5-Day Guatemala Itinerary: Atitlán and Antigua

Most 5-day Guatemala itineraries try to cover three destinations and end up doing none of them well. This one doesn’t. It focuses on two places: Lake Atitlán and Antigua Guatemala. Where to base yourself, how to move between them, what is worth your time, and what to skip. Written by a Guatemalan who has been … Read more

Courtyard of the Church of Saint James the Apostle in Santiago Atitlán Sololá Guatemala with a giant ceiba tree

Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala: A Local’s Complete Guide

Women in Santiago Atitlán still wear their beautiful huipiles embroidered with birds and flowers to buy tomatoes at the market, the same way their mothers and grandmothers did long before tourists arrived. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid growing up in Guatemala, and that detail still tells me more about this town … Read more

San Marcos La Laguna: What to Do and What to Skip

San Marcos La Laguna is Lake Atitlán’s wellness hub — the village with the highest concentration of yoga studios, breathwork facilitators, and retreat centers at the lake, and the home of Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve, where the cliff jumping platform 12 meters above the lake is one of the most exhilarating things you can do … Read more

Sunset view from the pool at Hotel Atitlán in Panajachel overlooking Lake Atitlán and volcanoes

Panajachel, Guatemala: An Honest Guide From a Local

Before 6 AM on a clear morning in Panajachel, with the water still and the sky just beginning to lighten, the three volcanoes appear across the lake. San Pedro, Tolimán, Atitlán. All three, unobstructed. It takes your breath away. I’ve been watching this view my whole life and I still stand there for a few … Read more