Lake Atitlan is a magical place that you can get lost in. The lake is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes and the Mayan villages along the lake are nearly cut off from the rest of the world. The lake is one of the deepest (340 M) and highly elevated lakes (1,562 M) in the world. Due to the mountains and volcanoes around the lake, the easiest form of transport from one village to the next is speed boat. Each village has a different vibe and deserves a visit but I personally fell in love with San Pedro.
I went there for a three week Spanish class and after the first week I felt like I was friends with most of the locals and expats. Gringo Street is the main street in town. It is next to the main dock where most of the tourist restaurants and bars are located. I’d walk down this street (hopefully I didn’t have a time sensitive meeting) and I’d constantly be stopped as I would run into a friend and a conversation would ensue. San Pedro is a very spontaneous and a go-with-the-flow type of place. You may think you’re doing one thing but once your friends invite you to tag along on their random adventure your day goes a totally unexpected direction.
Farther from Gringo street there is an entire town of local Guatemalans. During my Spanish class homestay I lived a 20 minute walk from the heart of San Pedro and experienced the local culture each time I left the house. I felt extremely safe making this twenty minute walk late at night. There are many dogs roaming the streets but if you confidently walk by without pausing when they smell your ankles, everything should be fine. If you are really concerned it only costs 5Q to get a tuk-tuk from the main dock to the suburban areas.
San Pedro is extremely diverse. You can dive into local culture and hangout in the suburbs, going to local cafes and eating street food. Or you can make expat friends and hangout with local Guatemalan DJs and dance to psytrance and tribal beats until sunrise. There are water sport opportunities and also a chance to enrich your Spanish speaking abilities. I love San Pedro so much that I’m planning to return for the Christmas holidays! Now that I’ve tried to capture the vibe of San Pedro, here are some activities you can partake in while there.
Things to do in San Pedro
Take a Spanish Class
There are many Spanish schools to choose from. Mayab and Orbita are two well known schools but I’m very partial to Cooperativa where I took my Spanish Class. I was able to choose from morning or afternoon classes each of four hour sessions. The lessons were one on one. My teacher taught me grammar on the white board, we played games to drill it in and also sat and worked on conversation skills. Halfway through the morning class we received a snack break. There was also unlimited coffee and tea available. I thought my Spanish experience would be an antisocial time to really focus on my language skills but the other Spanish students and I would mingle on our 15 minute break and soon enough I had best friends in San Pedro.
I highly recommend having a homestay while you take Spanish classes. My lovely Guatemalan family was so warm and welcoming. The mom was an incredible cook and our meals were diverse and vegetarian friendly. My five year old homestay sister would sit on my lap and teach me words like unicorn and alien. The two older daughters would tell jokes and include me in the family like they were my actual sisters. The family knew more English than they let on but only offered a correct Spanish word when I spoke in English, unable to find my own word. Having to speak in Spanish for our three family meals a day would stretch my brain as I searched into the depths of my mind for every Spanish word I’d ever learned. It was such a rewarding experience and after three weeks of class I can now speak in past and future tense.
Take a Thermal Bath
A thermal bath is a cement basin filled with steamy water overlooking the lake. For 50 Q a person you can stay as long as you like and bring your own alcoholic beverages and speaker to play music. You have to reserve the bath 30 minutes in advance so the Guatemalan family that lives there can prepare the water for you. There are two thermal bath spots, both located along a tiny winding alley near Pinocchio Restaurant and The Clover Restaurant. Walk the alley and you will see the signs for the baths.
Kayak
For 15Q an hour (if you barter you might be able to get cheaper) you can kayak across the lake. Make sure you go early because the water gets choppy later in the afternoon. You can simply paddle around the lake, or plan for a more epic journey like paddling for two hours over to San Marcos! Keep in mind that as speed boats zoom by, the water gets very wavy!
Stand up Paddle Board
Pricier than Kayaking, you can rent these for 50Q an hour. I’d only recommend staying in the lake near San Pedro.
Take an Art Class
There are many local artists with shops where they sell paintings of the lake and volcanoes. Many of these artists will also instruct you on how to create your own painting of the lake. They instruct you in proper sunset fading and water reflections and you get to take the finished product home. Here is the Facebook link to a man I can verify as a skilled art instructor if you want to schedule an appointment.
