Best Villages at Lake Atitlán

Arrival at Lake Atitlán

We took a shuttle bus from Antigua to Panajachel. The bus conveniently dropped us off at a parking lot near the lancha (boat) dock. We quickly got our bags and headed to the chaotic dock, where we were met with lots of eager faces asking us where we were going. Carly said, “San Marcos La Laguna,” and one of the dock workers pointed us to a boat that was about to leave. We placed our bags on top of the roof of the lancha with no ropes tying them down. We had just reduced all of our belongings to these carry-on suitcases that were balancing on the roof of the lancha, only held by an edge a few inches high. The boat captain assured us our bags would be fine, but I wasn’t sure we’d ever see our bags again. The boat chopped through the water, and we were greeted by a hazy rainbow that was cast over the mountainscape. I looked around the lancha, and all the other travelers had backpacks only, and suddenly I felt like the dork in school who had a rollie backpack when everyone else had the cool Jansport ones.

The lancha pulled into the San Marcos muelle (dock). The captain pulled the rope around the dock, and we stepped onto the platform. By some miracle, our bags made it, and the next challenge was getting to our accommodation.

So you might be wondering why San Marcos La Laguna…

Choosing the Right Village at Lake Atitlán

One of the coolest experiences about visiting the lake is the distinct character of each village. There are 12 villages around the lake, but here are the main villages most travelers choose to stay at:

Most Popular Villages in Lake Atitlán

Panajachel: Pana is the transit hub where you will likely arrive and depart from the lake. Any goods or services you cannot find in the other villages, you will likely find in Panajachel. Also, this is often where Guatemalans come for vacation!

San Marcos La Laguna: The views and nature here are gorgeous. Many travelers immersed in wellness culture choose to stay here. It’s highly gentrified. We stayed in San Marcos for several weeks, and while we loved the scenery, we wouldn’t stay there again. After visiting the other villages, we found San Juan offered a better balance of local culture, food, walkability, and access to the rest of the lake.

San Juan La Laguna: If you are interested in Mayan art, crafts, and textiles, San Juan La Laguna is a fascinating place to visit.

San Pedro La Laguna: This village is often described as a party town, but it has a little bit of everything for most travelers. Yes, it can be loud at night depending on where you stay. It has good connections to other less-traveled villages.

Santa Cruz La Laguna: A small village with strong Maya traditions and a thriving artisan community. Visitors can take weaving and other cultural workshops, enjoy excellent diving, and experience a quieter side of Lake Atitlán.

Where We Stayed: San Marcos La Laguna

Our Airbnb

As a quintessential Cancer sign, Carly needed to be close to the water, so we chose to stay at an Airbnb about a 20-minute walk outside of San Marcos. The place had its own dock, and Carly enjoyed swimming around in the lake’s chilly waters on hot days. It was less than $800 for the month, so we can’t complain about the price.

We won’t be recommending that place here, unfortunately, as we had many strange negative interactions with the host.

Places to stay in San Marcos La Laguna

Places we didn’t stay at, but we would recommend based on our observations.

The Eagle’s Nest: We frequently walked past this place as we’d make our way into town. If you are interested in wellness/yoga retreats in the area, this could be a good fit. The views are incredible.

Alas Del Angel: We didn’t stay here, but we came here several times to have lunch. The staff is friendly, the food is pretty good and healthy, the place has stunning views, and there is prime lake access.

Village Tips: Good to Know

Where to Buy Groceries in San Marcos La Laguna

Carly is the queen of the kitchen, and she likes to keep it well stocked. It was unexpectedly challenging to find a grocery store with a good assortment of foods in San Marcos La Laguna. We ended up mainly shopping at Mega Dispensa and Health Food Store San Jose. We lived off of refried beans, eggs, cheese, and bread for several weeks.

When we visited San Pedro La Laguna, we saw supermarkets that seemed well stocked. We also tried looking in San Pablo La Laguna, but only found smaller markets with limited food items. We did see fruit and vegetable vendors along the streets there, which we didn’t see much of in other places, so we picked up some veggies before leaving.

San Marcos Restaurants

• Maltiox Cafe
• Circles Cafe & Bakery
• Lina Comedor
• Forest Fairy Pizza
• La Sagrada Mezcaleria
• Dolce Gelato
• Cafe Bakery & Restaurant Tercer Ojo (Fata Morgana Group)
• Café y Restaurante Shambhala

Useful Services in San Marcos La Laguna

Laundry Service:

Although we mostly hand-washed all our clothes, sometimes when it would pile up, we would take our clothes into town to get washed. There’s a very popular laundry service on the main strip, but we chose to go with the laundry service tucked away in an alley because the other one is quite busy. Casimira probably isn’t going to become your best friend, but she’s straightforward, and your clothes will smell like roses. She also hemmed Carly’s pants with a same-day turnaround time. Usually, we were able to pick up our clothes the same day or first thing the next morning.

Nail Salon:

Carly got a mani/pedi at the spa at Kula Maya. The service was top-notch, and the views here are gorgeous, so we stayed for lunch afterwards.

Emergency Medical Services in San Marcos:

There are no emergency rooms in San Marcos La Laguna. If you need emergency medical attention, you will need to go to Panajachel or San Pedro La Laguna.

It’s all fun and games until you find yourself puking and shitting yourself at 6am. Hopefully this never happens to you, but this was our experience: Jackie’s medical survival story.

Where We’d Stay Next Time

If you want to be near the action but not IN the action, this is where we would stay next time…

San Juan La Laguna

• Close to San Pedro
• Artisanal markets
• Stay with a local family
• Massive local market at the top of Calle de los Sombrillas
• Tons to do
• Much quieter than San Pedro

For everything to do in San Juan La Laguna, see Best Things to Do at Lake Atitlán.

Who This Guide Is For

Travelers deciding which village to base themselves in around Lake Atitlán, especially those staying a week or longer.