Last updated on April 23rd, 2025
Looking for things to do in Lake Atitlán? We’re sharing over 21 fun ideas across the lake!
No trip to Guatemala is complete without a stop in Lake Atitlán! Formed by the collapse of a super volcano called Los Chocoyos around 84,000 years ago, it is now the deepest lake in all of Central America. Its maximum depth is about 340 meters (1,120 feet)!
But not only that, it’s said to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. And with dramatic volcanoes surrounding, plus a shoreline dotted with colorful, small Mayan villages, we can totally see why!
We LOVED our time at Lake Atitlán (watch our full experience here)! And in this guide we’re sharing some of the best things to do in Lake Atitlán, from cultural experiences, to epic hikes, delicious truly local eats, amazing photo spots, wildlife, water activities, and so much more!
Looking for more Guatemala resources?
- The Perfect 2 Week Guatemala Itinerary (for first-timers!)
- Our Top 22 Guatemala Travel Tips & Things to Know
- The Ultimate Guatemala Packing List (with downloadable list!)
- Where to stay in Lake Atitlán: The BEST towns & lodging options
- Guatemala’s Indian Nose Hike: Lake Atitlán’s Ultimate Sunrise
- The 23 Best Things to Do in Antigua, Guatemala
- Guatemala’s EPIC Acatenango Volcano Hike: Everything to know in 2025
- The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Semuc Champey in Guatemala
- Watch our Guatemala YouTube series
The towns of Lake Atitlán
toBefore we dive into the best things to do in Lake Atitlán, it’s important to understand just how large this lake is! With 82 km (51 miles) of shoreline, 11 different villages, and few roads between them, getting around the lake can take a good amount of time.
While you may originally hope to visit all of the towns along the lake, depending on how much time you have, you should realistically set your sights on visiting 3-5 of them. Each town has its own personality, plus pros and cons. The most popular ones for tourists to visit are Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna, San Juan La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna, and Santa Catarina Palopó.
To make planning your time easier, we’re organizing this list of things to do in Lake Atitlán by town. And we are focusing solely on the towns we personally visited, which include San Marcos La Laguna, San Juan La Laguna, San Pedro La Laguna, and Panajachel. Plus a couple fun activities located outside of those towns!
21 things to do in Lake Atitlán
Panajachel
Panajachel, also known as just “Pana,” is the main tourist town on Lake Atitlán. This is where most shuttles will drop off tourists, marking the beginning of their Lake Atitlán adventure. And compared to the other towns, it offers the most amenities, like a larger grocery store.
While we’d personally suggest staying across the lake at another town (more on why later on!), we still think Pana is worth exploring. In fact, one of our favorite things to do in Lake Atitlán is located here!
1. Grab a flat white at Café Loco
The best coffee we had at Lake Atitlán was from Café Loco Coffee Roasters, a small coffee shop in Panajachel. Their flat white was amazing and makes for the perfect start to a fun day exploring in Pana!
2. Explore Reserva Natural Atitlán
Hands down one of the best things to do in Lake Atitlán is visit the Reserva Natural Atitlán! It costs Q80 (~$10.50 USD) to visit, but trust us, it is worth every penny.
Here you can find gorgeous flowers, super fun swinging bridges, a waterfall (which was unfortunately mostly dried up for us), a private beach, and a butterfly geodome. Plus some fun activities like a zipline and bike zipline, which do cost extra, and even a lodge and campground.
But our favorite part was the wildlife! The park is home to beautiful birds and coatis, which are similar to a racoon, but with a longer snout. As well as monkeys! And our favorite part of our visit to Reserva Natural Atitlán was watching a Spider Monkey eating a banana. It felt like the ultimate monkey viewing experience!
3. Enjoy Thai food at Dao Thai
If hunger strikes while in Panajachel, head to Dao Thai! You may be thinking “Thai food in Guatemala?,” but trust us, this spot is solid and sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit from local cuisine. We have some awesome Guatemalan spots listed later on to fulfill your traditional food desires!
4. Take an ATV tour to other villages
Want to explore more of the towns near Panajachel? Check out this ATV tour, which will take you to San Antonio Palopo and Santa Catarina Palopo, where you’ll learn about ceramics, weaving, and visit a local chocolate factory. Both of these towns are slightly less touristy, so you’ll get a great glimpse into local life!
