Indian Nose
Sunrise over the lake.
Charlie Marchant — CC BY 2.0 · Epiovesan: Emilio Piovesan — CC BY 3.0 · Vikulinkaaa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Charlie Marchant — CC BY 2.0 · Toby Argüelles — CC BY-SA 2.0
One of the world's most beautiful lakes, a vast blue lake in an ancient volcanic caldera in Guatemala's highlands, about 340 metres deep, the deepest lake in Central America, ringed by three green volcanic cones, Atitlán, Tolimán and San Pedro, with Kaqchikel and Tz'utujil Maya villages scattered along its shores. Each village has its character: Santiago Atitlán, the largest, with its market and its people's embroidered dress; San Juan La Laguna with street murals and natural-dye weaving cooperatives; quiet San Marcos; and Santa Catarina Palopó with houses painted blue and green. Public boats link them from Panajachel. Hikers climb the Indian Nose above San Juan at dawn for sunrise over the lake and volcanoes, one of the country's most famous views, while others kayak in the calm morning. The climate is mild all year, as the lake lies at about 1,560 metres. Public boats link the lake villages all day, and the water gets choppy in the afternoon wind, so travel in the morning if you can.
Sunrise over the lake.
Weaving and murals.
Calm mornings.
Sololá department in the western highlands, about three hours from Antigua
By public boats from the Panajachel dock all day; mornings are calmer before the afternoon wind.