San Pedro La Laguna – Lake Atitlan
Transportation
From Chichicastenango : tourist shuttle 60 GTQ.
To Antigua: tourist shuttle, 70 GTQ, bought at one of the biggest lakeside agencies, Maya Tzutujil. Minivan with about 10 seats. We waisted almost an hour to deviate to San Marcos and take other passengers.
For those wishing to use public transport: the chicken buses leave from Panajachel, you must take those to Guatemala City, then change to Chimaltenango
Sleep
Hotel Don Chema, 80 GTQ an ensuite single room without breakfast. Recommended by some French guys met in Todos Santos Cuchumatan. It certainly has some positive aspects. Newly built, very spacious rooms, bright and very well ventilated, outside the lake tourist enclave and equidistant both from it and from the city center, family management, a very kind hostess and who did everything to meet my needs.
Only one negative side: the bar located on the top floor, very noisy, and frequented by extremely loud locals, drunk already at noon.
On the lakefront, on the farthest side from the center, there are some options that have more or less the same price (the ones indicated are for single rooms). Hotel Sant’Antonio 80 GTQ. Same for Vista del Lago, but 100 GTQ for lake front rooms. In the area of the pier for Santiago (which, pay attention, do not serve the other villages), the Villa Del Sol Hotel varies from 40 to 60 GTQ
Eat
In San Pedro I tried a restaurant mentioned on the Lonely Planet, the Shanti Shanti, very long wait, not expensive, nothing really special. Comedores offers for dinner the same menu as breakfast. Since I do not eat much, it is enough for me the classic local breakfast : omelets, rice, beans, cheese, fried bananas, 15 GTQ at the Comedor Mary, with the addition of free tea or coffee. Great food, and I did not see anything cheaper, except maybe a few small bars run by Israelis selling humus and other Middle Eastern appetizers, where I could never get in because they were always full. It must be said, however, that the Comedor Mary was also frequented by Israelis, and this confirms my theory that it was economic.
During daytime excursions I also approached the gastronomic offer of other lakeside villages. In Santiago Atitlan I ate very tasty garlic vegetables (52 GTQ) at Buen Appetito, crowded with locals. On the main tourist street of Panajachel, surprised by a downpour, after having in vain looked for some comedor frequented by Guatemalans, I took refuge in the touristy Restaurante Jebel, where I consumed a pollo encebollado (48 GTQ) which was not even remotely comparable to the one I had at the Chichicastenango comedor, which costed half the price, by the way. Returning to San Pedro: some coffee bars, run by Italians, offer croissants and other delicaries at same prices as those in Turin central squares. Towards the north of the lakefront, in the direction of San Juan, I found a bit more affordable bakery. In the Parque Central area, city center, I managed to find sweets and biscuits at the usual Guatemalan prices.
Excursions
These are the prices of public boats from San Pedro to the various lake villages.
I know that some day trips to a certain amount of villages are organized by agencies, but I have no idea of the prices. However, it seems to me like a useless expense, since public transport is so simple to use. I saw practically all the villages. San Marcos, Santa Cruz, Jaibalito, Santiago, Panajachel, Santa Caterina and Sant’Antonio Palopò.
Impressions
My favorite village is Santa Cruz, perched halfway on hills, spectacular view. At 10.00 there were no tourists there. Extremely lush nature
In San Marcos, walking towards San Pedro, I managed to find some delicious panoramic views on a path that runs along a hotel. I think I have even trespassed in the property of the hotel itself.
From the boat, all the shore from San Marcos up to Jaibalito looks spectacular.
On the banks there are some hotels or houses for rent, reachable only by boat.
Santiago is the place where, according to my modest opinion, it is more possible to witness the normal activities of the locals while remaining on the lakeside. It is also rich in souvenirs shops,
I quickly crossed Panajachel just to get to the main square, where pick-ups to Santa Caterina and San Antonio stop, and, apart from the cathedral, I did not like it at all.
Santa Caterina was another of those villages where the lakefront was not hostage of tourists, many Guatemalans were intent on lazing around, exactly like me, enjoying the beautiful day
As for San Pedro, I was not particularly impressed. I chose it mainly because it offers a great variety of accommodations, and the prices are therefore competitive. Whether it was pretty or not as a city was less essential, since it is easy to go everywhere with public boats.