We made another land border crossing, this time between El Salvador and Guatemala.

It was a very early start, leaving at 4am but we sailed through the border and even arrived in Antigua a little early, that’s a first!

Once in Antigua we were immediately impressed by the look of the City but knew we were coming back in a few days time.

So we jumped into a cab to continue our journey to Panajachel, a 2.5hr drive to the main town on the north shore of Lake Atitlan.

Above is the initial view of the lake from the boarding area for the water taxis. Surrounding the lake are the San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes. 

We were nearly there, just a water taxi and a tuktuk to the hotel! The 40mins boat trip cost us £2.50 each, although the boats are not built for me at over 6ft tall!

Finally, we arrived at San Pedro la Laguna, our home for the next 4 nights. The village is located behind the San Pedro volcano.

After the heat of El Salvador we felt a slight relief as the lake is 1,500 metres above sea level and therefore noticeably cooler than where we had come from, a very pleasant change too.

The walkway up from the boat jetty is very colourful with the coloured textiles above you and the painted paddles on the archway behind us.

The views from the shoreline of the lake are just stunning, releasing a beautiful calmness, already we were impressed by this beautiful country!

Our hotel had a great setting with great views across the lake.

The lakeside is well used by the local people for washing, fishing and swimming in the water.

In the town there are lots of bars, cafes and restaurants. Many of the walls are adorned with wonderful street art, often with cultural references.

My favourite bar in San Pedro below!

All of the main lakeside villages are reachable by water taxi, San Juan was next to us and so we were able to get a tuktuk to it.

San Juan La Laguna is a very pretty town, with lots of colourful streets and people!

This umbrella street is on the way to/from the boat jetty and is very impressive.

Some of the wall are adorned with paintings of local celebrities, this gentleman was a renowned musician.

Most of the local women adorn traditional costumes, wearing their locally made textile patterns with pride.

It’s a working town, wood still needs to be procured and delivered. My travel backpack has wheels for a reason!

The construction site below appears to be covering all bases in terms of supporting the ceiling, but it was the colourful approach to the support joists that caught my eye, so in keeping with the town.

We took a water taxi to another lakeside town called San Marcos La Laguna. Each town is different and this one has been referred to as having a hippie feel, with vegan restaurants, a fine bakery and yoga sessions abound, it’s rather nice!

If you make it here do make a point of going to Cerro Tzankujil, it’s a smallish nature reserve with a trek up the hillside and also around the cliff edge providing wonderful views.

There are places to jump into the lake if inclined or alternatively gently step into the lake for a swim. There’s a small fee to enter but it’s worth every penny!

We also went to see San Cruz la Laguna, there didn’t seem to be too much of the town itself apart from a small church, but we may have missed something.

However, a walk along the lakeside is lovely, offering more stunning views.

There are many more villages along the lake, all worth exploring to understand the variety and wonder of this very special place.

Dotted along the hillsides you can see many great places to stay outside of the main villages, making for a very special visit.

Even when the weather turns and the visibility reduces, the beauty of the lake remains and takes on another slightly mystical hue.

Lake Atitlan is a truly beautiful place, easily one of the most memorable places we have visited.

Our trip to Guatemala has started so well, we can’t wait to see more. If you are seeking a special location, look no more, this is it!

Next we head back to Antigua.