Lake Atitlan with Kids: Guatemala Family Travel Guide
If you're looking for a guide to how to enjoy Lake Atitlan, Guatemala with kids, keep reading!
This was our family's second trip to Central America. In 2022 we visited Costa Rica, and in the summer of 2024, we checked Guatemala off our bucket list. (You can find my full Guatemala with Kids Itinerary here!)
Lake Atitlan was such a great place to visit thanks to its incredible scenery, warm welcoming people, and colorful, quaint towns.
Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and many people compare it to Lake Como in Italy! It is the deepest lake in Central America and is surrounded by 3 active volcanoes.
One of the things that makes this destination so unique is that the best way to reach the colorful towns around the lake is by public water taxis known as lanchas. It's a great place to explore local culture, relax with a beautiful view, or experience some outdoor adventure. We did all 3 with 4 kids in tow!
Something I noticed about Lake Atitlan is that it seemed relatively untouched by Western culture compared to many other places we've visited worldwide. You'll come in contact with many indigenous people who don't speak Spanish, or only speak Spanish as their second language.
I loved giving my kids the chance to see local life, and seeing different lifestyles in other cultures is one of the great things about travel. It expands kids' minds and helps them learn to be more open and accepting.
Guatemala is a wonderful place to visit with kids, and I'm going to share all the details of our trip, from where we stayed to all of the activities we did!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Getting to Lake Atitlan
Lake Atitlan is located 77 miles from the airport in Guatemala City.
There are several ways to get to Lake Atitlán.
1. Shared Shuttle: Take a shared shuttle from the airport to Panajachel, a town in Lake Atitlan. This costs around $35 per person, so it's a good option if you have a smaller group. If you have a larger family, like us, this may not be the best option for you. The other downside is that the shuttle only leaves once it's full, so you may have to wait a while.
2. Private Transfer: Many hotels and vacation rentals in Lake Atitlan offer the option to book a private airport transfer for an additional cost. We booked ours through our vacation rental, Casa Paloma. This is a faster and possibly more economical option for larger groups or families. Our vacation rental booked our private transfer through a company called Relaxicab, and you can find all of their contact information here. You can also book through a company like GetYourGuide or book a private transfer through Viator if that feels more secure. For reference, we paid around $154 USD for a group of 8 when we went through Relaxicab.
3. Rent a Car: You could also rent a car if you want the freedom to move around at your own pace. Unfortunately, this does not seem like the safest option for getting around, though it is much more affordable.
Where to Stay in Lake Atitlan with Kids
There are so many cool hotels in Lake Atitlan, but I had trouble finding a hotel that could accommodate our family of 6. We decided to book an Airbnb to have space to spread out.
Casa Paloma
The Airbnb we booked was called Casa Paloma, located just outside the village of San Marcos La Laguna.
This Airbnb sleeps 6, but when we found out my in-laws were joining us in Guatemala we messaged the property to see if we could add 2 more people.
It turns out they have several smaller casitas around the property, so we were able to add on one of those for a small nightly fee.
Some perks of staying here include your own private dock where you can wave down the public water taxis (lanchas), lake and volcano views from every room, paddle boards and kayaks available for your use, and optional private chefs and private transportation for an extra fee.
The views grabbed my attention, which is why I initially booked Casa Paloma, but I fell in love with the textiles and art around the house made by local artisans.
La Casa del Mundo
When I first began to research hotels in Lake Atitlan, La Casa del Mundo was my first choice. I saw so many videos reviewing this hotel on TikTok, and it looks magical!
We even saw the hotel from a lancha speed boat, and it looked just as enchanting in person.
Unfortunately, there were no rooms large enough to fit our family of 6, and we couldn't get connecting rooms. However, if you have a family of 3 or 4, this might be a really fun choice!
How to Use the Lanchas
Lanchas are public boats that transport people between towns along Lake Atitlan. They run the entire day from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm, and they come around every 30 minutes.
Lanchas are the best way to get around in Lake Atitlan as they are the most efficient and affordable method of transportation. The roads between villages are not always maintained, which is a good reason to stick to the lanchas.
