Atitlán I: Santa Cruz & San Juan

Straight from Acatenango, we had driven 2.5h the day before and arrived at Guatemala's second tourist highlight: Lake Atitlán, a huge volcanic lake, ringed by mountains and picturesque villages. We had chosen to base ourselves neither in the main town, nor in the most touristy/party villages but rather in pretty Santa Cruz, or a small resort with its own little pier nearby to be more precise. 200 steps up the pier in a private cabin to be even more precise.
We started the next day with a hike along the shore to the main village pier and then up, as the village itself is on the hillside - with beautiful views of the lake. Our initial plan was to relax and go stand-up paddling, but as waves were high and clouds deep, we switched plans and took a boat to nearby San Juan - another beautiful village known for souvenir shopping. For all this, we used public boats, as this is the only mode of transport to reach most villages.
In the afternoon, back at the resort, we used the onsite jacuzzi and sauna to relax before dinner.Read more