San Marcos La Laguna is a village at the edge of Lake Atitlan in the Sololá Department of Guatemala. The village has a mixed population of Cakchiquel people and western travellers who have made it their home. Most tourists who visit the village are backpackers travelling a well trodden path from Mexico to Honduras and further south into Central America. The usual way to arrive in San Marcos is on a boat from Panajachel, but it is also possible to catch a bus from Guatemala City. Many small hotels and restaurants have sprung up to cater for visitors, most of which are tucked away amongst the verdant tropical vegetation and can only be reached by walking down winding paths. Where there are breaks in the vegetation there are views of Volcan San Pedro which lies on the other side of the lake. San Marcos is most famous as the home of the Pyramid centre which is a magnet for meditators and alternative therapy enthusiasts. A view across Lago de Atitlán from Panajachel to Volcán Atitlán Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlán) is a large lake in the Guatemalan Highlands. ... The Cakchiquiel are a group of indegenous people of Mayan descent, native to the midwestern highlands of Guatemala. ... Two Danish backpackers in front of the Vienna State Opera in July 2005 Backpacking is a term used to denote a form of low-cost international travel, differentiating it from Tourism. ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... Lake Atitlán from Panajachel Panajachel is a town in the southwestern Guatemalan Highlands, in the department of Sololá. It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... San Pedro (9900 feet) is a stratovolcano in Guatemala, on the shores of Lago de Atitlán. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
The climate remains almost ceaselessly ideal (picture San Diego), with virtually no rain from early November to around April, and even at the height of the rainy season, in June and September, nearly daily sunshine alternating with the periodic downpours.
SanMarcos is a good spot to study Spanish, with several teachers -- all native speakers -- offering terrific one on one instruction, easily arranged through the restaurant/hotel La Paz, at a rate of around $3 an hour, and I always try to sign up for classes when I’m in town.
San Pedro, a 10-minute boat ride from SanMarcos (or a hair-raising but spectacular ride of 30 minutes -- always readily available -- in the back of a pickup truck) is larger, busier, and offers a far greater variety of restaurants and night life.
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