10 Things to Do in San Juan la Laguna That You Shouldn't Miss

July 23, 2017 Mollie Coke

Discover the best top things to do in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala including Lake Atitlan Day Tours, Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve, Los Elementos Adventure Center, Mayan Kitchen, Colonial Church, Casa Flor Ixcaco, San Marcos Holistic Cottage, Xunah Kaab, Volcan San Pedro, Shangrila Coffee Roastery.
Restaurants in San Juan la Laguna

1. Lake Atitlan Day Tours

Calle del Embarcadero San Juan La Laguna | Solola, San Juan la Laguna 07017, Guatemala
Excellent
100%
Good
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Satisfactory
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Overall Ratings

5 based on 118 reviews

Lake Atitlan Day Tours

Adventure Atitlan Tours is operated by a Tzutujil Mayan man born and raised in San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. I am a licensed and authorized tour guide in Guatemala. I have been a tour guide nearly 10 years so my experience in Tourism guarantees my clients a unique trip on the lake and my country. We offer custom day and multi-day trips for individuals, couples, families, students and groups all over Guatemala. We provide cultural immersion and special tours such as Village Tours, Hikes to volcanoes and Mountains, visit to archaeological sites, Horseback riding, etc. Give us an opportunity to customize your trip.

Reviewed By robertjniven - Sedona, Arizona

Luis is a very personable and knowledgable tour guide. We enjoyed a day of touring around the lake villages, purchased great art and while my wife was getting a massgae Luis and I escaped on horseback for a ride through the village of San Pedro and out to the end of the peninsular.

2. Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve

San Marcos Village, San Marcos La Laguna 07016, Guatemala
Excellent
63%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 76 reviews

Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve

Reviewed By Yasser H

Best visited early in the morning before the crowds. Get ready for some amazing views, tons of song birds, wild flowers etc.
Don't forget to go for a swim in the lake, the water may feel a bit cold a first but then you get use to.

3. Los Elementos Adventure Center

Santa Cruz La Laguna 07014, Guatemala
Excellent
93%
Good
4%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 334 reviews

Los Elementos Adventure Center

Your base camp for exploring Lake Atitlan Guatemala. Choose from kayak excursions, hiking the Mountains surrounding the lake, or by private tour boat. You can find an adventure that suits your interest and level of activity. We are family friendly and ready to help you have a unique holiday experience.We specialize in offering experiences that will let you learn about the Mayan culture and meet many of the locals whom we have come to know. The Mayan people are very proud of their cultural past and they enjoying sharing their efforts to keep it alive and strong today. We can also help arrange a custom itinerary for all or part of your Guatemalan travels.We have started Los Elementos Adventure Center and Day Spay and Kayak Guatemala as a way of creating jobs for locals and supporting our non-profit Amigos de Santa Cruz. One of the big challenges of life in Guatemala is to improve the lives of the local people. Amigos de Santa Cruz is focused on improving the education and nutrition of the Mayan. We also support Mayan Medical Aid, which focus' on providing medical aid. Any tour or excursion you arrange will help support these non-profit organizations. Concierge service and all inclusive packages are our specialty. Custom and taylor made tours to your specific interests.

Reviewed By matthewhodal - Elgin, Illinois

We booked a whole day of fun. Took a shuttle from Antigua and spent the day kayaking, cliff jumping in to the lake, doing archery, and hiked to the rock climbing site. It was a fabulous experience for my family. The guide alex was outstanding, and lee and his wife were very accommodating and wonderful. Such a beautiful place!! Thank you!

4. Mayan Kitchen

Casa Blanca betwen Hostel Fe Street, San Pedro La Laguna 07018, Guatemala +502 5824 7440
Excellent
99%
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1%
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5 based on 158 reviews

Mayan Kitchen

We are a local business from Santa Cruz la Laguna run by local family and want to show how to cook some of the best Guatemalan dishes

Reviewed By _cmandav - London, United Kingdom

I loved spending time with Anita and my small group (there were just 4 of us total, which was perfect) learning about the history of San Pedro and about traditional Mayan/Guatemalan cooking. I would definitely recommend doing the cooking class, super easy to set up...MoreHrllo Mandav, Thank you for this beautful review you left for me. I really appreciate. Thank you very much. It was a pleasrue to have spent time with all of you. Anita

5. Colonial Church

Center of Town, Santiago Atitlan 07019, Guatemala
Excellent
43%
Good
48%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 96 reviews

Colonial Church

Reviewed By vmimartins - Guimaraes, Portugal

The Guatemalan are very religious and this is notorious because of the number of churches, especially the Evangelicals, that exist in the country.
The most interesting of the older Catholic churches is the fact that they mix the native religions with the Catholic religious cult and the churches are a sample of this interesting mixture of cultures.
Churches like this one are a good example of the cultural mix.