San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos La Laguna is known for being the hippie town along Lake Atitlán. Over the years it has become pretty gentrified and as you walk the streets you’ll notice a strong whiff of incense, many vegetarian eateries, and businesses offering yoga, meditation, massages, and reiki.
While the hippie atmosphere isn’t totally our vibe, especially since it isn’t truly authentic to the region, it was an interesting place to walk around and offers nice access to the lake.
5. Support local women at Konojel
San Marcos’ gentrification has had a negative impact on the Maya locals. So if you visit San Marcos La Laguna, we strongly suggest you try to support the local community as much as you can. And one easy way to do this is by eating at Konojel! This restaurant is run by local, indigenous women and all of their proceeds go back into the community.
They have a regular menu, which features pupusas (we loved these!), as well as a dish of the day, which we’d highly recommend trying. Just steer clear of the hot sauce unless you have a high spice tolerance! 🥵
6. Check out local cafes & restaurants
Looking for coffee and a quick bite to eat? Head to Circles Cafe & Bakery! We came here multiple times during our visit to buy bread and delicious sandwiches.
Another great spot to eat at in San Marcos La Laguna is The Hidden Garden. Not only are the garden vibes 10 outta 10, but they have refreshing smoothie bowls and healthier eats.
7. Visit Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil
One of the best things to do in San Marcos is visit Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil! This park costs Q20 (~$2.50 USD) for foreigners and has nice trails to walk and viewpoints of the lake. But the main draw is a pretty crazy 12 meter (39 feet) platform that you can jump off of into the lake! 😱
We are not cliff jumpers, so we just enjoyed watching others do this from the safety of our kayak. But if you aren’t comfortable with this big jump, but still want to jump into the lake, they also have some shorter rocks you can jump from. Or you can just enjoy the lake views by laying out on the nearby rocks!
Can you swim in Lake Atitlán? The answer is a bit of a grey area. Lake Atitlán has had a history of pollution, including Cyanobacteria and E. Coli, and many areas are NOT clean or safe to swim in. This nature reserve is said to be cleaner and we saw plenty of people in the water here. But we personally opted to not get into Lake Atitlán at any point during our visit.
If you do decide to get into the lake, make sure it’s in a safer swimming spot and do NOT enter the water if you have any cuts or open wounds. We’d also advise against dipping your head or getting any water in your mouth.
8. Attend a yoga class
If you’re a yogi, one of the best things to do in Lake Atitlán is attend a yoga class in San Marcos. There are quite a few places to do this in town and just across from Circles Cafe & Bakery you’ll find a bulletin board with different events happening.
But one of the most popular places to practice yoga in San Marcos is Eagle’s Nest. This eco resort offers an all-inclusive experience, with vegetarian meals and two yoga classes per day included. And amazing volcano views! But you can also visit just for classes, without staying there.
San Juan La Laguna
Our favorite town along Lake Atitlán is San Juan La Laguna. This Maya village is known for its art, plus textile and artisan shops. All around town you’ll find colorful murals, plus some streets with painted walkways and items hanging above the street, like sombreros or umbrellas. It is so much fun to walk around and offers some of our top things to do in Lake Atitlán!
9. Visit a local cafe
Grabbing a coffee at a local cafe is one of our favorite travel activities and San Juan offers quite a few to choose from! During our visit, we visited Cafe Las Marias, a tiny spot tucked down an alley, with only 8 seats. Their policy is to share tables with strangers (which is awesome!) and they have a nice view of the mountains and lake. And we also went to Café Esencia, which is run by a local woman who grows her own coffee.
We really wanted to try Nativo Coffee Shop, but it was closed the day we visited. So it’s top of the list for next time!
10. Snap photos of the murals
The best thing to do in San Juan La Laguna is checking out its colorful murals! You can find these all over town, so it’s fun to just wander around and see what you stumble upon. But if you’re looking for some of the best ones, head to this street!
Besides murals, there are also a couple streets with fun items hanging above the street, like La Calle de los Sombreros and La Calle de las Sombrillas.
11. Tour a Maya bee farm
One spontaneous activity we did while in San Juan was touring, Xunah Kaab, a Maya bee farm. And we’re so glad we did!
Maya bees, known as Melipona beecheii, are stingless bees that are native to Mexico and parts of Central America. They have been cultivated by the Maya since pre-Columbian times and are known for producing honey that has medicinal powers, including treating eye conditions, skin and respiratory issues, and infections.
