From the outside in: Lago Atitlán, Guatemala

Foto: Helena Prentis

By: Helena Prentis

Serving as a natural stop-off point if coming from San Cristobal de las Casas to Guatemala, Lago Atitlán boasts a huge range of activities to offer all types of traveller.

For many the refreshing water and hidden beaches offer a perfect opportunity to escape the heat and humidity, with the various diving platforms dotted around the shoreline offering a brief adrenaline rush if wanted. The markets in the various lakeside towns offer a low-key option for those wishing to see some culture simply by merely strolling by- the handicrafts markets in Panajachel and the famous Chichi market both prove hugely popular.

However Atitlán is not merely a relaxing haven: there are numerous activities to satisfy the most enthusiastic explorer, whether you’re more inclined towards an afternoon kayaking,

or horse riding; if you wish to hike up the Indian’s Nose for a sublime sunrise view, or if you want to challenge yourself with the four hour hike up San Pedro volcano.

With the range of adventures available you could easily wile away weeks on the lake, so it’s not surprising that there are so many foreigners who have settled there permanently . Though this ‘hippie culture’ is deemed by some as a consequence of the gentrification of the area, overriding the pre-existing cultures towns such as San Pedro La Laguna and San Marcos La Laguna, it is possible to escape the crowds looking for vegan restaurants by visiting the smaller town of Tzunaná. A tiny town of only a couple thousand inhabitants, you are unlikely to see many tourists around here, nor are you likely to here Spanish or English as the people speak their own indigenous dialect specific to their small community. The haphazard journeys down dodgy roads only adds to this remote and untouched feeling of certain towns, many of which can only be reached by walking, ‘tuk tuk’, or boat.

Overall Lago Atitlán is an unmissable and yet oddly contrasting part of Guatemala, where a glorious mixture of both new and ancient cultures manifests in the setting of an area of astounding natural beauty.