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 nine hillside cabins (six with private bathroom); the higher you go, the more jaw-dropping the picture-window views. Simple rooms are tastefully decorated with art and recycled elements. Bathrooms are jungle-chic affairs, and water and electricity are solar powered.

Stylish new family suites sleeping six were under construction when we visited. A lakeside terrace restaurant serves delicious cuisine, and there's a pavilion for yoga and meditation. It's a 10-minute walk west of the dock along the lakefront trail.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santa Cruz La Laguna attractions

1. Museo de Sololá

2.78 MILES

Housed atop the elaborate Swiss-built clock tower that fronts the city hall, the museum is devoted to photograph exhibits and the clock mechanism itself,…

2. Reserva Natural Atitlán

3.11 MILES

A former coffee plantation being reclaimed by natural vegetation, this reserve is 200m past the Hotel Atitlán on the northern outskirts of town. It makes…

3. Museo Lacustre Atitlán

3.34 MILES

Inside the Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, this museum has displays on the history of the Atitlán region and the volcanic eruptions that created its…

4. Casa Cakchiquel

3.52 MILES

Pana's cultural center started life as one of the first hotels on the lake, built by a Swedish countess in 1948. Now it holds a radio station, Japanese…

5. Cerro Tzankujil

3.55 MILES

This nature reserve is on a sacred hill west of San Marcos village. Well-maintained pebbly trails lead to swimming areas with shelters by the bank and a…

6. La Galería

3.61 MILES

Overflowing with art by Guatemalan painters and sculptors, this gallery functions as both an exhibit space and cultural center, hosting lectures, films…

7. Iglesia San Francisco

3.87 MILES

The colonial-era church is the heart of old Panajachel. Its extremely broad stone facade, with four tiers of windows between double columns, resembles a…

8. Town Hall

3.91 MILES

The Town Hall (Municipalidad), which stands behind the church in the center of town, is Panajachel's seat of government and handles administrative…