Lake Atitlan Pueblos
During my two-week stay in San Pedro La Laguna, I took day trips around Lake Atitlan to nearby pueblos: San Marcos La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna and San Juan La Laguna. Each pueblo around Lake Atitlan has its own vibe, so it was fun to explore them when I wasn’t busy with Spanish school.
San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos La Laguna is known as the hippie town around Lake Atitlan. If cacao ceremonies, sound baths, and crystal healers are your thing — look no further.
I visited San Marcos after Spanish class one day to take a yoga class at Eagle’s Nest, the vibey yoga resort perched high above the lake. It has an on-site restaurant, sauna, plunge pool, and a ridiculously beautiful yoga platform. They offer daily yoga classes and other classes like breathwork, aerial silks, and ecstatic dance. The yoga class was pretty expensive for Lake Atitlan at $20, but it was SO WORTH the splurge. The views from the yoga platform were INSANE. It felt like you were on the edge of the earth.
After wandering around the property, I found another platform that was empty except for a little cat sleeping. The cat and I became fast friends and he took a nap on my lap while I rested and enjoyed the views of Lake Atitlan. I love cute, unexpected moments like this when I solo travel — it feels like a lil reminder from the universe that I’m never alone (in a cute way… not a creepy way).
To reach Eagle’s Nest, we took a lancha (water taxi) from San Pedro to San Marcos, walked through the alleyway of shops near the dock, and then grabbed a tuk tuk from the main road up the big hill. When the driver drops you off at the street intersection, follow the yellow arrows for about five minutes and climb the stairs to reach the property.
After the class ended, we took a tuk tuk down the hill and then sprinted to the dock to grab the last lancha to San Pedro. I wish I had spent more time in San Marcos because there seemed to be lots of vibey things to do, but I’m sure I’ll visit again whenever I return to Lake Atitlan. My priority for my next visit will be to cliff jump at Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil. The nature reserve is supposed to be incredibly beautiful and the cliff jump is a casual 12 meters! SIGN ME UP.
Santa Cruz La Laguna
To reach Santa Cruz La Laguna, we took a lancha from San Pedro. It took about an hour, but the ride itself was part of the adventure because we got to cruise around the lake and see a bunch of different pueblos, hotels, and homes along the way. The lancha dude called out the various pueblos so we knew when to get off. Pro tip: sit toward the middle of the lancha to avoid getting wet. Some of our companions on the edges got a complimentary shower!
No trip to Santa Cruz would be complete without a visit to the famous Free Cerveza Hostel. Free Cerveza has stunning lakefront views, ~unique~ compost toilets, and hammocks, and offers loads of activities like sunrise paddleboarding and yoga. We spent the afternoon lounging on one of their decks, enjoying the sun and the views, and drinking the (not free) smoothies. If you’re planning to visit, you can ask the lancha dude to drop you off right at Free Cerveza’s dock.
Originally, I had planned to hike from Santa Cruz to San Marcos, as recommended by my teacher at Lake Atitlan Spanish School. But then I read some WILD stories on AllTrails about a man with a machete robbing and chasing people on the hike. My first thought was “whatever, I’m down” but then I thought about how annoying it would be to die. Or lose my phone. So I decided to skip the hike.
Instead, we wandered around Santa Cruz itself, climbing up the massive hill to the town center and checking out some local shops. There’s not a ton to do there on a Sunday (or possibly any day for that matter), but it was still nice to experience the quieter side of Lake Atitlan. Funnily enough, we did run into a drunk man with a machete on our walk up and down the hill — a silly little coincidence — but we walked by him without getting murdered.
San Juan La Laguna
San Juan La Laguna is the closest pueblo to San Pedro La Laguna — so close that you can actually walk there! But I opted to save the 45 minutes and paid Q10 for a tuk tuk instead. The tuk tuk will take you to the outskirts of the town and from there you can walk a few blocks into the main area.
San Juan is much smaller and quieter than San Pedro. It’s known for its incredible textiles and there were a bunch of shops where women were weaving. Unfortunately for me, I had a small backpack for my three week trip so I wasn’t able to load up on knick-knacks. But if you’re looking for hand-woven clothing and/ or unique souvenirs, this is the spot!
While San Juan does have its charm, it lacks the energy of San Pedro which I had really become a fan of. I was ready to bounce after about an hour, so I tuk-tuked back to my favorite pueblo so I could meet my friends at Sublime.
A drunk man with a machete! And other tales of my day trips around Lake Atitlan's pueblos: San Marcos' epic yoga at Eagle's Nest, Santa Cruz's lively Free Cerveza Hostel, and San Juan's beautiful textiles.