Prices seem to vary depending on which villages you are traveling to, but we found that even for a shorter ride they charged us Q25 per person, per ride. 25 Quetzales is around 3.25 in USD. Be sure to have cash on you, as this is the only way to pay the lancha captains.
While we were lucky enough to have a private dock to wave down lanchas at our convenience, most people will have to head to the public dock to use the lanchas.
Once you arrive at the public docks (embarcaderos), you can ask around about which lancha to take by telling them your destination.
I know this sounds a little confusing, and we were definitely nervous about boarding the wrong lancha our first day, but by our 3rd day we were confident navigating the water taxi experience, and even grew to enjoy it!
A few things to note:
Getting on and off the lanchas can be a bit nerve-wracking with young children, so have on adult get on or off first to help the little ones find their balance.
Sit in the back of the lancha if possible. If it's a windy day you will get bounced around in the front row and end up with a headache or a queasy stomach.
Carry cash, and make sure you don't have big bills in case the captain can't make change for you.
Bring Dramamine just in case you get seasick. The boat rides can get pretty rough, especially in the afternoons.
You will be surrounded by locals commuting to and from work.
If you don't want to deal with public lanchas, you can also book a private boat for the day. It will be more expensive, but then you don't have to worry about waiting for the boat to fill up before leaving, and you can come and go as you please.
Best Things to Do in Lake Atitlan
There are so many different communities to visit around Lake Atitlan that even with 3 full days to explore I didn't feel like we had nearly enough time. These are the towns we visited, and what I would recommend doing in each place!
Visit San Juan La Laguna
The village of San Juan La Laguna is a small town on the southwest shore of Lake Atitlan known for its colorful murals, artisan markets, and textiles made with natural dyes.
It's such a beautiful place to visit and one of the most popular destinations along the lake. It ended up being my favorite town out of the 3 we visited.
You can also check out the nearby Mayan villages of San Pedro La Laguna and San Pablo La Laguna if you have time.
Here are the best things to do there!
Shop at the Artisan Markets
There are myriad small shops and market stalls to purchase souvenirs like textiles, soccer jerseys, and artwork. Many of the shops can be found on the main road that leads to the public dock, Calle Chi Nima Ya'. You'll also find colorful umbrellas hanging over this street, which makes for a great photo opportunity!
Eat at Caffe La Cabaña
We grabbed brunch at Caffe La Cabaña, which looked like it was right off the main street on the map, but was a little difficult to find.
We realized we had to walk down what appeared to be a residential dirt road to reach the cafe.
The cafe was empty when we arrived, so we had the place all to ourselves. There were so many "Instagrammable" photo spots, and the kids were in heaven discovering them all and asking me to take photos.
I loved that Caffe La Cabaña has a waterfront view. With the mountains in the background, it was incredibly picturesque. And the coffee wasn't bad, either!
Attend a Weaving Workshop
Tinte Maya is a group of local women who have teamed up to provide opportunities for Maya women, bring their families out of poverty, and preserve their culture and traditions of weaving and dying textiles.
You can support them and learn about the local culture by attending a weaving workshop or a natural dye workshop. These classes are 3-hours long, so may not be the best option for younger kids, but older kids and teens may appreciate them if they have an interest in artisanry.
Hike Up the Mirador Cerrador de la Cruz: Kaqasiiwaan Viewpoint
This observation deck offers one of the best views of Lake Atitlan and was originally on our list of things to do in San Juan La Laguna.
Unfortunately, traveling with kids sometimes means that things don't go according to plan, and we could tell the kids were getting tired, hungry, and crabby in the heat, so we decided to head back to our Airbnb to eat and swim for the rest of the day instead.
If you want to see the colorful observation deck with incredible views, you can take a 15 minute walk or take a tuk tuk to Parque Kiaq'Aiswaan. The entrance fee is Q30 per person.
Next, you'll have a bit of an uphill hike up the stairs to reach the viewpoint with the cross at the top. This is one of the best places to view the 3 volcanoes of Atitlan but may be a tougher hike with kids. I would get an early start to avoid the heat of the day.
