Must-see hotels in Lago de Atitlán

  • La Casa del Mundo Hotel & Café

    Lago de Atitlán

    On a secluded cliff facing the volcanoes is one of Guatemala's most spectacular hotels. It features sumptuous gardens, lake swimming from Mediterranean…

  • Hotel Atitlán

    Panajachel

    A coffee plantation for much of the 20th century, this estate was remade as Pana's loveliest hotel in the 1970s. Located on the lakeshore 1.5km northwest…

  • Bambu Guesthouse

    Lago de Atitlán

    Affiliated with Atitlán Organics, Bambu is a guesthouse in splendid wood and bamboo that looks like it grew from the earth. Rooms are calming and airy,…

  • Dreamboat Hostel

    Panajachel

    The paint was barely dry when we visited this hostel, but it was already building a good reputation. Bright four-bed dorms (mixed or women only) stop…

  • Circles

    San Marcos La Laguna

    Near the top of the path from the dock is this casual hostel/cafe with an attached bakery and coffee roaster to provide the essentials of a good stay…

  • La Iguana Perdida

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    La Iguana Perdida is one of the granddaddies of Guatemala's backpacker scene, but you wouldn't know it from its ever-fresh appearance. It features a range…

  • Lush

    San Marcos La Laguna

    Truly chic Lush seems to sprout organically from the living rock of the hillside, with recycled glass, plastic and other flotsam ingeniously incorporated…

  • Hotel Jinava Bay

    San Marcos La Laguna

    Cobbled paths weave through gardens bursting with flowers, coffee, palms and a profusion of hummingbirds at this tropical lakeside location 300m west of…

  • La Fortuna

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    As luxurious as it is wild and remote, this ecologically outfitted retreat is at Patzisotz, a secluded bay just east of Santa Cruz around a rocky cliff…

  • Hotel Isla Verde

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    This stylish, environmentally friendly lodging makes the most of its spectacular setting. A mosaic stone path winds through exuberant vegetation to the…

  • Dragon Hotel

    San Marcos La Laguna

    This lakefront spread created by a North American artist could be the wackiest of San Marcos lodgings. Signs of artistic exuberance pop up everywhere,…

  • Laguna Lodge

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    This eco-lodge is in Paxanax, on the east end of the bay from Santa Cruz. Of adobe construction, the lodge comprises seven luxurious suites with lake-view…

  • Jenna's River B&B

    Panajachel

    You'll feel right at home at Jenna's place, just outside Pana proper, with seven uniquely decked-out hard-standing 'yurts' (all with bathrooms) that are…

  • Lomas de Tzununá

    Lago de Atitlán

    Perched high on a cliff at the east end of the bay with astounding views, this semi-luxurious property features conventional cypress cabins and a…

  • Maya Moon Lodge

    Lago de Atitlán

    This retreat a bit west of the main dock consists of large, simply furnished cabins at various levels of a florally abundant hillside, all with hammock…

  • Hotel Sak'cari El Amanecer

    San Pedro La Laguna

    About midway along the trail between the two docks, the Sak'cari (Tz'utujil for 'sunrise') has 20 clean wood-paneled rooms with lots of shelves. Rooms at…

  • Casa Texel

    Panajachel

    This pristine hotel a block from the lakefront is a swish spread with a proper dose of indigenous style. Rooms on three levels line up along brick…

  • Hotel Tolimán

    Lago de Atitlán

    This is a low-key resort on the site of a former coffee-processing plant, with 20 colonial-style rooms with local textiles, plus a few cottages around a…

  • Hostel San Marcos

    San Marcos La Laguna

    This features seven rustic cabins (three log, four stone) in two separate banks with large front windows (which unfortunately cannot be opened) and a six…

  • Posada Schumann

    San Marcos La Laguna

    Set in gardens that stretch right to the shores of Lago de Atitlán, Posada Schumann has neat rooms in stone or wooden cottages, some with kitchens. An…