6. Casa Flor Ixcaco

Calle Principal | Zona 1, San Juan la Laguna 07017, Guatemala +502 5822 7541
Excellent
81%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
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5 based on 99 reviews

Casa Flor Ixcaco

Casa Flor Ixcaco is San Juan's only Weaving Cooperative that dedicates itself to perserving the skill of spinning natural cotton thread. The products are made by 20 local women using mayan methods that were passed down for many generations. The products are 100 % natural and handmade. Visitors learn more about the spinning and dying process in a demonstration and can sign up for weaving and dyeing classes.

Reviewed By Leslie P

What an pleasurable learning experience! Walk into this calm structure and ask one of the women to explain what they do! You will be so pleasantly surprised and come away with not only learning, but a deep appreciation for what these women do to create the stunning textiles that are a trademark of their culture. It is something for all ages! Delphina was amazing and her English outstanding (learned from the tourists!). And San Juan La Laguna itself is attractive - much calmer than the other villages and filled with true Artisans proud of their heritage. Absolutely must do!

7. San Marcos Holistic Cottage

Calle del Unicornio | Barrio 3, San Marcos La Laguna 07016, Guatemala +502 3183 7662
Excellent
84%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

5 based on 18 reviews

San Marcos Holistic Cottage

The San Marcos Holistic Cottage is an excellent place to stop in and have a fabulous massage. We have a wide variety of massages and therapies available. We also provide great informative courses in Massage, Reiki, Kinesiology, Foot Reflexology, Bach Flowers and more... So plan some extra time to stay in San Marcos so you can learn with us, rebalance your energy, feel healthier and happier than ever!

Reviewed By dinabwilson - Edinburg, Texas

I had to wait for about 20 minutes since the person before me "wasn't ready to leave." Hmmm. Anyway, Etai was an excellent masseuse. It was a little strange that before the massage, he had me shuffle a deck of Tarot cards and pick one. Each image was a "crop circle" geometric figure that had been found somewhere in the world. My card said "Obstacles" and I was to think about obstacles in my life during the massage. He started with visual imagery to relax me and proceeded into a terrific theraputic massage. Lovely scented oils and Indian music completed the experience.

8. Xunah Kaab

Canton Tzanjay, San Juan la Laguna 07017, Guatemala
Excellent
88%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

5 based on 48 reviews

Xunah Kaab

Reviewed By Jose C - Guatemala, Guatemala

We loved the tour, it was very informative and ended up learning very interesting facts. People are proud of their community and their inheritance, loved the honey products and have to get back to taste the honey beer..... yes beer! Highly recommended!!

9. Volcan San Pedro

San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala +502 7762 6204
Excellent
62%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
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4.5 based on 252 reviews

Volcan San Pedro

Reviewed By TA_Member36 - England

This is a very worthwhile trip while in Panajachel. You take a ferry across the lake, then it's a tough, steep, 4-hour climb through the rainforest to reach the summit (a wonderful viewpoint down to the lake and across to the wooded hills of the Guatemalan highlands.
However, as an early (6am) start is required, make sure (before handing over any money!) that your tour company will pick you up from your hotel in the morning. We used Adrenalina tours for our trip. Despite paying $54 each for our trip, they refused to pick us up at our hotel (the El Sol, 2km from the centre of Panajachel) because it was "too far" from their office in the centre. We had to organise our own tuk-tuk to take us to Adrenalina's office (at 5:45am in the dark!). When we got there, there was no-one to meet us, so we made our own way to the ferry terminal. Eventually Adrenalina's representative arrived at the ferry and we were on our way.

10. Shangrila Coffee Roastery

Barrio 2, San Marcos La Laguna 07016, Guatemala
Excellent
100%
Good
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5 based on 6 reviews

Shangrila Coffee Roastery

We offer a unique coffee tour. First a guide will walk you through coffee fields. All coffee is shade grown on small plots and handpicked. You will see how coffee is grown and in season witness harvesting. We then show you how coffee is being processed and roasted at our artesian plant and coffee roast lab. Add ons to the tour including coffee tasting, a chocolate tour etc are available.

Reviewed By Rhonda D - Portland, Oregon

We spent 3 months living in San Marcos and drank Shangri-La's amazing coffee daily. As someone who is a bit of a coffee snob I often find myself adding milk & sugar when drinking just average coffee but Tim's is SO smooth no additions are...MoreHappy to hear you enjoyed the coffee and the tour! Hope to see you again soon at lake Atitlan. Safe travels!

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