Going to Lake Atitlan

What to do in Lake Atitlan

by Candyce H. Stapen

One of Guatemala's largest lakes, Lake Atitlán, situated in the Solola District, ranks as one of the world's most scenic locales. The misty blue water unfolds against a backdrop of three 10,000-foot volcanoes, Toliman, Atitlán, and San Pedro. Created by a massive volcanic eruption 85,000 years ago, the lake, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Guatemala City or Antigua, stretches 12 miles long and six miles wide with depths reaching over 1,000 feet.

Maya villages ring the azure lake, situated in Guatemala's Highlands. After Hurricane Stan in October 2005, mudslides in this region destroyed several Maya settlements; however, villages affected including Panajachel, the...

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