Traveling is fun, but after five weeks it’s nice to have a little R&R so we headed to Lake Atitlan. Because the small community of Santa Cruz de Lago is a great place for relaxing we splurged on a private home rental at Los Elementos for $55 a night.
The volcanoes were hidden by mist for the first couple days which made their unveiling quite spectacular when the sky finally cleared.
Many of the villages including Santa Cruz are only accessible by boat. You are let off at the main dock unless you can sweet talk (or pay) to be let off at a dock nearest to your accommodation. The lake front portion of Santa Cruz was about a mile long and getting around is solely on foot via boardwalks and paths meandering though tropical brush, in front of gorgeous villas, and up and down steps, across stone walls and so on. You pass romantic eateries, private homes and a slew of accommodations from upscale hotels and a few hippie hostels.
The expat community in Santa Cruz is remarkably welcoming. Alough it’s a quiet village we still found some nightly fun at a couple bars and even a rowdy game of pool.
You can catch a ‘lancha publico’ boat to visit any of the other villages around the lake by standing on the nearest dock and waving your arms. We visited San Pedro, known for its tightly winding streets and hippie vibe.
And of course swimming and kayaking are great ways to enjoy the beautiful lake!
Looks heavenly, and so refreshing! Food for body and soul.
Place looks beautiful. What a find.