and small birds. Multicolored embroidered at the waist, and the cortes (skirts) consist of a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist; A ribbon called tocoyal is also used, which is approximately 20 meters long and is wrapped around the head. In this beautiful town is the Church of Santiago Apóstol, it was built in 1547. It is one of the oldest churches in Guatemala and in it you can appreciate the syncretism especially in the main altarpiece. There is also a Mayan idol called “Maximón” of unknown origin.
Duration: 2 hours
