Exploring small towns around Lake Atitlán, enjoying lake views and vibrant street art
Exploring some towns around Lake Atitlán today! We got breakfast at our hotel then got on a Lancha (ferry) over to Santa Cruz to do a little exploring. Santa Cruz is a very small town! But one of the best views of the lake at Cafe Sabor Cruceño. We had some refreshing drinks and then walked around the town for a bit before catching another lancha to another town—Jaibalito.
Jaibalito was even smaller than Santa Cruz! The roads are only wide enough for tuktuks because there are no cars allowed in the town. We ate lunch at Cafe El Escondido, I’d give it a 4/10. It was a small open-air room surrounded by walls of blue tarps and it got really hot while we were there. Everything we tried to order off the menu, the server just told us how long it would take to make–”30 minutes,” “45 minutes…” We finally landed on burritos which took about 20 minutes and tasted good enough.
After lunch, we explored a little more, stepped around approximately 100 piles of dog poop, bought a fruit (I don’t remember the name of it) and some spices at a little tienda, then got back on a lancha and headed back to our hotel to relax for a little while.
Baby’s only naps today were on the boat rides, strapped to my chest.
For dinner, we walked into town and had plates of grilled chicken, steak, green onions, corn on the cob, potato, zucchini, beans, salsa, and tortillas at Utz Food I Bar & Restaurante. My favorite kind of meal when traveling—a little bit of everything!
We walked up the Street of the Arts a bit more after dinner to find an ice cream bar, and they were adding even more murals to the street! Dozens of people with paint cans and brushes, painting incredible murals on the street. There’s all kinds of construction, painting, and repairs happening in every town we visit. We’re wondering if it’s something they do in preparation for all the festivities of Holy Week?
Either way, we are loving it 😍
Follow along for updates on our entire trip to Guatemala with our 11-month-old daughter!
If you’re like me and you read travel blogs wondering, “Should I use this itinerary?” – because how do you know if the blogger would do it the same way a second time? I’ll just say, I highly recommend this route! Our original plan included some beach time down on the Pacific Coast, but you’ll see we changed our plans mid-trip. I’m so glad we did!
