Kayak Guatemala - Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Summary

Full day trip takes you to the north shore. Travel by private boat to the villages of Santa Cruz and El Jaibalito, with time to explore in each village.Includes nature walks through two ecosystems, and a look at three non-profit organizations. Moderate hiking involved. English-speaking guide.

Itinerary
The day begins in Santa Catarina where you depart for the rugged north shore and the remote village of El Jaibalito.The north shore of Lake Atitlán has no true road access, so you will be hiking along ancient paths that have been used by the Kachekel Maya for centuries.

You will view villagers going about their daily life, encounter farmers tending their maiz and coffee fields, and see some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. This rugged and remote section of Lake Atitlán has barely been touched by the outside world. Our hike takes us several hundred feet above the ever-changing waters of Atitlán for breath taking views of the famous volcanoes. Then descend into the Pumpatin Canyon for a nature walk along the banks of the river. You will experience two different ecosystems as we walk from the upper lakeshore into the narrow canyon. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks of the river and take a swim if you desire.

Next you enter the village of Santa Cruz la Laguna by way of the canyon path. You take some time to visit the various projects in works. There are three non-profits working here, Amigos de Santa Cruz helps with the primary school and in nutritional programs.

We will tour the school, the school kitchen, a typical family home, and a vocational training center that is under construction. A second non-profit is the medical and dental clinic, and a third is a computer training center and library. We can see all of these and then walk down to the lakeshore to meet the boat for the return trip.

$50 / 400Q per person. Meals & refreshments included.
(includes $10 donation to Amigos de Santa Cruz)

Half day trip available for $25 / 200Q per person

Kayak Guatemala and Los Elementos Adventure Center is not only committed to bringing you the perfect holiday experience in Guatemala, but we also support the regions we so cherish and promote. We want to do our part in assuring such beauty is around for others to discover for many years to come.

We volunteer, serve on the board of directors, and donate part of our revenues to support local Non-Governmental-Organizations. Should you like to learn more about the work we do, and contribute to help conserve this amazing regions natural beauty, democratic progress and the well being of its needy, please find below a list of organizations we support and recommend:

www.amigosdesantacruz.org

Guatemala’s calm Pacific Coast has some of the greatest bill fishing in the world. Unlike other destinations that claim to be good, Guatemala is truly world class. Its waters hold some of the highest concentration of billfish year round, with a recorded 88 releases in a single day and 145 releases in 3 days on conventional tackle, with a general average per boat of 20 each (catch & release only.)

Marlin add to the excitement and generally appear in concentrations for a week or more several times a year. Why not try fly fishing to add to the challenge? In addition to sail and marlin, yellowfin tuna, roosterfish and dorado are omnipresent. Couple this with endless black volcanic sand beaches, hot and humid weather perfect for sunbathing and water sports, and dense mangrove and natural reserves, and you are in for a truly magical fishing experience.

From $1550/ full day - 4/5 guests capacity
Price includes captain, mate, fuel, tackle, bait, licence...

Our full service day spa offers massage, facials, manicures, and yoga. Our facility is located on the shores of Lake Atitlán. Relax in our beautiful gardens or our swim beach.

Los Elementos Adventure Center has the only climbing school on Lake Atitlán. We offer a unique opportunity for over-the water climbing for the most adventuresome traveler. Come for a day or a week. We have our very own Rock Climbing camp with routes for beginners to experts.

Climb with us at the base camp, or on one of the many over-the-water climbing sites. Lake Atitlán is one of the few of locations in the world with safe over-the-water climbing.