San Pedro La Laguna (short: San Pedro) is a small town nestled between mountains, volcanoes and the enormous Lake Atitlán. It is the most popular town for backpackers at Lake Atitlán as a base to explore the surroundings. 

From the moment I arrived at Lake Atitlán, the place and it’s laid-back vibe had me under its spell. I had seen photos before, but they don’t do it justice at all. When you arrive there and you see the views, you feel the energy and you interact with the locals – that’s when you feel the magic of Lake Atitlán.

San Pedro La Laguna is one of the top places to visit in Guatemala. Read this guide to the 10 best things to do in San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlán to make the most of your stay.

San Pedro, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala - 10 Best Things to Do in San Pedro La Laguna

How to get to San Pedro, Lake Atitlán

How you get to San Pedro La Laguna depends on where you’re coming from. Most people take a chicken bus or a shuttle to Panachajel and hop on a boat taxi to San Pedro from there. But there are also shuttles that take you directly to San Pedro La Laguna from different places in Guatemala or San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico.

Getting around San Pedro, Lake Atitlán

San Pedro La Laguna is quite small and easily walkable. The main tourist area is the street right next to Lake Atitlán near the port. This is where you find most of the restaurants, bars and accommodations for travelers.

The local town center is a bit further behind up the hill. With “local town center” I mean the place where locals go to eat and shop, and not the “falafel-smoothie-coworking-places” – if you know what I mean.

If you prefer not to walk or you have a lot of luggage, you can always take a tuk-tuk. They are all around the town and they are pretty affordable.

Be careful not to get hit by a tuk tuk when walking in the streets! They go quite fast around the corners and the alleys are pretty narrow.

San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

If you want to visit another village at Lake Atitlán you can move around in boat taxis. They run all day long starting early in the morning until around 7 or 8 pm. There’s no actual schedule, they just go when they’re full. I never had to wait for more than 10 minutes.

Best things to do in San Pedro, Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlán is great for nature-lovers and those who like tranquility. But San Pedro also offers a party scene and lots of bars for travelers to mingle. There’s something to do for everyone!

Sunrise Hike to the Indian Nose

Sunrise Hike "The Indian Nose", Lake Atitlan

The Indian Nose (also called La Nariz del Indio or Rostro Maya) is a mountain that looks like the shape of a person’s face lying down. Hiking the Indian Nose is one of the most popular things to do around Lake Atitlán and it was my personal highlight during my stay in San Pedro.

There are lots of tour agencies offering a sunrise hike to the Indian Nose. They charge around 100 QTZ (12 EUR) per person and the tours usually leave at 4 am from San Pedro. It’s a 20 minute drive to get to the trailhead and then you have to hike 30-45 minutes to get to the viewing platform. The hike is short but steep. On the top of the Indian Nose you will get a cup of coffee and a piece of pan dulce (sweet bread) while you’re waiting for the sunrise.

TIP: The viewing platform can get very crowded and noisy. After you had your coffee, leave the main platform and walk down the trail for about one minute. You will get to a rock where you can enjoy the place and the view all to yourself (see my photo above).

Visit the local market

Local Market San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan

Every morning between 8 and 11 there’s a big market for fruits, vegetables, clothes, meat and fish in the town center of San Pedro. No matter if you go there to shop groceries or just to see it, it’s definitely worth checking it out for the experience. A crowd of people mingle in the streets, while local women are making fresh tortillas and vendors are shouting the prices of their goods.

Viewpoint Casa Cubano

San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Casa Cubano is is my favorite viewpoint on the top of San Pedro. It gives you a beautiful panoramic view of the town and almost the entire Lake Atitlán.

The owners are very kind people. They constructed the viewing platform on top of their house and they charge an entrance fee of 5 QTZ (0,6 EUR).

To get there, you need to walk past the town center further up the hill through local areas until you reach the main road. If you put it in Google Maps, it will guide you there. In case you want to save yourself a steep walk up the hill, take a tuk tuk to Mirador Casa Cubano.

Explore local neighborhoods

Local Women of Guatemala
San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

I always love to get outside of the tourist areas to see how the locals live. Once you leave the main street next to Lake Atitlán and you walk up the hill, that’s where you find the more local neighborhoods.

Always be respectful of their homes and don’t make them feel like a tourist attraction. If I have a photo of local people it’s because I had a conversation with them and then politely asked them if they are okay with me taking a photo. Also, always be careful of where you go and trust your guts if you feel unsafe/uncomfortable in an area.

