Lago de Atitlan

I feel so very grateful for the time that I was able to spend on el Lago de Atitlan (3 days)! I absolutely loved being here. Lake Atitlan ("At the water" in the Nahuatl language; yes, it is a name that is not Maya, but Nahuatl because in 1524, Pedro de Alvarado invaded the region, bringing with him several thousand Nahuatl-speaking troops from what is today central Mexico, thus the name in Nahuatl) is an endorheic lake meaning it does not flow into the sea. It is the deepest lake in Central America with depths reaching 1120 feet, is 12 miles long and 6 miles wide. Volcanic in origin (forming a "caldera" or basin for the lake around 85,000 years ago), three different volcanoes surround Lake Atitlan: Volcan Atitlan, Volcan Toliman, Volcan San Pedro (Atitlan is the largest of the three at 7,868 ft. high). I have included a few pictures of the hotel where I stayed (I highly recommend it: La Casa del Mundo is its name), the stairs I had to walk up in order to reach my room, and a picture of my little room from the outside. Besides all of the geographic and historic facts about this lake, I found the place itself to be simply exquisite. It is full of beautiful vistas and the air is so pure and clean (or at least it feels that way). The lake contains some of the most fascinating Maya towns such as Santiago Atitlan, San Pedro la Laguna, San Juan la Laguna, etc. I loved being here (have I already stated that?). I cannot wait to go back and spend more time here. It is just too beautiful!!

One of the days I was on Lake Atitlan I visited the town of Santiago Atitlan (more on that later). So, a few of these pictures were taken from the little "lancha" or boat that I took around the lake (an expensive trip because I rented the lancha instead of taking a public one, which is much more expensive but takes much less time than the public one). Also, I took a few of these pictures from a "mirador" or overlook called "Rey Tepepul," a sacred site that became officially recognized as such last year. The view was stunning and my two Tz'utujil Maya guides were great!!

And here are a few more views of the Lake and its stunning landscape. I cannot state in mere words how peaceful and beautiful this place truly is. The view from my little hotel room was absolutely marvelous and I would just sit in front of the window and stare out into the sights before me. How gorgeous is Lake Atitlan!?! I loved being here and it was such a nice way to end my visit to Guatemala for the very first time. I will certainly be headed back and hopefully be able to stay longer!!