Get your Travel Hair Fixed
Two Brothers is both a hostel and a hair salon. The two brothers, Ross and Aaron, are from the U.K. but have created their own sanctuary in San Pedro. The lodging is whimsical and full of life with a rooftop garden and chickens on the ground level. Aaron is in charge of dread locks while Ross does cuts and color. When I showed up with my two inches of brown roots and blonde hair with pink patches from when it was purple, Ross immediately rose to the challenge. He bleached my roots which is always scary to have done abroad but my hair has never looked better. He then read my mind and came up with the idea to wash my hair with purple dye to even out the silver, gold and pink patches. My hair looks incredible and it was much cheaper than it would have been in Antigua or Xela. Ross charges 100Q an hour so my hair only cost 300Q.
Take a Day Trip to San Marcos
San Marcos is one of the more popular destinations on Lake Atitlan and is known as a hippies paradise. A full blog article could be done on this village but I’m not the person to write it as I only spent two days there. In my opinion, the best thing about San Marcos is the Cerritos Tzankujil Nature Reserve with rocks you can climb that lead into the lake. There are short, five minute trails you can explore and a huge dock with an 8 meter jump into the lake. If you’re located in San Pedro you can take the speed boat to San Marcos for 10Q and enjoy this swim spot. As great as San Pedro is, it lacks many beautiful places to swim. While in San Marcos you can grab lunch. There are many delicious vegan and vegetarian restaurants. I was in heaven when I found tofu dishes at Samsara’s Garden. A popular place to hangout even if you are not a guest is Hostel Del Lago. They have a deck leading into the water that you can chill on and swim from. Hostel Del Lago also has yoga classes and on Tuesday nights there is a drum circle. Unfortunately, boats back to San Pedro end at 5 PM so it is hard to catch the drum circle unless you stay in San Marcos or have a large enough group to hire your own boat.
Check out the Open Air Market
From the main dock on Gringo street go straight up the inclined street. After a five minute walk you’ll be in the market where you’ll find veggies, nuts, butchers, street food and an ATM. This is where the locals shop and work and you are officially out of Gringo territory.
Get Second Hand Clothes on Saturdays
On the same hill as the open air market, in an alley next to the big white Catholic church, there are second hand clothes for sale every Saturday morning. Get there early to have your pick of the lot. I found a lace cover up for 10Q and two shirts for 5Q.
Keep up with your Favorite Sports Teams and Play Pool
Alegre Pub on the main intersection of Gringo Street has many TVs to keep up with your favorite sports teams. You can get a pitcher of beer for a few Quetzals more than a pint. There is also a pool table on the top floor and incredible views of the lake.
Hangout on the Dock
When facing the lake while standing on Gringo street, walk to the left. Walk past Casa Blanca and follow the curve of the street. This will lead you to a wooden dock near a sandy beach. This beach and dock are two of your best swimming options in San Pedro. The dock is also a great place to hangout and watch the sky change colors.
Climb Rocks and go for a Secret Swim
When at the dock I just mentioned, face the lake and look left. The rocks behind the dock are fun to climb. As they wrap out of sight from San Pedro, I discovered private and beautiful spots where I liked to drink boxed wine and swim. Alternatively, near Zoola on the opposite side of San Pedro there are rocks lining the lake that I liked to climb on and explore.
Hike the Indian Nose and Watch the Sunrise
When looking across the lake in San Pedro you will notice a mountain that goes up into a steep point. That is the nose of a horizontal Indian face in the mountain that looks up into the sky. For as low as 70Q you can book a 4 AM shuttle to the base of the Indian nose. Bring a head lamp because there is a 20 minute hike to the view point. Once there, coffee and bread are handed out as you watch the sky change colors. From here you have a view of 7 volcanoes, the lake and the villages along it. We were actually able to see lava on volcano Fuego as it erupted in the distance.
Warning
It is not advisable to do the Indian Nose or to do the San Pedro Volcano trek alone. Bandits have been robbing tourists and it has gotten to the point where even tours won’t take you to the top of the San Pedro Volcano for fear of being robbed. I’m usually skeptical of claims like these, taking it as scared Westerners leaving their comfort zone. I did after all hike Annapurna alone and without a porter. But I heard countless stories first hand of bandits and robberies. My friend from Spanish school even got robbed walking from San Juan to San Pedro after dark. I said I felt very safe in San Pedro and that’s because I was in the town surrounded by houses. If at any point I screamed, somebody would come out to investigate and help me. But do not go to remote areas, alone and after dark.
Nightlife
San Pedro is known as the “party town” on the lake which at first I did not understand. All bars have to stop playing music by 11 PM and there are only two main bars to choose from. However, once you get in with the locals and bartenders you learn that there is always an after party and if there isn’t one that means everybody is resting because the following night is going to be epic.
