San Marcos La Laguna:

More Photos of San Marcos

Though we’ll say this about almost every town on Lake Atitlan, San Marcos is one of the most enchanting places that we’ve visited. Walking off the dock, you’re greeted not by streets or buildings, but by a path that leads away from the lake, and toward “town”. The main path is interspersed with vendors selling clothing, food, handmade goods, and with signs pointing you to restaurants, hotels, and other services that are tucked along various other walking paths cut through the forest. Continuing up the main path leads you to the main road. Here you are greeted by the town’s basketball court, a lively place throughout the day but especially in the evenings, as well as a small plaza with a couple small grocery/convenience stores and a restaurant. Also in this main square, tuk-tuks line the streets, waiting to take passengers to destinations along either direction up the hillside on the main road.

The initial impression of San Marcos, with its walking paths, the absence of cars and noise, calls to mind stories of utopia.  Or it could be the number of long term foreign residents of San Marcos that give off the utopian vibe. Maybe they were here like you or I, for a few days or a few months, but something about the town convinced them that it would be a good place to spend many, many more days. These residents aren’t hard to find, as many have created a niche for themselves, in the form of restaurants or other small businesses. You will be amazed at the number of yoga, holistic health and massage services offered in San Marcos. They abound. Also to be found are courses and workshops on reiki, reflexology, mayan astrology, tantric yoga, sun courses, moon courses, tarot, and more.

If any of the above call to you, or if you really just want to relax and eat vegetarian food for days, San Marcos is your spot.

And if you aren’t convinced yet, San Marcos also boasts access to a small national park (Q15 entrance fee), supposedly one of the better areas for swimming around the lake.

Click on any of the tabs below for more information, or click on the photo for more pictures of San Marcos.

BASIC INFO:

Getting around: Your own two feet are your best option for visiting San Marcos, though tuk-tuks are around for destinations that are off the beaten path, so to speak.

Money: One of the more important things to note before getting off the dock, is that THERE ARE NO ATMS IN SAN MARCOS (as of December 2013). Whether arriving from Pana, or San Pedro, make sure you have cash to last before you arrive.

GETTING // GOING          •          SLEEPING          •          EATING          •         DOING

Take me back to LAKE ATITLAN // Take me back HOME