The eastern shore of Lake Atitlan is approximately a 3-hour journey on the winding, and at times, bumpy roads from Antigua. Once you arrive on the road that perimeters the great lake, you’ll witness dazzling views of the water and mountains that surround it. There are several viewpoints to make a quick stop to take some pictures and pick up some souvenirs if you’re in a hurry. If not, then it’s best to visit the nearby town of Chichicastenango. This town hosts the largest handicrafts market in Central America taking over the city’s town center on Thursdays and Friday. There are a vast number of textiles and Mayan souvenirs and you could grab a bargain through some negotiation. Be warned though, the sellers are very persistent and will sometimes follow you to try and get you to buy something. There is also a one of a kind church with Mayan influence in the middle of the market which is a nice break from exploring the market.
Modern Mayans
There are many towns around Lake Atitlan with various different lodging options from large hotels in tourist towns like Panajachel to homestays in the smaller towns like San Jorge La Laguna. I’d recommend doing a homestay if you’d really like an authentic experience of the Mayan culture. A Mayan family will welcome you into their home and cook a home meal and the family I stayed with even let me help out in making the tortillas. Communication may be a little difficult since they all speak Spanish and a Mayan language. Normally at least one family member speaks some English but it is also an opportunity to learn a couple of words in one of the Mayan languages. The family I stayed with spoke Kaqchikel and it was a very interesting experience to learn about their culture, traditions, and the work they did.
Santiago Atitlan
To visit the key towns around the lake, the quickest and most convenient way is to take a boat tour. Prices vary based on the number of towns you visit and it’ll be cheaper if you’re with a group; for a group of 12 people, it cost us 120 GTQ1 each. Do make sure you clarify the towns you’d like to visit with the boat’s captain since the sales rep may have agreed on a certain route with you, but the boat captain may normally do another route. The boat departed from Panajachel and the first stop was the small town of Santiago Atitlan. To get a sense of the size of Lake Atitlan, it took about a 45-minute ride on the speedboat to get there; a distance of about 15 km. The town is still developing and has small roads with moto-taxis available to take you around. It’s a short relaxing walk through the town to Parque Central; a large rectangular plaza with a beautiful white church at one end and school buildings on the other three sides. The town also has a couple of restaurants and handicraft shops to check out before heading back to the pier.
San Juan La Laguna
Once back at the boat, it was approximately a 30-minute boat to the next town of San Juan La Laguna. Like Santiago Atitlan, this town also had several restaurants and handicraft shops. Some handicraft shops also offer a tour where they explain the process of making the colored textile threads using different plants and materials. They also let you have a go at the spinning of the wool to make a thread which is a lot harder than they make it look. Finally, they demonstrate the weaving of a hammock or another product. Some of these tours are paid, but there are a few which are free; mainly the ones run by a cooperative of women. After this session, we headed back to the boat for our final destination.
San Pedro La Laguna
Another 15-minute speedboat ride and we arrive at San Pedro La Laguna. This is a bigger town with more restaurants, bars, and shops. What was interesting about this town was the Jewish influence. Our guide told us that a Jewish community had relocated here hence the noticeable number of Jewish restaurants and shops. There was a small market at the plaza where you could buy fruit and veg. An interesting and tasty dessert I found was fruit dipped in chocolate such as a banana that had been frozen like ice cream. A great view of the town and lake turns out to be a church – Primera Iglesia Bautista. You can access the roof of this church for free and take some great pictures.
