The spiritual capital of Guatemala is on the northwest shore of Lago Atitlán (Lake Atitlán) in San Marco La Laguna, or simply San Marcos. Located in the Sololá department, the town is northwest of the lakes three volcanoes, San Pedro, Atitlán, and Tolimán. San Marcos is found in the hills and on the edge of the jungle that encompasses the lake. San Marcos sits at the elevation of 1,585 meters (5,200 feet) with the lowest elevation being the lakes shore registering 1,562 meters (5,125 feet).
This small municipality has a year-round population of 2,200 inhabitants. The city is quiet and tranquil until evening when the dogs band together and sing their nightly chorus. It’s the perfect place to dive deep into yoga, meditation, and for those interested, some plant medicine. It’s the ultimate destination to recover and heal from the aches and pains that accompany backpacking.
There is just about every style of yoga and meditation offered throughout town. Flyers line the streets and fill the information boards of just about every restaurant. These flyers provide the most up to date information on the current workshops and classes being offered. Each studio for yoga changes their schedule every week, so these flyers are the best way to get the current information.
Where to Eat:
This spiritual mecca is a vegan haven. In fact, the most carnivorous people will struggle to find meat to cook. Some places offer meat options but most of the restaurants are vegan or at the minimum vegetarian friendly. My favorite stops were between Samsara’s Garden, Konojel, and Fé. Each one offers a different vibe and flavor.
Samsara is the perfect quintessential vegan restaurant full of snacks and main dishes that have a slight Asian flare. Konojel offers an authentic vibe with traditional Guatemalan plates that include vegetarian options. While Fé is the pizza stop. They also offer excellent and affordable wine as well. All three can be found on the “Hippy Highway”.
The Hippy Highway is an eccentric street that passes through the middle of town. It’s a walking path that connects from the main road to the docks. Everything a traveler could want and need is found here, from restaurants and stores to hostels and temples. This is one part of town that every visitor will get to know very well.
If you’re a coffee lover, then make sure to stop by Circles Café across the street from Konojel. Circles features a delicious breakfast and lunch selections with strong Wi-Fi. It’s the perfect stop to get some morning work done. The coffee is locally sourced and full of delicious Guatemalan flavors. Circles offers several styles of coffee, including my favorite, the pour over.
During my stay here I only saw a handful of cars and trucks. Pretty much the only vehicles in all of San Marcos are Tuk-tuks. The Tuk-tuk, or auto rickshaw, is a sputtering three-wheeled motorcycle taxi with origins as cheap transportation. These Tuk-tuks can be used to visit any of the surrounding villages, or as a guaranteed safe transportation home during the night.
There is a large indigenous community of Kaqchikel speaking Mayans. The strong Mayan culture is on full display throughout San Marcos, but especially so while passing down the Hippy Highway. It’s near impossible to miss all the bright colors of art, handmade textiles, and delicious culinary street foods.
The village has one ATM, inside Tienda San José #2. However, the ATM is often empty and tapped out. It gets filled once a month and is usually emptied within the week, so plan accordingly. The tienda (or store) with the ATM can be found by taking a right turn off the Hippy Highway. There’s a neon sign high up on the building that says ATM. Hug the street that veers left and cross the bridge to find it on the right side, directly next to a walking path and a dried-up stream.
Things to do:
If finding your spiritual center is not on the list of things to do, don’t be concerned. There is plenty of other activities, such as going for a hike or jumping off a 12-meter cliff into the lake. Both activities can be found in the Cerro Tzankujil (pronounced San-ku-hil) Nature Reserve. The entrance to the reserve, as of March 2022, costs 20Q (roughly $3 USD). The reserve features incredible views of the surrounding volcanoes and Lake Atitlán.
Arguably, the best hike around the lake, is easily accessible from San Marcos La Laguna. The Indian Nose hike can be done alone, but if you want to see the sunrise hike, then a tour is required. From San Marcos, the tour guide will pick you up at 330-4 am. They will drive you to the nearby San Clara La Laguna where you’ll begin the climb.
The hike takes around 30-45 minutes and offers spectacular views of the sun as it lights up the entire lake valley. The three surrounding volcanoes are all on full display, with Acatenango, Fuego, and Agua looming in the distance. The tour should cost 150 Q and include transportation, entrance fees, and a coffee at the summit.
If hiking is not your forte, then there’s still plenty of activities to keep just about anyone busy. Tourists will find a selection of options that include, but are not limited to, swimming, kayaking, sailing, and even scuba diving. There is one dive shop around the lake. The dive includes a demonstration of the lakes volcanic activity by burying an egg in the soil at the bottom of the lake. After a minute the egg is uncovered it to find that it has become hard boiled.
