We headed from Antigua towards lake Atitlan on the 30th of December. The road is very good. Oddly, all along the way we saw people sitting by the side of the road in small groups. According to our driver they were “having a picnic” while waiting for the passing buses since everyone was traveling some place for the new year celebrations/ returning from Christmas celebrations.
People of Guatemala are very industrious and at times it does seem that the entire population is either embroidering or making pottery. All along the way there were shops selling all manner of crafts and pottery.
After researching about various villages around lake Atitlan, we decided to stay in San Marcos La Laguna on the western side of the lake. To get there we first arrived by road to Panajachel and then took a boat. Panajachel is developing fast and even has high rise hotels. We felt we wanted a more quiet place. The drive from Antigua took about 2.5 hours. We then took a public water taxi – the lake version of a chicken bus. The water taxi stops by various villages dropping off and picking up passengers making a circle around the lake. We were traveling in the early afternoon and the waves were starting to pick up a little bit. Prepare to get splashed a little though they do have curtains to block of the spray. The luggage goes on top of the boat and also may get some spray on it.
We stayed in an airbnb just outside of San Marcos. Main transportation in the area, once one gets off the boat, is tricycle. We found them to be readily available and reliable. A couple of times our tricycle drivers looked like they were 12, but they drove very well! The development has reached lake Atitlan with a construction boom visible. There are quite a few cottages built around and many airbnbs. There is also a number of small hotels and yoga retreats as San Marco is known to be the “hippie” village. Our airbnb had phenomenal views over the lake and we were very happy we decided on this option rather than busy Panajachel.
A short and very scenic boat ride from San Marcos are San Pedro and San Juan. We took the water taxi boat to San Pedro – a lively village with many restaurants and bars and a popular base for backpackers on lake Atitlan.
In San Pedro we took a tricycle for the scenic route to three view points of the lake. Each viewpoint has a restaurant or two with multiple viewing platforms at it. Local and foreign tourists alike are fans of selfies and photos with stunning views. Most of these restaurants/ view point also have special attractions to take photos with, like a giant colorful hummingbird or a giant fish, in case lake view is not enough. We also walked around the town and had a nice lunch.
We then took a short tricycle ride to San Juan La Laguna known for its artistic side. The streets in San Juan were creatively decorated with murals, hanging hats, umbrellas and textiles. There are plenty of workshops selling all variety of handicrafts. It had a very cheerful vibe. Since we were there on 31 of December many locals seemed to be shopping for this celebrations. And the main road to the pier was busy with musicians and street food vendors.
Not too far away from San Marcos, across the lake, is a Mayan town of Santiago Atitlan. We headed there one early morning for a birdwatching tour at Rey Tepepul Municipal Nature Reserve to search for resplendent quetzal. Quetzal is a national bird of Guatemala and even its currency is named after it. It is a very beautiful bird living in cloud forest. Quetzal population is declining due to habitat loss despite its protected status.
We arrived by boat at sunrise at Santiago jetty and then headed up the hills to the cloud forest on the slopes of Atitlan volcano in the back of a pick up truck. A very authentic experience.
We hiked for an hour or so through beautiful forest to the spot where quetzals were sited. This is a working forest and there are stacks of harvested wood and plantations of pampano (calathea lutea) along the way. Our guide pointed out several bird species along the way. With 700 species Guatemala is a major draw for birdwatchers.
First we found emerald toucanet. Soon after quetzals arrived to the same tree. we were lucky to see several pairs of quetzals and had really great sightings. It is a really strikingly beautiful bird, especially the male with brights feathers and long tail. We were very happy we went for this bird watching tour even though we are not exactly birders.
A town of Chichicastenango nearby is well known for its market. Most tourist operators offer tours on market days (Thursday and Sunday). It is only 60km from San Marcos but takes about 2 hours zigzagging on mountain roads.
Chichicastenango market is a huge area selling everything. While there ae quite a few tourists coming to have a look and a large area where handicrafts are sold, for the most part it is a regular market for Guatemalas to buy stuff. There is food, appliances, clothes, household items, basically everything one could possibly need more or less. The main Church Santo Tomas is at the edge of the market and has a blend of pre-Colombian and Catholic worship. The stes of the church are increadibly colorful due to all the flower sellers there. Worshipers buy flowers and insents to make offerings. The inside is fascinating offering a glimpse of this world that mixes so diverse influences. It is absolutely not allowed to take pictures inside out of respect for people’s beliefs. But one is welcome to enter and have a look. Fascinating.
We were very limited by our luggage size and had to exercise maximum willpower at Chichicastenanho markets. There are were so many beautiful things to buy. Very beautiful decorative textiles and all manner of handicraft. It is also increadible to see all the traditional clothes, mostly women’s. It seems men have moved on to western style clothing mostly but women wear elaboarate beautiful traditional outfits. The quantity and quality of these beautiful textiles is overwhelming. Guatemalan women making them must be the most hard working and productive women in the world.
We had fantastic several days at lake Atitlan. And after days of exploring nearby sites, or paddling around the lake it was wonderfully relaxing to just sit on our airbnb verandah taking spectacular views of volcanoes. Including far away Fuego, still visible and still fuming.
From here we headed back to Guatemala City to pick up a rental car and start our self driving portion of the trip to Monterirco on the Pacific Coast.