3 days relaxing and diving by the beautiful Lake Atitlan

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
10
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
5
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
8
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
9
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
3
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
9
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
90 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
8th/454
Top 1%
continent
North America
country
Guatemala
Length of time
3-4 days
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$120 ($175-$450 in 2019 prices)
Time of year visited
May
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Lakes Scuba diving Volcanoes
All Tags
Altitude Boat trip Cliffs Fabulous hotel Forests Mountains Swimming Volcanic Lake
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

Lake Atitlan is the most beautiful place I saw in Central America and, quite possibly, the most beautifully idyllic place in the world.  Think . . . Lake Como in Italy, but raw and elemental with volcanoes and indigenous villages dotting the side.  Think . . . originally scheduling for 1 night, but extending to 3 nights after one look across the lake.  Think . . . finding that spot nestled in the trees just above the water with a view looking across the lake and the volcanoes, and knowing your whole day will be happily spent there as you swing in the hammock only leaving for occasional swims.

 

Ok, you get it, idyllically beautiful.  A must if in Central America and a maximum Wow-factor experience.

 

If you’re a scuba diver, its also worth doing a couple of dives here.  Whilst the visibility is poor and not a huge amount of wildlife to see, its a good experience to be diving at altitude (1560m / 5100ft), plus checking out the now-underwater hotel and finding hot spots on the lake bed where the volcano heats the lake.

 

Lake Atitlan Walks and view. From La Casa del Mundo, it is a very short walk to the nearby very small village of Jaibalito

 

Table of Contents

8 Highlights of Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan - #1 Taking the local boat transport from one beautiful spot on the lake to the next

#1 Taking the local boat transport from one beautiful spot on the lake to the next

Lake Atitlan - #2 Trying high altitude scuba diving, exploring the now underwater hotel and finding the volcano-heated hot patches on the lake bed

#2 Trying high altitude scuba diving, exploring the now underwater hotel and finding the volcano-heated hot patches on the lake bed

Lake Atitlan - #3 Walking up through the various idyllic sections of hotels that dot the lakeshore, in this case the Casa del Mundo hotel

#3 Walking up through the various idyllic sections of hotels that dot the lakeshore, in this case the Casa del Mundo hotel

Lake Atitlan - #4 Jumping in for a swim at the various swimming points all along the lake

#4 Jumping in for a swim at the various swimming points all along the lake

Lake Atitlan - #5 Walking from one village to the next and . . . as is standard . . . gawping at the views!

#5 Walking from one village to the next and . . . as is standard . . . gawping at the views!

Lake Atitlan - #6 Enjoying drinks as the sun sets over the lake and with the volcanos in the distance

#6 Enjoying drinks as the sun sets over the lake and with the volcanos in the distance

Lake Atitlan - #7 Chilling in one of the shade of the trees while swimming in an ever-so-comfortable hammock . . . not a care in the world

#7 Chilling in one of the shade of the trees while swimming in an ever-so-comfortable hammock . . . not a care in the world

Lake Atitlan - #8 Wood fired Jacuzzi by the lake . . . ahhhhhhh

#8 Wood-fired jacuzzi by the lake . . . ahhhhhhh

Lake Atitlan Travel Tips

 

We stayed at La Casa del Mundo next to Santa Cruz la Laguna and it really added to the overall experience – the views across Lake Atitlan towards the volcanos were stunning; the staff were great; food was lovely as you all sit together for breakfast and dinner; and the various levels and sections of the hotel grounds allow plenty of exploring.  For example, there are several terrace areas where you can sit in a hammock looking out across the lake, most rooms are at the end of their own winding stairs going up the hill; there is a wood-fired jacuzzi platform; the waterfront has a series of spots for lake swimming etc etc.  Would highly recommend.  LaCasadelMunodo.

 

Lake Atitlan - the website for Case del Mundo

The website and view of Case del Mundo

 

Don’t worry so much about having access to roads – you will arrive at Lake Atitlan at the town of Panajachel by road, but from there you will get around using various motorboat services that link the key spots around the lake.

 

you will arrive at Lake Atitlan at the town of Panajachel by road, but from there you will get around using various motorboat services that link the key spots around the lake.

 

For the towns: San Marcos is quiet, spiritual.  San Pedro is more backpacker energy vibe.  Panajachel is the gateway / transit.

 

Walks – from La Casa del Mundo, it is a very short walk to the nearby very small village of Jaibalito.  I would also recommend walking from the hotel to Santa Cruz la Laguna – a gorgeous 20min-30min walk that brings out the best of Lake Atitlan.  Its a little steep as you walk the 5mins up to the top of the hotel, but largely flat for the rest of the way.  Any place you stay in will have stunning walks along the lakeshore.

 

Scuba diving – I went with ATI Divers in Santa Cruz la Laguna and would recommend.  Q750 / US$100 for the half day 2 dive PADI high altitude course.  As with so many things with diving, its great to do something unusual and Lake Atitlan is one of the only places in the world where you can dive at altitude without a dry suit.  Tip – wear a hood and 2 wet suits – gets bloody cold!

 

Diving at Lake Atitlan in altitude diving with volcanoes in the background

 

If staying a bit longer in Guatemala, see my Itinerary for 10 wonderful days in Guatemala for how to incorporate Lake Atitlan into the trip and generally for useful tips for your time there.

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

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Kayaking and swimming Lake Malawi from Chitimba
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Three days by Lake Baikal’s Olkhon Island in October
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Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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