Getting Here:
The secluded nature of San Marcos La Laguna makes it a relatively difficult destination to get to. However, that’s half the beauty of this marvelous place. Shuttles arrive, from around Guatemala, to both Panajachel and San Pedro La Laguna. The first option is to drive but is not ideal. The roads are difficult to navigate and only connect from the nearby San Pedro La Laguna. However, the roads shut down often and for several hours during the day. This can be very frustrating and is not the best way to arrive in San Marcos.
The most efficient and recommended route of travel is to take a lancha (or passenger boat). These depart from both Panajachel and San Pedro La Laguna as early as 6 am until about 6 pm. These leave when full and generally about every 15 minutes. If coming from Panajachel, the lancha trip costs 20-25 Quetzals. If coming from San Pedro La Laguna, then do not expect to pay more than 10-15Q.
Where to Stay:
There are several Hostels for those looking for an affordable dorm bed. However, Airbnb will be the way to go if looking for the best accommodation at a reasonable price. Through Airbnb, I was able to find a private room with a shared bathroom for cheaper than any of the dorms in town. There are several retreat style options offered as well. These provide a more social environment with just about anything you would need. They lean toward the more expensive side, but they come with all the amenities in one place.
The two that I heard constant praise from were split between Las Pyramides and The Yoga Forest. Las Pyramides has a meditation temple, in house yoga classes, and a daily metaphysics class. If staying here is too expensive and outside the budget then do not be alarmed, as guests can always drop into the classes for a small fee.
The Yoga Forest offers daily yoga classes and mediation but is a little less accessible. The Yoga Forest is a little more expensive than Las Pyramides, however, offers an incredible Yoga deck with unimpeded views of the lake. I stopped for a class and was incredibly impressed with their beautiful facilities.
The only place I would highly recommend avoiding is the only hostel offered on Booking.com, Casa Ahau. I usually don’t do this; however, my experience was so atrocious that I would recommend avoiding it at ALL COST! Casa Ahau has two owners, one from Guatemala and one from Honduras.
I tried to volunteer here, doing so for a week. As the week ended the owners approached me and told me they were going to cancel having me volunteer as they wanted to increase the workload to manual slave labor status. The owners expressed that they wanted me to work on construction for around 8-10 hours a day for no pay. The trade was valued at $10 a day for my stay that included a light traditional breakfast. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of what would happen.
Casa Ahau experiences a high volume of female travelers. For a majority of my stay the shower walls had large gaps through the hand-built bamboo walls. At the start of my volunteering, the owners told me not to hit on or flirt with any of the lady guests. He then followed this up by sleeping with one and hitting on every lady that passed through. He was always extremely hands on with the female guests.
The young lady he was sleeping with eventually moved into his room, making extra space in the dorm. This lady continued to pay for each night until she left. The vibe I picked up was them grooming the young vulnerable women travelers that stay here.
The two owners eventually over booked the hostel. Instead of cancelling one of the newcomers, they decided to kick me out instead. When I mentioned that I would be changing my review of the property, the owner proceeded to try and start a fist fight with me. Several other guests saw the entire situation unfold and stayed to make sure that the owner didn’t touch me. When I finished packing up, about six of the guests checked out and left with me. Do yourself a favor and avoid all of this and find a different place to stay.
Overall, I spent about a month and a half in San Marcos La Laguna. I spent close to three and a half weeks in Casa Ahau, while I waited for my computer to get repaired. I couldn’t have been happier to move locations. Everything else about this beautiful village, was everything I could have hoped for and more.
The views of the local volcanoes are on flagrant display from anywhere in town. There wasn’t a bad view unless there was a building blocking it. The jungle comes alive early in the morning and makes for some incredible background music while doing a morning yoga routine.
Even though I’d had such an unpleasant experience at Casa Ahau, I still found myself absolutely in love with San Marcos La Laguna. This is a place that I look forward to coming back to. It’s a place I would like to continue to deepen my yoga practice, while soaking in the relaxing environment with a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of the backpacking life. This is a place that anyone should visit especially if they’re looking to get in touch with their inner self.
Quick Notes:
- Lancha (passenger boat) Panajachel to San Marcos: 20-25Q
- Lancha San Pedro to San Marcos: 10-15Q
- Yoga: 50-150Q
- Meditation: 50-150Q
- Metaphysics class at Las Pyramides: 100Q
- Indian Nose Sunrise Hike: 150Q
- Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve Entrance Fee: 20Q
- Airbnb for the best and most affordable accommodations here