But besides their lack of stingers, something else that makes them different is their size. Some of them are TINY! During our tour we got to see a handful of species, ranging from the size of gnats to more of the size of “normal” bees. And afterwards we got to try some of their honey, which was much thinner and fruitier tasting than regular honey.
The tour itself is free, but they ask for you to give a tip or buy something from their shop as a thank you. We highly recommend the honey with tamarindo and the chocolate honey!
12. Enjoy Maya dishes at Deleite Ancestral Experiencia Gastronomica Tz’utujil
There is a huge Maya community in Guatemala as a whole, but especially around Lake Atitlán. And our favorite dining experience on the lake was at Deleite Ancestral Experiencia Gastronomica Tz’utujil. This restaurant is owned by a Tzʼutujil family, one of the Maya ethnic groups, and is located in a unique building, with an open kitchen.
To dine here, you will need to reserve a table via WhatsApp (+502 5875 4092). They will then send you a menu and you will choose what you’d like. Each meal comes with an appetizer (we had this delicious tostada with a green sauce), a fruity drink, and your choice of meat dish. We chose their beef and chicken options, which both came with corn tortillas, a starch, and veggies. And then you end with a small dessert!
Everything was so flavorful and it was a fun way to get to experience some of the local culture.
13. Take a weaving class
Another great way to support locals in San Juan is to take a weaving class! Not only will you get to learn a new skill (and make a beautiful souvenir), but you’ll also get to experience an art form that is heavily used in the Maya community.
TinteMaya is a great spot to do this in San Juan! To book a tour, reach out to them on WhatsApp (+502 5101 9423).
14. Visit a coffee farm
Guatemala is one of the world’s top producers of coffee, so for the coffee lovers out there, going on a coffee tour is a must! While we did not go on a coffee tour in Guatemala, we have done them in Hawaii and in Peru and each one has been such a highlight in our travels.
El Tata Café is a great tour option while in San Juan. On this tour (Q100/$13 USD per person) you’ll get to learn the entire process of making coffee, right on their farm! Plus, you’ll get to try some at the end. To schedule your tour, reach out to them via WhatsApp (+502 5924 8943).
15. See the views from Mirador Kaqasiiwaan
If you want to see high up views of Lake Atitlán, but the Indian Nose hike (more on that soon!) seems a bit too daunting or expensive, head up to Mirador Kaqasiiwaan instead!
This viewpoint has sweeping views of Lake Atitlán, plus some of its small villages. It’s a similar view to Indian Nose, just lower down and cheaper, at only Q30 (~$3.90 USD) per person. Besides the view itself, this viewpoint is also a work of art, with murals painted on its platform!
San Pedro La Laguna
Just down the road from San Juan is San Pedro La Laguna, a much larger town known for its backpacker party-vibes (like the largest boat party in Central America). But it’s much more than that! Here you can experience the Mayan culture, learn Spanish, soak in hot tubs, and enjoy some delicious eats. And there are quite a few murals to enjoy too!
16. Visit a local cafe or restaurant
As one of the larger towns along the lake, you can find lots of dining options, ranging in cuisine. Our top picks are Tornado’s Coffee for delicious caffeinated drinks in a beautiful garden setting, plus Pita Sabij for hummus, falafel, and so much more, all with a lakeside view!
17. Soak in Los Termales
One thing we love about Lake Atitlán is that you can enjoy the perfect mix of active and relaxing activities. And one of the best ways to relax is by soaking at Los Termales!
This is a set of concrete tubs, overlooking Lake Atitlán, that are filled with hot water (not naturally hot), plus a cold pool you can plunge into. You have to reserve a tub in person and it typically takes 15-30 minutes (assuming they are not already taken) for it to be ready. Or you can book a time for later in the day!
The cost is Q75 per person (~$9.70), with a minimum of Q150. So if you’re visiting solo, you’ll pay Q150. The tubs are private, but there are 4-5 right by each other, so if others are there, you will have no privacy. We lucked out and were the only ones soaking!
After sweating all day in the sun, the water felt VERY hot to us, but after a couple dips in the cold pool, the water was much more enjoyable.
Besides the hot tubs, they also have a sauna and offer massages, for an extra fee.
18. Attend a Spanish Immersion School
One of the top things to do in Lake Atitlán is to attend a Spanish Immersion School. And San Pedro La Laguna is one of the best towns to do this in! We unfortunately didn’t have time for this last time, but it’s at the top of our list for our next trip, as becoming fluent in Spanish is a lifelong goal of ours.