  • Hotel Utz-Jay

    Panajachel

    These eight cottages stand amid lush gardens bursting with heliconia, orange trumpet and ferns where no fewer than 46 types of birds have been spotted…

  • Posada Los Encuentros

    Panajachel

    Just across the river from Pana town is this 'ecocultural B&B,' featuring seven cozy rooms in a relaxed home, plus a volcanically heated tub, medicinal…

  • Mr Mullet's Hostel

    San Pedro La Laguna

    This party point in lakeside San Pedro overflows with fun seekers who pile into the four-bed dorms and cell-like private rooms on two levels or crowd the…

  • Villa Santa Catarina

    Lago de Atitlán

    In stark contrast to its humble surroundings stands this luxury spread with elegant restaurant and pool fringed by palm trees and sumptuous gardens. The…

  • Villa Lupita

    Panajachel

    Family-run Lupita is great value for staying in the town center. Facing a plaza below the church, it's removed from the tourist drag. Accommodations are…

  • Hotel Montana

    Panajachel

    Down a narrow street near the church, the Montana is an old-fashioned establishment with simple rooms and wonderful plant-laden balconies fronted by pot…

  • Posada de los Volcanes

    Panajachel

    This chalet-style lodging has lovely pine-paneled rooms. On the 4th floor, you'll be rewarded with your own private terrace, suitable for kicking back…

  • Hotel Terrazas del Lago

    Lago de Atitlán

    At this delightfully affordable retreat, 15 attractive stone-walled rooms climb the hillside, with small terraces and hammocks. Good inexpensive meals …

  • Mario's Rooms

    Panajachel

    On Pana's main drag, Mario's rooms are arranged on two floors facing a plant-filled courtyard. Despite being in the middle of everything, it somehow…

  • Hostal del Lago

    San Marcos La Laguna

    This ramshackle locale by the lakefront east of the center has a theatrical flair, with impromptu performances on a regular basis. Enthusiastically…

  • Hotel Primavera

    Panajachel

    This stylish Norwegian-owned hotel near Pana's main intersection just feels right. Ten large rooms with plant-filled window boxes, soft lighting and…

  • Hotel Peneleu

    San Pedro La Laguna

    One of several ultra-budget options along a side street, this concrete tower offers modestly furnished rooms with frayed curtains and wayward electric…

  • Villa Sumaya

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    Linked to Santa Cruz by a lovely lakeside trail, this holistic arts sanctuary holds a suitably secluded corner of the bay at Paxanax. Like a village, the…

  • Hotel Mikaso

    San Pedro La Laguna

    The Mikaso stands proudly at Atitlán's shores, surrounded by local kitchen gardens. Big rooms with carved wood furniture and ceiling fans ring a garden…

  • Hotel Utz Rajil

    Panajachel

    A modern, three-story hotel with 13 large, well-maintained rooms and quality furniture, the Utz Rajil (Kaqchiquel for 'good deal') features cool balconies…

  • Rancho Grande Inn

    Panajachel

    Founded in the 1940s, the Rancho Grande has a dozen rooms, suites and thatched cabañas in German country-style villas amid manicured lawns dotted with…

  • Casa de la Rosa

    Santa Cruz La Laguna

    Slightly east of the dock, this is a low-key lodging amid wonderfully lush gardens traversed by Gaudí-esque tiled paths. Stay in homey, pink-tinged rooms…

  • Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo

    Panajachel

    Down by the lakeside, this hotel has landscaped grounds that hold many delights – squash courts, a swimming pool with waterslide, a couple of saunas and a…

  • Hotel El Sol

    Panajachel

    Along the road to Santa Catarina, about a 15-minute walk or lightning tuk-tuk ride outside Pana, this modern hostel is a slice of Japan. Hailing from…

  • Hotel La Paz

    San Marcos La Laguna

    Along the upper trail that links the two main paths, the holistically minded La Paz has rambling gardens holding bungalows of traditional bajareque (a…

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