Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is known to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world… really?
In general, I find it very annoying to read about it: the most beautiful what? Beauty is so subjective… Yet, yes, this Guatemalan lake surrounded by mountains, lined with villages is really worth spending several days on it.
You can get up (really) very early, climb to the top of a volcano, sit and watch the sunrise over Lake Atitlan, nestled in the hollow of the mountains.
It’s a great cliché? Yes, I admit it is, but what beauty, what colours!
Yes, there are many of us, tourists, travellers on the way to the summit, it is by far the most popular tourist spot in Guatemala. But it deserves it. The ascent starts around 3am, the slope is quite steep, it’s hot during the ascent and cold once you get to the top. It’s not really a piece of bravery but the show is well deserved!
Once at the top the reward is great, a colourful sunrise on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, a sky on fire cut out on the black shadows of the mountains, Lago Atlitlan is worthy of a poem.
Lago Atlitlan can be explored by kayak or, for the less courageous, by motorboat. The kayak ride is worth all the effort, the spectacle of the lake is really superb. You just have to paddle, let yourself be carried, breathe and open your eyes wide.
The villages that border Atitlan can also be visited and they almost all have a crazy charm. They have remained authentic, inhabited by local farmers and craftsmen. It is good to stroll through the streets, to go to the markets, to meet the inhabitants.
At the end of the day you just have to take the boat back home to meet other travellers, drink a beer or rum while watching the day decline and return quietly through the maze of silent streets to your cosy little bed.
