A local's guide
Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Written by the people who live here, at Casa Kula.
Arrive slowly. The lake will do the rest.
We wrote this guide for the traveler we would have wanted to hand a map to when we first arrived: curious, a little spiritual, maybe a little tired, and unsure how much to plan.
It covers getting here and getting around, honest sketches of the villages, and some thoughts on culture, ceremony and safety.
Start hereLeave your first afternoon empty.
From chapter 1The guide in five parts
Getting here and getting around
Where the airport ends and the lake begins, how the boats and tuk-tuks work, and why we cross in the morning.
Chapters 1 to 4
Twelve shores, twelve moods
From busy Panajachel to quiet Jaibalito, and across to San Juan, San Pedro and Santiago.
Chapters 5 and 6
Pepián, coffee and sunrise hikes
Where locals eat, what to try, and how to walk the lake with a guide.
Chapters 7 and 8
Guests on Maya land
Everyday courtesy, sacred places, cacao, ceremony and how to choose a teacher well.
Chapters 9 to 11
Honest notes before you go
Advisories, boats and wind, health, itineraries for three, five and seven days, and an invitation to Casa Kula.
Chapters 12 to 14
The history of the lake
Lake Atitlán looks like it has always been here. It has not, and the people around it have a longer story than most visitors hear.
Read the historyWhere to eat, stay and do
Restaurants, stays and things to do around the lake, village by village.
Open the directoryAdd your business
Run something on the lake? Tell us about it and we will write back.
Apply for a listingAn invitation to Casa Kula
Casa Kula is a small retreat center in Tzununa, with ten bedrooms looking out over the water. We do not promise transformation. We offer a good place to land, a lake to swim in, and people who will answer your questions honestly.
Visit casakula.com