Lake Atitlán

As mentioned before, I visited Lake Atitlán twice: the first time in Panajachel, and the second time in San Pedro la Laguna.

In Panajachel, there wasn't much to do. However, you have a beautiful view of the three volcanoes at the lake: Atitlán, Tolimán, and San Pedro. The lake itself is a crater lake of a giant volcano, but it hasn't erupted in a very long time. It has no outlet, and in recent years, the water level has been steadily rising, making some houses on the shore uninhabitable. At an altitude of 1500m, it is not too hot here, making it ideal for enjoying a few peaceful days.

The second arrival at the lake was much more spectacular. On the last day of the three-day hike from Xela to San Pedro (see previous report), we started at four o'clock in the morning from Santa Clara to the Nariz del Indio (Indian Nose), which is 45 minutes away, to enjoy the sunrise over the lake with a view of Guatemala's largest and most beautiful volcanoes. This beautiful time-lapse video was created during that time:

(Not perfect, but with potential for improvement 😊)

After the sunrise and breakfast, we descended to the lake in San Juan. As a reward for the accomplished 45km hike, we first had fresh coffee and cake from the coffee cooperative located on the shores of the lake. The significance of the Indian Nose became clear when looking back. With a little imagination, it can also be seen in the photos. After coffee, we were taken to San Pedro on pick-up trucks, where the adventure ended with a shared lunch.

I stayed there for a few more days and treated myself to a single room for the first time since Puerto Escondido in Mexico more than two months ago. Very affordable at a simple hotel for the equivalent of 12 Swiss francs. After the intense hiking week in Xela, it was just right 😁 And the following week in Antigua Guatemala will be no less intense...