Visit San Marcos La Laguna
Our Airbnb was located right outside of San Marcos La Laguna, so we made the 10-minute walk down a dirt road to town several times for groceries, ice cream, and just to check out the local markets.
Artisan Markets
The artisan markets in San Marcos La Laguna are on the main road leading to the public dock just like in the other Lake Atitlan Towns. We preferred the markets in San Juan and Panajachel, as we felt like there were more options.
Italian Place - Il Giardino
This little Italian restaurant was tucked away like a secret garden, and we loved the atmosphere. The Italian food wasn't the greatest I've ever tasted, but it wasn't bad either. Come for the vibes, and expect to have some slow service. It's located on the main road to the docks, but you'll have to keep an eye out for the entrance because it's not super obvious.
Dolce Gelato
We visited 3 times because the kids like the ice cream here so much! Also located on the main road to the dock, this ice cream shop has lots of flavor options as well as vegan options.
Circles Cafe and Bakery
We had several people recommend the bakery to us, but we always ended up visiting in the evening when it was closed for the day. If you visit San Marcos in the morning, I've heard it's a great place to stop for some sweet treats!
Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve
An adventurous family we met while ziplining recommended Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve in San Marcos La Laguna for cliff jumping into the lake!
Since we had our own private dock to jump from, we didn't end up trying it out, but they said it was really fun!
Visit Panajachel
Panajachel is known as the gateway town to Lake Atitlan since it's the most developed and the easiest to reach from the Guatemala City Airport. For that reason, it's one of the most popular places to stay along Lago de Atitlán.
Reserva Natural Atitlan
Atitlan Nature Reserve is one of the top things to do in Panajachel, and Lake Atitlan in general, for the entire family. There are myriad hiking trails, places to see spider monkeys and coatis, hanging bridges, and butterfly dome, a playground, and, best of all, a zipline course.
To get to the nature reserve, we chose to ride tuk-tuks as soon as we got off the boat at the dock. It was about a 10-minute ride, so walking would be tough with kids in tow.
We booked the Cables X-Tremos zipline course, which is the shorter of the two options. The cost is Q280 per person (around $36 per person), which includes entrance to the reserve and all of the attractions.
Tours leave at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm, and we picked the 11 a.m. option so we wouldn't have to worry about catching a lancha to Panajachel so early in the morning.
The hardest part of the tour is the steep walk (1476 feet with a vertical ascent of 262 feet) while you're wearing all of the zipline safety gear in the heat.
Anyone between the ages of 3 and 84 can do the zipline course, and a tour guide is available to tandem zipline with young children who aren't heavy enough to make it across the cable.
We took all of our kids, including our 4-year-old, and my husband's parents who are in their 60s, and it was a great way to experience some soft adventure as a family. I was so proud of all the kids (and the grandparents!) for being so brave. The cables are over 80 ft above the ground, so it's no small feat!
Find more information about Reserva Natural Atitlan here!
Ride a TukTuk
It's really easy to get most places by walking around Panajachel, but there are a few spots, like the Reserva, for which you may want to use a tuk-tuk to get around. The tuk-tuk rides here are very affordable, and a very unique form of transportation. My kids absolutely loved it, and I enjoyed not hearing them whine about walking!
Visit a Local Market
Like in many of the other towns around Lake Atitlan, there are plenty of markets with hand-crafted souvenirs, textiles, artwork, and soccer jerseys. We enjoyed just wandering around to the different stalls and checking out the colorful wares!
When to Visit Lake Atitlan
Lake Atitlan has 2 seasons: summer (dry season), and winter (rainy season).
Summer goes from November to May, and has hot, dry days.
Winter goes from May until October with pleasant weather during the day, and rain showers typically happening in the afternoon.
The best time to visit would probably be in between seasons! Months like October and November are quieter with fewer tourists, which means cheaper prices. However, you may run into issues with hurricane season!
We visited in late May into early June, and the weather was absolutely perfect! I think it only rained once while we were there, and even then it was just at night.
You May Also Be Interested In…
DON’T FORGET IT! PIN IT!
Emily Krause is a Wisconsin-based travel content creator who writes about exploring the world with kids.
On A Mom Explores you’ll find the best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
