Lake Atitlán Guide 2025: Best Towns + Insider Tips

Lake Atitlán is the largest lake in Central America with a handful of little towns that each have their own vibe. For the best experience, visit all the towns at least once.

Getting to Lake Atitlán might be a bit confusing especially with the not-so well-defined transportation system. Having done the route myself on a budget, I'll guide you with exact details and prices.

This local guide includes 👇:

Lake Atitlán Map

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Which Lake Atitlán Town To Stay?

A Local Guide To Lake Atitlán

In this guide, you can expect recommendations from a local and while I'm not Guatemalan, I stayed with a local friend that helped me experience the town the same way they would.

And while I try to be unbiased as possible, I do gravitate towards non-touristy activities that are accessible to all types of travelers. All suggestions are focused around supporting ethical, locally-owned and eco-conscious providers wherever possible.

Lake Atitlán Insider Tips

1. 🚫 Don't ask how much: know the prices for the boat and tuk tuk.
2. 💵 Keep small change on hand: some businesses keep the change if you don't ask.
3. 💰 Cash is king: many businesses have a surcharge for cards and some don't accept.
4. 🏧 Bi ATMs have the lowest fees: compared to 5B & BAC ATMs fees, BI ATMs are best.
5. 👎 Decline ATM conversion rate: avoid the bank commission and get real conversion rate.
6. 🍲 Be careful with the food: hygiene is a bit different in Guatemala.
7. 🚰 Drink only clean water: be very picky with liquids you consume.
8. 🪰 Be aware of the fly problem: flies are so common in any cafe or restaurant.
9. 🐕 Watch your step on the street: stray dogs poo just about everywhere.

How To Get To Lake Atitlán

Getting to the lake is as simple as starting off at Antigua or Guatemala City. You can even get to the lake within 24 hours from the border of Belize.

Melchor De Mencos To Guatemala City

1. After crossing the border from Belize To Melchor de Mencos, you will likely be heading to Flores Or Guatemala City which is the normal backpacking route.
2. At Melchor de Mencos, there is a bus company called Fuente del Norte just 2 mins away from the border where you can purchase tickets.
3. Fuente Del Norte has two bus departure times at 6:00PM and 7:30PM which can be seen on their website. This is the fastest way to travel to Guatemala City by night.
4. Please note that there is no wifi available at the bus office, but there is a bathroom that is available for clients.

Guatemala City to Lake Atitlán

1. From Zone 1 to the El Trebol, you can travel by Transmetro which you have to purchase from somebody with a card for Q1. It has to go towards Trebol which you can track on the metro map or live map. $0.15 USD1 Q
2. The main bus station area is close to El Trebol and buses to Panajachel are exactly here. These buses go directly to Panajachel but only before 2:00PM. $5.25 USD40 Q
3. If you arrive after 2PM or just want to leave as soon as possible, take a bus to a midway point called Los Encuentros which is on the way to Xela and San Marcos.
4. From Los Encuentros, you have to catch another bus to Sololá which is a small village before reaching the first Lake Atitlán town. $0.50 USD3.50 Q
5. Lastly, you catch a final bus from Sololá to Panajachel and you are finally in Lake Atitlán. $0.65 USD5 Q
6. From Panajachel, you can go travel to other popular towns in the lake like San Marcos, San Pedro or San Juan for 25 Q. Tourists regularly get charged Q30 so beware to avoid getting overcharged.

Chicken Bus Safety

Here's a fun fact that a local friend told me that might put your mind at ease about safety. In general the buses to Panajachel are secure because the thieves respect the little villages and if thieves rob those buses, the locals beat them repeatedly and burn them alive. This is one of those local stories that is tough to swallow. Guatemalans don't mess around.

Getting Around Lake Atitlán

There are a few ways of moving around the lake:

1. 🚤 Boat (Lancha) - small boats that jump from town to town
2. 🛺 Tuk Tuk - small taxi vehicles that connect to some nearby towns
3. 🚌 Chicken Buses - daily buses that also connect to some nearby towns

Lake Atitlán Boat Schedule

Read more about the boat schedule here. I give detailed information about ferry, prices and some personal lancha mafia stories.

Lake Atitlán Prices

Here are some prices you can expect while traveling from town to town at the lake. In general, San Marcos and San Juan will have higher prices than the rest of the towns for touristy things - about 10% to 30% increase.

But, after staying almost a month on the lake and spending time with locals, we found out that San Juan has the cheapest prices at grocery stores. There are some massive stores here that have wholesale prices with savings of 10% or more on every day items especially if you cook at home.

Safety in Lake Atitlán

After traveling around the small towns around the lake, it feels totally different from hostile areas in Guatemala like the capital. San Pedro, for example where we spent a few weeks, feels touristy yet local at the same time.

My travel partner and I walked the street daily during the day and even at night. We felt completely safe every single time we walked around town. She also felt safe walking around at day and night.

This is a stark difference compared to other dangerous areas like some zones in Guatemala City.

Facts About Lake Atitlán

1. 🏝️ The lake has a depth of 34m (1,120ft) - the deepest in Central America.
2. 🇮🇱 There is a huge community of Israelis as well as backpackers here.
3. 👩‍🏫 It's extremely popular to come to the lake to take Spanish classes.
4. 💧 The lake is also the third-largest freshwater lake in Central America.
5. 🏡 There are 11 towns and villages around Lake Atitlán with 3 standing out.