A few popular schools in San Pedro are Lake Atitlán Spanish School and San Pedro Spanish School. For as little as $37 USD per person per day you can take daily multi-hour Spanish lessons, plus get paired with a local homestay, where you’ll live with locals and eat meals with them (a great way to practice). For even less per day, you can just take classes and stay elsewhere!
Most people attend these schools anywhere from one week to a month. After talking with people who have done these schools, we’d suggest two weeks minimum. While you won’t be fluent after this, you will learn a TON!
Other things to do in Lake Atitán
19. Hike up Indian Nose for sunrise
Hiking up Indian Nose for sunrise is easily one of the best things to do in Lake Atitlán! This steep hike takes you up El Rostro Maya, a mountain that looks like a face laying down from ground level. And the viewpoint itself is located on the “nose” of the face. The views from up here are insane, with multiple volcanoes in the distance (including Acatenango and Fuego), which illuminate beautifully as the sun begins to rise.
While you technically don’t need a guide, we highly recommend one for a couple reasons. First, in the past, robberies were common along the trail. Things have gotten a LOT better and we felt totally safe, but it’s important to be aware of this. Also, coordinating logistics to the trailhead in the early morning would be tougher on your own. Having a guide makes it easy, as they will pick you up and take you to the hike.
And speaking of getting picked up, most tours only pick up from San Marcos, San Pedro, or San Juan. So keep that in mind when deciding where to stay in Lake Atitlán.
We booked this tour and our guide Joel was awesome! He was a lot of fun to chat with and took some photos for us. Included on the tour was also coffee or hot chocolate, plus some bread. Which was a nice treat after the shockingly tough hike to get to the top!
To learn more about the hike, check out our complete guide to hiking Indian Nose for sunrise. You can also do this hike during the day, but trust us, it’s worth it for the sunrise views!
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20. Go kayaking
One of the best things to do in Lake Atitlán is get out on the water. By kayak, that is! Getting to paddle around the lake, with volcanoes towering around you is the perfect way to spend a couple hours.
Some hotels, Airbnbs, or hostels will have kayak rentals for free or a small extra cost. But if you are unable to get one from your lodging, you can rent one from Kayaks & Paddle Board Hito in San Pedro or you can book a tour with Kayak Guatemala Los Elementos Adventure Center out of Santa Cruz.
A+K Tip: The lake can get choppy in the afternoons, so we suggest kayaking in the morning for smoother waters. Keep an eye out for the lanchas, though! They will create waves and you’ll want to stay out of their path.
21. Visit La Casa del Mundo
La Casa del Mundo is said to be the most magical hotel on Lake Atitlán. Only accessible by boat or on foot, this hotel boasts beautiful architecture, an impressive cliffside location, a dreamy hot tub to soak in, immaculate landscaping, and rooms filled with wood and stone accents. It’s pretty picture perfect!
Because of this, it has become one of the most popular places to stay on the lake. But if you’re unable to secure a reservation, you can visit for just the day for Q50 (~$6.50 USD) per person. This will give you access to the grounds, but you will still have to pay for food, activities, etc.
Planning your time in Lake Atitán
The best time to visit Lake Atitlán
Guatemala has two seasons: the rainy season (May-October) and the dry season (November-April). During the rainy season, it may just rain in the afternoon, or in the summer months it can rain quite a bit more. Especially if there are any hurricanes or storms that bring extra rain to the area.
Like most visitors, we chose to visit in the dry season (specifically in mid March) to avoid rain and have perfect weather for outdoor activities. And while we did not experience any rain, it was pretty hazy out. Typically we could see all of the views around sunrise, but shortly after the sun rose, haze blanketed the area.
Another issue with going in the dry season is that the scenery is a lot less lush. While it was still gorgeous, we can only imagine how even more magical the lake is when blanketed in green trees.
In the future, we’d like to visit at the beginning of the dry season, when the scenery is more green and the skies are likely clearer.
How many days do you need in Lake Atitlán?
We suggest spending three full days in Lake Atitlán, not including the days spent traveling to and from the lake. This is what we did and it gave us the chance to explore multiple towns and do some fun activities, but also relax at our Airbnb.
When planning your Lake Atitlán itinerary, we’d recommend choosing 1-2 towns to visit per day. That way, you’re not spending your days hopping all around the lake. San Juan and San Pedro are perfect to explore in one day!
