I will suggest some of my favorite activities here, but at bottom also give you links to sites which describe more about the area from a visitors' perspective. I hope to be able to do some of these with you when you come!
- Admire the lake. As I mentioned in a previous post and as you can see in the photos I posted, the lake is a beautiful work of Creation. You can just look out at it for hours.
- Sample indigenous Mayan culture. Guatemala is approximately half Mayan and half Ladino (or mixed-Spanish) descent, making it one of the most indigenous countries in the western hemisphere. Sololá department, where Lake Atitlán is located, however, is much more indigenous than Ladino. The Lake Atitlán Mayans actually belong to three groups, which are the Tzutuj'il, the Ka'chiquel and the Kíche, each with their own language. Each town and ethnic group has its own special traje típico, or traditional dress, which is used by women and is composed of the huipil, or blouse, corte, or skirt, and faja, or belt. Sometimes this is accompanied by traditional headdress. All of the pieces of clothing are woven by hand with intricate detail and patterns. The Lake Atitlán region is also exceptional in Guatemala because it is one of the few areas in which some men still wear their traditional dress and don't wear Western clothes. Although this is only in a few areas and mostly among older men, you will probably see the men's traje típico as well as the women's while here.
- Hike. I haven't been on a lot of hikes around the lake, but amazing views abound whereever you are. One I can recommend is the walk between Santa Cruz la Laguna and Jaibalito, which later continues on to Tzununá and San Marcos la Laguna. You walk parallel to the lake but a few hundred feet above it, allowing you to enjoy stunning views the entire time if you can get over the vertigo!
- Climb a volcano. I'll admit, I haven't actually climbed any of the three volcanoes that ring the lake, but I have climbed two other volcanoes in Guatemala, one three times, and it's always an exhilarating experience. The volcanoes at the lake are mostly dormant (unlike Volcán Pacaya, near Guatemala City, where you can hike straight to the lava), but are still, I imagine, challenging and rewarding hikes. People generally go up in tour groups from San Pedro la Laguna.
- Visit Santiago Atitlán. This is a town with liberation theology history, thus I love it. Fr. Stanley Rother, a priest from Oklahoma, lived among the poor and did community economic development out of his parish through the creation of cooperatives. But to the harsh military government at the time, he was considered an enemy and killed in 1981. The town also suffered another attack at the hands of the military in 1991 when 13 people were killed in a protest after a drunken soldier attacked some townspeople. But it's not only liberation theology that makes me like the town. It's a relatively large and urban town with plenty to offer, and yet doesn't have a tourist-based economy. It has some of the largest and most unique evangelical churches in Guatemala, like Iglesia Palabra Miel, which started in the town and has spread all throughout the Americas. It is most famous for the worship of Maximón, an "evil saint." I don't go visit him, but I'll leave it up to you if you would like to.
- Shop. You may be bothered by small children or women wanting your business, in which case you just have to ignore them and tell them no. But if you don't try too hard, you can find many interesting, unique things there. Buying an indigenous traje típico is an amazing souvenir (and beautiful clothing), if not cheap. There are also some vendors who mix indigenous with modern styles and make very interesting clothing. If the small children and women vendors get to you, though, head off the main street for a breather.
- Chichicastenango market on Thursdays and Sundays. Here you can really shop and find anything your heart desires, from food to textiles and souvenirs. I bought the only two leather belts I own at this market for about $7.50 each. The town is also famous for religious syncretism between Catholicism and Mayan beliefs, a pattern repeated in many towns but especially so in Chichicastenango. If you're interested in that, you can go at mass time and look inside the church at the many representations of Biblical and Catholic figures.
- Chill out, catch up with friends and enjoy the tranquility of the lake. My favorite thing of all!
Some links:
WikiTravel - Lake Atitlan
Atitlan Sol
Atitlan Nature Reserve
Revue Magazine - Guatemala's English Language Magazine
La Casa Colibri Activities Page
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