Take a Spanish class

San Pedro is a hotspot for Spanish schools. Lots of foreigners take classes and stay with a host family to learn the language. This is a perfect way to truly experience the life of a local family and to improve your Spanish skills.

Explore the street art of San Pedro

Street Art San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan

San Pedro La Laguna is full of beautiful street art. Take a walk around the town and keep your eyes open for gems like this one.

Rent a kayak or a SUP

There are several agencies along the main street that rent kayaks or paddle boards. Just walk around, compare prices and choose the company you feel most comfortable with.

Make sure to pick a day with good weather and little to no wind, otherwise Lake Atitlán might be very wavy.

Take a break at Tornado's Café

Café San Pedro La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Desayuno Típico, San Pedro la Laguna

Tornado’s Café was my absolute favorite café in San Pedro La Laguna. Off the main street and hidden in a smaller alley, this little café is a true gem. It’s quiet, they have fast internet, good coffee and the owners are very lovely.

The interior of the café is like a beautiful garden oasis. You can really feel that the owners created this place with a lot of love and passion. I loved its tranquility compared to other places in the busier area and it is the perfect place if you need to work on your laptop.

Do a coffee tour

Guatemalan coffee from the region of Lake Atitlán is famous for its unique flavor. If you’re a coffee lover you shouldn’t miss out on a coffee tour at Lake Atitlán.

You will visit a coffee farm and learn about the growing process. A local guide will take you on a tour through the coffee plantation and explain everything about the coffee production, from seed to bean.

Day trip to another village at Lake Atitlán

It’s definitely worth visiting one or several of the other villages around Lake Atitlán. Here are 

  • San Marcos: a hippie village where you can find every type of spiritual healing
  • Panajachel: the biggest town with a huge artisanal market
  • Santiago: a more local town

Other villages include Santa Cruz, San Juan, and Santa Catalina – there is not much to find there besides a few hotels and nature.

If I had to pick one of the villages to visit, besides San Pedro, I would definitely go for San Marcos. I loved the hippie vibe there and if you have time, I would recommend staying a couple of nights there, too (provided that you like hippie villages, of course).

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

Where to stay in San Pedro, Lake Atitlán

San Pedro La Laguna offers numerous accommodations, from budget hostels, to mid-scale and up-scale hotels.

I stayed at Hotel Villa del Lago and I absolutely loved it. I got a private room for an affordable price and the views from the rooftop are stunning. The hotel is more of a budget option. If you want something more up-scale just check on booking.com

Where to stay in San Pedro La Laguna, Sunrise View Hotel Villa del Lago
Sunrise view from Hotel Villa del Lago

Best time to visit San Pedro, Lake Atitlán

The best time to visit San Pedro is between November and May. This is the warm and dry season. At night it can still get a pretty chilly, so take a jacket with you.

How many days to spend in San Pedro?

San Pedro La Laguna, and Lake Atitlán in general, are places where people commonly end up staying longer than planned. If you’re on a tight schedule, 3-4 days are enough to explore the area. If you want to take it easy and you have time to indulge in the place I would suggest to stay 5-6 days.

Initially, I had booked 3 nights but I ended up staying 5 nights because I really enjoyed the vibe and the lifestyle there.

Is San Pedro, Lake Atitlán safe?

Personally, I felt very safe in San Pedro La Laguna and I have not heard of any crime happening there. Especially the main street for tourists is busy with backpackers and locals even at night, so it feels like a safe place to walk around during the day and at night.

However, there are some things regarding safety to consider in every country in Central America:

  • Stick to the tourist areas and avoid local areas at night.
  • Don’t go to places without lights/restaurants/bars/shops after dark.
  • If you want to explore areas outside of the touristy places by yourself, ask locals if it’s safe to go there.
  • Don’t show your valuables. If there are lots of people around, it will probably be okay to take out your camera. Be careful in places without or with only a few people.
  • Never take all your cash with you. Take what you need for the day and leave the rest safely locked in your room.
  • If in doubt, always ask the locals and listen to their advice. If you have a concern about safety, your host will surly be happy to help you.

I have traveled to 7 Latin American countries for a total of almost 2 years and nothing bad has ever happened to me (except when someone stole my phone in Puerto Escondido because I was drunk and I left it on a table LOL).

Of course you have to be careful, and yes, there is crime. But honestly, it’s not as bad as many people think.

San Pedro, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala - 10 Best Things to Do in San Pedro La Laguna
San Pedro, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala - 10 Best Things to Do in San Pedro La Laguna

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