Where to stay in Lake Atitlán
Choosing where to stay in Lake Atitlán was one of the toughest choices of our trip, as there are so many options. And ultimately it comes down to the vibe you want, your budget, and what activities you want to do. To help you narrow it down a bit, we have a detailed guide breaking down the different towns and options for each.
During our visit to Lake Atitlán, we stayed close to San Marcos La Laguna at Alas Del Angel and we were very happy with that choice! It is located a short tuk tuk ride away from town, right along the lake, which made it feel much less busy than staying in a town itself.
The unit we booked was essentially a small apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, plus two patios. There was also a restaurant on site for breakfast and lunch, free kayak rentals, and a small pool. It was the perfect spot to relax and get out on the lake, while still being easy to hop on a tuk tuk or lancha to other towns.
Lake Atitlan Transportation
How to get to Lake Atitlán
Lake Atitlán is located in Guatemala’s Highlands, about 77 km (45 miles) from Antigua and 142 km (88 miles) from Guatemala City.
While you could take an Uber from either location to Lake Atitlán, we’d recommend taking a shuttle, as it’s more affordable. Chicken buses (a local bus) are also an option, but they can be a bit less safe and you’ll want to have decent Spanish skills.
Guatemala City to Lake Atitlán
If coming from the airport in Guatemala City, you can take a shuttle to Lake Atitlán. There is a shuttle stand right before leaving the airport that can coordinate the ride for you. We used them to get to Antigua and it was great! However, keep in mind that most shuttles will drop you off in Panajachel. So if you need to get to a different village, you will have to take a lancha or a tuk tuk (if an option) the rest of the way.
A+K Tip: If Lake Atitlán is the first destination on your trip and you arrive past lunchtime in Guatemala City, we’d suggest staying in Antigua for the first night. And then the next morning venture to Lake Atitlán. We opted to do this and it was nice to relax in Antigua after our flight and then have half a day to relax once we got to Lake Atitlán!
Antigua to Lake Atitlán
From Antigua, you can also take a shuttle to Lake Atitlán. When we visited Lake Atitlán, we booked a shuttle from Antigua to San Marcos (where we were staying) through Due South Travels. This was a longer shuttle ride, but it helped us avoid a lancha ride from Panajachel.
A few tips when taking the shuttles to Lake Atitlán
When it comes to shuttles, you can either book private (more expensive) or shared. We always did shared ones and it wasn’t bad at all!
We used Due South Travels to book all of our shuttles across Guatemala and while they are basically just a broker for the shuttle itself, they made it easy to reserve and pay for a shuttle in advance, sent reminders the day before, and were very responsive on WhatsApp. It may have cost a tad more (we didn’t personally check), but for us, it was nice to not worry about booking one in town.
The shuttles tend to run late. It was not uncommon for us to wait 45 minutes for a shuttle to arrive, as they are picking up other people in town. At first we panicked a bit and were afraid we got forgotten, but we eventually learned this was just normal.
While Lake Atitlán is technically not far from either city, due to the mountainous nature and lack of roads around the lake, it can take quite a bit of time to get to. Most shuttles will take anywhere from 2.5 hours to 6 hours, depending on traffic and if the shuttle is making other stops. And then you may have the additional time to get to the village your lodging is in. So we suggest giving yourself a full day for travel, just in case of delays.
Getting around Lake Atitlán
For us, getting around Lake Atitlán was half the fun! There are two main transportation methods to choose from: tuk tuks and lanchas.
Tuk Tuks
Tuk tuks are small three wheeled vehicles that are perfect to take short distances around the lake. Such as from San Juan to San Pedro or to get around a larger town, like Panajachel. These will be private to your group and can comfortably fit 3-4 people, including the driver. However, we once squeezed 5 people and luggage into one, a feat I didn’t think was possible at the time.
Lanchas
Lanchas are small water taxis that transport people all across the lake. Each town has its own dock where you can easily hop onto a lancha and head to another town. We loved riding in these, as you get a scenic boat ride and transportation in one. But keep in mind that the afternoons can be choppy and they will fill these boats with as many people as they can. And we had the unfortunate (but memorable) experience of sitting on the bow (due to it being full) during a VERY rough ride. Our butts may never be the same!
