Our Favorite Parts of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
This article, originally published on our Substack newsletter, is an overview of our inexpensive winter getaway to this gorgeous part of the Earth.
Lake Atitlán, a popular tourist destination in Guatemala, boasts of stunning views and Mayan villages surrounding an expansive lake. You travel from village to village by boat. Towering volcanos guard the lake like sentries, standing so tall as to poke the clouds. Photographs never quite capture how engulfed you feel by the surrounding landscape.
Our trip consisted of a restful ten days with no itinerary or agenda. We took it as it came. That, as it turns out, is the best way to experience Lake Atitlán.
A Fateful Encounter
In my last newsletter I told you all about how we read The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard, a novel set in a village right here on Lake Atitlán. One of the more fanciful aspects of the plot, I thought, was how her main character drifts on the tide of fate to end up at the right place to meet her life’s purpose. Like magical realism-lite. And yet, aimless drifting is exactly how fate led us to meet Joyce Maynard in person.
On our first full day in Guatemala, we had a few modest goals: find fresh roasted coffee (gotta feed the addiction), stock up on groceries, and finally, walk down to the lake and scope out the boat system.
As far as the boat system goes, there was nothing to figure out. By the time we were within a few blocks of the Lake, people were trying to herd us onto a boat. We turned down one, and then two, letting them know we’d be interested tomorrow. But then, at the dock, a guy convinced us board a boat to San Juan for market day. Why not? I decided. That’s what we’re here for. No better way to figure out the system than by giving it a test run!
So we made an unplanned trip across the lake. Upon disembarking, a tour guide named Pedro welcomed us and dove right into his sales pitch. I was ready to brush him off so we could explore on our own, but we heard him out. A two-hour tour, driven around by tuk-tuk, visiting the local artesian chocolate, honey, and weaving collectives. Then he named his price: less than $30 USD, all inclusive. On second thought, we were in.
Our final stop was a store selling locally woven textiles. It was there that Liuan’s Spidey-sense tingled. One among a group of ladies had the aura of an author. “Are you Joyce Maynard?” she asked.
Within twenty-four hours of landing in Guatemala, among 380,000 people scattered among eleven cities and villages, we managed to bump into, and recognize, the New York Times best-selling author whose novel we just read and enjoyed.
Liuan proceeded to make intelligent conversation while I looked on dumbfounded and slack-jawed.
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A Few of Our Favorite Things
It was a satisfying trip on multiple levels.
Our family bonded in a way that often eludes us in “real life.” It was the porch with the panoramic view of the lake and volcanoes that drew us all into the same space time and again for long stretches where we bantered, told our inside jokes, and even pondered some serious topics. A mug of local artisan hot chocolate made those times even sweeter.
Our time was restful. Nevertheless, the vertical landscape made sure our hearts and lungs worked hard. The fifteen minute walk to town felt like running a hard 5K. Even the walk to the pool could make the legs feel like jell-o.
We appreciated the cultural experience, and not just the Disneyfied sort. The way the Mayan communities seemed to influence and extract benefit from the influx of tourism impressed us. (Sad that you can’t always count on that.) Our Airbnb was owned by a Norwegian, but all of our tours, transportation, groceries and fresh roasted coffee were local.
That said, the inequality between foreigners and locals could be staggering. We got to chit-chatting with a friendly old man named Lucas, who we’d greet in passing on the way to town. One day, as we were talking about our three boys, he recounted that he had lost five of his eight children. Ten minutes later, back at our Airbnb, we met and chatted with the wealthy Norwegian property owner. The plump and healthy Norwegian and the skinny toothless Mayan were probably the same age, we mused, despite the vast gulf in appearance and life experience.
Even so, we enjoyed getting to participate in community life for the short time we were there. We grocery shopped in the farmers’ markets. Liuan took a weaving class with one of the women in town (it’s harder than it looks). And the local kids challenged our boys to a soccer match in the town square.
It was hard to believe how many experiences we packed into so few days. And without any schedule or plan, it never felt rushed. Though it lasted a mere week and a half, the time felt as expansive as the lake and the towering volcanos.
Written and illustrated by the authors of this blog.
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