What to do at Lake Atitlan with kids? Lake Atitlan is a fantastic destination in western Guatemala. For the nature lover as well as the culture lover. Even if you are traveling with kids, you should definitely include this destination in your itinerary through Guatemala. The lake created by volcanic activity is huge (130 square kilometers). Around the lake are 3 large volcanoes, which makes for beautiful views. There are also 12 villages surrounding this lake. Villages where you can experience the real life of the people of Guatemala and it sometimes seems as if time has stood still. You can easily have a good time here for several days. In this blog I will tell you about 2 villages that we raved about and where you can have a great time around Lake Atitlan with kids.
Best travel time Lake Atitlan with kids
In Guatemala, the temperature is actually always warm. Nevertheless, this country has two seasons and the rainy season is best avoided . So the best travel time is from November through May when it is dry season. The average temperature then is between 20 and 25 degrees and rainfall is low. An ideal time, therefore, to visit Lake Atitlan with kids.
Transportation at Lake Atitlan
Lake Atitlan can be visited by car or by shuttle bus. From the capital city of Guatemala City, you will drive to this large lake in just over 3 hours. In the villages you move around on foot. To go from one village to another there are two ways. You can go by tuk tuk cab or by boat. Some villages are even accessible only by boat.
What you see a lot of in Guatemala are the colorful “chicken buses. These buses also run in this area. This can be quite an experience, but the tuk tuk cab does get to the destination a lot faster and, of course, you’re not sitting with other people.
Children’s activities Lake Atitlan
#1 Stroll through the streets of San Pedro La Laguna
This village is right on the lake and so from almost every spot in the village you have a view of the volcanic lake. In the lake you can see people swimming, boats sailing, but the most fun to see are the women doing laundry there. Sometimes we get the feeling as if we are going back in time. The women here, young and old, almost all walk in traditional attire that is truly beautiful.
Stroll the cluttered, fun streets, embellished with amazing street art. The range of restaurants here is large and the food really tasty, too. The only thing we didn’t like as much was the large amount of street dogs. Something you actually see throughout Guatemala. The dogs are thankfully very quiet though, groggy from the heat.
#2 Local market in San Pedro La Laguna
Local markets are always a party and the chaos as you are used to from Asia, they know it here too! Enjoy! If you are in San Pedro La Laguna you really must visit the morning market. What an experience! First of all, you have to be careful not to keep running into the tent cloths of the stalls, because this market is not set up for larger people.
We also really looked over everyone here. Otherwise, everything is nice and close together and the sale consists mainly of everything you need to prepare delicious meals. Many kinds of fruits and vegetables, meat, sandwiches, etc. It also sells traditional clothing including accessories such as purses and belts.
At this market, no shopping trolleys, but hefty baskets filled with groceries on the ladies’ heads. Really cool to see. This colorful local market is highly recommended. The market can be visited every day of the week. The end time is variable, but if you go in the morning you can be sure you won’t miss a stall.
#3 Stroll the streets of San Juan la Laguna
From San Pedro, you can visit San Juan la Laguna by tuk tuk cab or by boat. We chose the tuk tuk and this took about 10 minutes. Once we arrived, we were immediately surprised by the appearance of this village. Umbrellas (umbrella street), masks, hats and guitars over the streets. Beautiful murals everywhere you look. Very colorful, well maintained and real art.
Fat paintings were also made on the ground. Much of the street art can be found near the covered sports field, where you can easily walk in from either side. On this sports field, many kids are playing soccer and our son is playing with them before we even notice. We felt very welcomed by the locals from here.
In this village, you will also see many stores with handmade clothing and home accessories. Each of them are authentic stores. The store across from the sports field also has a lot of focus on exhibiting the process of textile and weaving crafts. You can watch the weaving process live as the women are working here. There is also the option to get a demonstration in which they explain the process to you step by step.
This village is inhabited by several Maya communities and it is a unique experience to get an impression of how they live here.
#4 San Juan la Laguna viewpoint
San Juan la Laguna also has another real tourist attraction worth seeing. Namely, the Mirador de la Cruz del Carmen viewpoint. Signs would indicate this point. However, we could not find it and asked someone for help. They speak almost no English here but if you say “Mirador de la Cruz del Carmen,” you will be pointed in the right direction.
You walk up a rising road and steps. First you get to a point where you have a restaurant with a nice view, but then you have to go up quite a bit further for the real viewpoint. You still walk past stalls where they sell drinks and fruit combined with the delicious Takis chips.
Another small staircase up and you’re there. This vantage point is again completely decorated with paintings. No spot was left unpainted on the wooden floor, making this all the more worthwhile. From this point you have a breathtaking view of the lake as well as the Anaga Mountains. A real photo hotspot. This climb is fine to do with kids. You pay a small entrance fee (+/- €2).
#5 Kidspark
If you are traveling with young kids, you can have fun in this rather large playground, located at the start of the viewpoint. The playground is very colorfully decorated and there is plenty to do. Slides, swings, trampolines, mini bouncy castles, a seesaw, climbing frames as well as a small merry-go-round and carousel.
The funny thing was that for the carousel and float you had to pay a small fee and then someone would come and spin the mills by hand and walk along. Again, it was a bit like going back in time. In the Netherlands, this playground would not pass inspection, and the funny thing is that kids don’t even see this. They totally loved it and really enjoyed it.
Family-friendly restaurant Lake Atitlan
You can eat fine food around Lake Atitlan with kids. You have several nice family-friendly restaurants at Lake Atitlan where you can go for a bite to eat and a drink. Below we list some of these family-friendly restaurants.
Restaurant Sababa: This family-friendly restaurant near Lake Atitlan is located in San Pedro. This is the place to go for stunning views of the lake. They don’t have a special children’s menu there but plenty of choice for kids.
Restaurant the fifth dimension: this family-friendly restaurant is also located in San Pedro. Again, a beautiful view of the lake and the staff is very friendly. Among other things, you can eat delicious pizza at this restaurant,
Family-friendly hotel Lake Atitlan
You have several nice hotels where you can stay at Lake Atitlan with kids. We list some of these family-friendly hotels near Lake Atitlan in different price ranges that are best rated by families with kids. Press the blue link for more information.
Budget hotel: Amigos
Mid-range hotel: Villas JABEL TINAMIT
Luxury hotel: Hotel Atitlan
Is there no suitable accommodation near Lake Atitlan among the 3 options above? Then check out the full list of family-friendly accommodations at Lake Atitlan.
About the author: this adventurous family took a 5-month trip around the world in 2022 and have visited more than 20 countries together. You can follow their adventures on their Instagram page fouropeenreis.