With lanchas there are private and shared options. Unless you need to go somewhere super specific, like an Airbnb’s dock, we’d suggest using the shared options and then taking a tuk tuk the rest of the way to where you need to go. The private options are significantly more expensive. However, with the shared option, you will likely have to wait until the boat is full to leave. This can sometimes take up to 30 minutes, but we lucked out and every time we hopped on one quickly.
Tips for traveling around Lake Atitlan
Tourist vs. local prices
One thing to be aware of is that tourists and locals pay different prices for lanchas and tuk tuks. So if you hear a local get charged one price, don’t be alarmed if you’re charged more. This is normal and expected, as this is their daily transportation.
Research transportation costs
However, it is common for tourists to be overcharged. Make sure to research prices to understand what you should be paying for tuk tuks and lanchas. There used to be pricing signs at the lancha docks, but we didn’t see any during our time. And we hear that even with the signs, they would still try to charge you more.
Our Airbnb gave us this guide for pricing, which helped us big time when negotiating costs! So if you’re unsure, ask your lodging if they have advice on how much you should pay.
Make sure to carry cash
Guatemala’s currency is the Quetzal (Q or GTQ) and Lake Atitlán tends to be slightly more cash heavy, especially for smaller vendors and transportation. And when you can use your credit card, you may be subject to a 3% fee, to cover their credit card transaction fees. Make sure to research each spot you want to visit in advance and understand if you’ll need cash or not.
Unsure where to get cash out? You can find ATMs in most of the larger towns along Lake Atitlán. We saw ATMs in San Marcos, San Juan, San Pedro, and Panjachel.
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Have small bills
Speaking of cash, one of our top tips for visiting Guatemala is to carry small bills. But the problem with this is that the ATMs give out Q100 bills. And even if your lancha ride is Q50, they may not want to break a 100. So anytime we went to a business that likely had more bills on hand (like a coffee shop or convenience store), we would buy something small to get change back.
To be honest, trying to constantly have small bills was probably the most stressful part of our time in Guatemala. But it will save you the headache of someone not being able to give you change and it will make it easier to negotiate for tuk tuks if you have the exact amount of money you want to pay.
Our tactics for pricing
For tuk tuks, you will want to agree on a price beforehand. Do not hop into a tuk tuk without agreeing to a price, as they could seriously try to rip you off when you arrive to your destination. We never had a driver try to change the pricing on us from what we agreed upon.
For lanchas, make sure to understand what you should pay ahead of time. At first, we would ask the price before getting on. But then a local told us to just hand them the amount it should be (based on your research) as you get off and then walk away. After overpaying for a lancha, we tried this method twice without any issues. The worst that could happen is that they ask for more!
Safety tips for Lake Atitlán
Before going to Lake Atitlán we had read some stories about how some areas and activities weren’t safe. But in our experience, we never felt unsafe once. However, just like with any destination, there are things to be aware of and safety precautions to take. Here are a handful of things to know for Lake Atitlán:
- Avoid walking the trails between some of the towns, as robberies can occur on them. We hear that the stretch from San Marcos to Tzununa can particularly be bad. But we’d suggest asking your lodging for specific advice for your area!
- While we did not mention them on this guide, there are a handful of volcanoes you can hike in the area. We would advise doing these ONLY with a guide, as robberies can also be common on these trails.
- Be smart with valuables, but don’t be paranoid. We personally had our expensive cameras out most of the time and did not encounter any issues. But of course, be smart about it!
What to pack for Lake Atitlán
To see everything we suggest bringing to Guatemala, check out our complete packing list, but for Lake Atitlan, here are a few items you won’t want to miss!
- Sun protection: We cannot stress this enough! The sun is VERY intense here. So make sure to bring a hat, sunglasses, a sun hoodie, and buy sunscreen.
- Layers: The mornings and evenings can be cool at Lake Atitlán, so make sure to have some warmer layers.
- Rain jacket: If visiting in the rainier season, make sure to pack a rain jacket! And even if you visit during the dry season, we suggest bringing one just in case.
- Headlamp: If you plan to do the Indian Nose sunrise hike, don’t forget a headlamp! A few people in our group did not have one and our guide only had a couple extras.
- Reusable water bottle: To avoid constantly buying plastic bottles, bring a reusable water bottle. Most lodging will have purified water for you to fill up with.
- Electrolytes: We are big fans of drinking electrolytes, especially when being active outdoors and walking around in the sun. LMNT is our favorite! (Click this link for a free sample pack with any order)
Save this guide with the best things to do in Lake Atitlán
