Monday 29 July 2013

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

View of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala
View of Lake Atitlan from San Pedro
From the north of Guatemala, most roads lead to Guatemala City, this most populated city in Central America and something of a crime hotspot, or so everyone tells me since arriving in Belize.

Considering there wasn't a whole lot that interested me there I took a pass and after a short stop in Antigua (a quaint little colonial town worthy of a couple days exploring) before heading to the shores of Lake Atitlan or some rest and relaxation.





The shoreline of the lake is peppered with small towns, with Panajachel being the easiest access point from surrounding towns, however there isn't a whole lot to do there. Other towns such as San Marcos, San Pedro and San Juan are much more tourist friendly with San Pedro being the most popular among travellers and expats alike. Santiago (as seen in the picture above) is the biggest town around the lake.

San Pedro is home to plenty of Spanish schools, cheap accommodation and cafes offering the usual tourist fodder along with traditional food indigenous to the area. Most tour operators have horse riding tours, kayaks for rental and hikes up the surrounding volcanoes with San Pedro volcano being one of the more popular given it's close proximity to the town. Volunteering in local schools with projects run by other expats is a possibility too. All in all, it's not difficult to see why many people end up staying here much longer than planned.
View of Lake Atitlan from a kayak

Visitors entrance to Volcan San Pedro by Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

View of Lake Atitlan from Volcan San Pedro in Guatemala

Steps leading the way up Volcan San Pedro in Guatemala by Lake Atitlan

View of Lake Atitlan from San Pedro in Guatemala (Grattan Maslin)






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