1 Week Lake Atitlan Kayak Vacation

About this tour

Explore every corner of the most beautiful lake in the world and kayak through its crystal blue waters with this one week vacation in Lake Atitlan.

Price: $1390
Duration:7 days
Difficulty: Med-Hard
Ages: 16+

Overview

A vacation unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Over the course of a week, you’ll explore the world-famous Lake Atitlan – a beautiful caldera lake surrounded by 10,000-foot volcanoes – in the most unique way imaginable.

Paddle a kayak through the blue waters of Lake Atitlan and explore every corner of this mystical lake, uncovering the unique culture and history of its surrounding villages. The perfect Guatemala vacation for active families.

Each day includes 4-5 hours of kayaking, with the rest of the day either exploring the villages, hiking remote mountains, climbing the spectacular San Pedro volcano, swimming, or relaxing on the glistening shoreline. Each night is spent in a different Mayan village, so unlike ordinary holiday-makers, you’ll appreciate the uniqueness of each village. Despite being so closely located to one another, each community speaks a different indigenous language with settlements known for unique reasons, whether that be San Marcos for its spirituality and holistic healthcare, or Santa Cruz for having the best lake views, home to the most decadent and remote holiday resorts.

For generations, local fishermen have worked from hand-hewn kayaks along the shores of Lake Atitlan, and you’ll see many over the course of your week-long vacation paddling the 20km perimeter of Lake Atitlan. Step into Mayan culture as you pass farmers tending to coffee and corn crops, meet indigenous communities, and visit unique villages surrounding the lake, from the brightly-colored San Juan, famous for women’s weaving cooperatives and coffee, chocolate, and honey farms, to the lesser-traveled village of Santiago.

Itinerary

Day 1

We meet you at the airport and travel 3 hours to Lake Atitlán where orientation is done over dinner and a welcoming party.

Day 2

Enjoy coffee and a light breakfast before departing for our first day of paddling. This section of the lake’s shoreline has dramatic scenery, passing rugged cliff faces filled with exotic plant and bird life. Climb a cliff and jump into the crystal clear waters, or just enjoy a swim and sun. You have free time to explore the village of San Marcos before we paddle to our destination for the night, San Juan.

Day 3

Visit the villages of San Pedro and Santiago, passing by the 10,000 ft. San Pedro volcano and the largest bay on the lake, Santiago bay. Take a tour of the village and learn about its worship of Maximón, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints and conquistador legends.

Day 4

Paddle the base of the volcanoes El Tolimán and Atitlan and visit the remote fishing village of Cerro de Oro where we meet a local fisherman. Choose your afternoon activity: either climb the Cerro del Oro mountain, rock climb on steep cliffs, tour the Finca Los Tarrales (a bird watchers paradise in a lower sub-tropical ecosystem) or visit a permaculture institute.

Day 5

Paddle to San Antonio for breakfast and explore the village. Take lunch at the hotel then the rest of the day is free for exploring, hiking, rock climbing, or relaxing.

Day 6

We head back to the starting point, Santa Cruz la Laguna. For those who’ve not had enough excitement, a hike up the Pumpatin Canyon and climbing routes are available. We round off the adventure with a celebration dinner.

Day 7

Breakfast and a return trip to the airport. If you have an early flight, we depart the previous day and spend the last night in Antigua (60 minutes from the airport).

What’s included

6 nights of accomodation in a hotel
3 meals a day plus drinking water and snacks
Kayak and equipment rental
All activities included
Transportation to and from Guatemala City airport
Personal guide for the week
Gratuities
Airfare to and from your home country
Travel Insurance

Additional information

  • Minimum 2 people per booking.
  • 24 hour cancellation policy.
  • Note that days 2-6 are active days with days 1 and 7 in transport.

Interested in this tour?

This tour is available to book 24 hours in advance.

$1390

Per Person

1390

Total
Questions? Contact Us.

Need to book the tour with less than 24 hours notice? Not to worry, please contact us directly and we will do our best to accommodate you.