Sublime – Only open on Thursday-Sunday, this bar is the go-to spot on those days. Either playing Regatone, house music or having a live band, this place has all the vibes. The dance floor is large with trippy lighting and a good sound system. There is a seating area where you can order food, a huge wrap around bar for mingling, as well as an outdoor porch overlooking the lake and a floating dock in the lake.
Fe Bar – This bar is part of Fe Hostel which is across the street. This place is good for day drinking and happy hour, with beer pong tournaments held on the weekends. However, once night comes around there are too many tables in the bar to properly break out your dance moves. Fe Bar does have a really good Psy Trance DJ that often plays there. I’ve certainly danced in the tiny space in front of the DJ booth, although it isn’t optimal. Fe Bar is also known for their huge inflated bounce object in the water outside of the bar. For free once you sign a waiver, you can jump from a dock and onto the inflated object. You then crawl to the end and when your friend jumps off the dock you are launched into the water.
Wachalal – This is a hostel located in the suburbs of San Pedro. Since it is so far out of town, there are often after parties here once the main town has to stop playing music at 11. There is a fire pit, many hammocks, a bar and every time that I’ve been there – amazing music!
Cristalinas – Cristalinas is something I stumbled upon but after talking to other people, it seems semi-regular. Sometimes on Saturday nights after all of the parties in San Pedro have wound down, you can take a speed boat across the lake to Cristalinas. Once you get there you are stuck until sunrise when the speed boats start back up. Bring enough money for drinks and whatever else keeps you awake and a sweater for when it gets cold at 4 AM. Cristalinas is kind of like a forest though there is a building with a bar, DJ booth and dance floor. I left at 7:30 AM the next day but apparently the party continued until noon on Sunday.
Zoola – Zoola is a hostel, bar, restaurant and there is a swimming pool. I’ve heard of Zoola having wild pool parties as it is also a bit out of town and can get away with loud music. However, I usually went to Zoola for the delicious food. The restaurant has glowing lantern lights and cushions on the ground. It is the perfect place to melt when you’re on a nice level and have the munchies.
Boat Parties – If you like Techno music and you’re in Guatemala you should follow WizardsCollective on instagram. WizardsCollective throws the wizard mansion parties in Antigua as well as a boat party on the lake. The boat party is a magical event with dancing, drinking and many other things from midday until after sunset. If you’re in Guatemala during one of these events, make your way to the lake because it shouldn’t be missed.
Dining Options
As my homestay provided 3 meals a day except on Sundays, my restaurant knowledge of San Pedro is limited. However, I did go out for food occasionally and always asked around for recommendations beforehand.
Shanti Shanti – sharing a wall with Sublime, it has the party vibe on weekends while being more relaxed and chill all other times. From 6-8 PM there is happy hour.
The Clover – Slightly away from the main area of town, this restaurant offers diverse food options including an Asian menu. It is located on the lake and has a lovely view.
No Hay Deer – This burger joint has delicious burgers including a vegetarian and a breakfast one. I feel like locals are always hanging out here and even if you don’t dine here, you’ll become familiar with it as you chat with your friends.
Zoola – Delicious Israeli food, dessert and the ambiance is magical.
Sublime – Amazing food. During the day you can even take it to the floating dock to enjoy the view! I ordered the vegetarian pizza and was in heaven when I discovered there was broccoli on it.
Sababa – I often came here for a cappuccino as the view is incredible. There is also scrumptious Israeli food and smoothies.
Fifth Dimension – This was my kombucha spot but the menu is vegan and there are gluten free desserts.
San Pedro is full of many other restaurants, cafes (Guatemalan coffee is incredible), bakeries and juice shops. Explore the streets and see what you stumble upon.
Where to Stay
There are so many options and you honestly won’t go wrong with any of them. As I did a homestay I’m going off of what my friends in hostels told me. Wachalal, Two Brothers and Zoola are nice if you don’t mind staying farther from the heart of the town. It gives you a chance to see the suburbs and how locals live. Mr. Mullet’s seems to be the best hostel and the lobby has a great vibe that I’ve chilled in a time or two myself. Fe Bar is the party Hostel and I’ve heard it is too loud. No reason to stay there when you can go to the bar regardless. Casa Blanca is a beautiful lakefront hostel that attracts many Israeli travelers. The hammocks in the chill area are very relaxing. Papaya’s Hostel is tucked away and hard to find yet still near the town center. It has a chill vibe and a relaxing upstairs balcony.
If you couldn’t tell by this huge article, I love San Pedro. It’s the first time my introverted self didn’t need days to recharge between social functions. The lake truly is magical, spiritual and full of so much positive energy. I honestly don’t know how else to describe it so go for yourself and see what I mean.
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 