San Juan La Laguna

At A Glance

Official Name: San Juan La Laguna

Name Meaning: Saint John Of The Lagoon

Population: 10,000

Expat Population: <50

Notable Hotels: Casa Argentina, Las Cabanas de Mike

Language(s):  Tz’utujil, Spanish

English Speakers: Low

Currency: Guatemalan Quetzale (“Q”)

Lake Atitlan Map

 

San Juan La Laguna is a locale for artisans.  The town itself is a piece of art.  Between the murals, the paintings, textiles, leatherwork, sculptures, pottery and art installments, anywhere you look is a visual feast.  The town is inhabited by many Tzutujil artist cooperatives, so if you’re looking to purchase something artisanal or just want to peruse local artisans doing their thing, San Juan is the spot.  But that’s not all!  Use this guide to find hotels, food, tours (honey, cacao, medicinal plants, textile), among anything and all San Juan.

How To Get To San Juan La Laguna 

If you’re coming from the US or Europe and need info on finding cheap flights and shuttle busses, check out How To Travel To Lake Atitlan. If you’re already in San Pedro or Panajachel, you can easily get here by tuk tuk or boat.

From Panajachel it costs 25Q and takes around 25 to 40 minutes depending on weather conditions and the number of stops. And From San Pedro it costs around 15Q by tuk tuk and takes about 8 to 12  minutes. You could also travel by boat if you are near the San Pedro docks, and this usually costs around 10Q and takes around 5 minutes. San Juan is located just adjacent to the backpackers paradise of San Pedro, on the north western side of the lake.

If traveling by local boat:

San Pedro >> San Juan >>San Marcos>>Tzunuma>>Jaibalito>>Santa Cruz>>Panajachel

Hotels In San Juan

San Juan is home to very few accommodation options when compared to its larger neighbor San Pedro. Given the lack of options, why would one stay in San Juan? Simply put, it’s quiet, more authentic and far enough away from the clubs of San Pedro that the music won’t keep you up all night.  

Cozy, Authentic & Afordable – La Cabanas De Mike

They have a kitchen, provide tours, often hold local events and have some great live music.  Plus, rooms are affordable, from 60q a night you can find some great options. 

https://www.lascabanasdemike.com/

For A Longer Term Stay – Casa Argentina

This long term stay option is right in line with the vibes in San Juan.  Rooms are beautifully decorated and start from 700q per month.  The private rooms include a TV, WIFI and a kitchen, and it is located not far from the main drag. 

Where To Eat In San Juan

El Comal is a delicious restaurant offering local cuisine with a nice view.  Everything is really inexpensive, but the quality is high.  I went with a crew of three people, we ordered four dishes and three drinks for under 200q.  Everything was fantastic.  Get the chicharron, you won’t regret it!

Wait until 4:00pm, and the vendors with tamales and atole will start to appear. Tamales are a traditional Mayan food, made from masa and sometimes bits of fruit, beans or meat and wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves. Atole is a heavy cornmeal beverage that will be sure to put some meat on your bones. Sometimes it comes flavored with cocoa, hot chocolate Mayan style.

Top Activities In San Juan

San Juan has a variety of authentic experiences from you to choose from; there’s chocolate tasting, coffee tours, weaving classes, and medicinal plant tours to name a few. You’ll also find many art exhibitions and plenty of shopping, making it arguably one of the best towns for shopping for souvenirs on the entire lake. Finally, unlike other the trek up to Indian Nose, which requires hours of fairly strenuous hiking, San Juan offers a manageable hike up to their mirador, which offers the best view of town.

Chocolate Factory Licor Marron

This tour is right off the main drag and surprised me how much I enjoyed it.  They discuss cocoa’s natural health benefits as well as demonstrate the chocolate making process from cacao to cocoa, of which you can participate for free. 

Buy from just about any type of cocoa and chocolate product options. They are bit more expensive than you can find, but worth it in combination with the free tour.  There are loads of different chocolate tours around the lake, this one stands out to me if you’re in San Juan.

Tour Mundo De Abejas Mayas (Meliponas)

This honey tour about bees endemic to Guatemala is short and sweet, but quite informative!  They describe the different bee types, about their lifecycles, and some fun facts.  The zanganos bee, whose function is to procreate with the queen bee, is also a Guatemalan slang term for ‘a lazy significant other’, which has since come in quite handy for my girlfriend in conversation with me.

Choose from loads of honey products including different kinds of honey for both consumption and topical treatments, pollen, propolis (bee glue), and sweets.  As the tour is free, we opted for a stick of honey and a bar of honey soap to support the local business. 

And by the way, have no fear!  You won’t get stung here, meliponas is a type of bee without a stinger.

Casa Del Tejido y Tours

Walking back towards the main road, this tour is near the Chocolate Factory.  Look for a sign with this name, you can’t miss it. They demonstrate the weaving process for different fabrics and clothing and describe how dies are created using different flower, fruit and plant pigments.  My favorite to learn about was an indigo pigment that can only be created during the light of a full moon.    

Mirador San Juan

Finish off your San Juan experience with some more walking!  The Mirador San Juan is actually quite beautiful from the top, and the exquisite murals here are famous around the lake.  There is a 20q entrance fee and a restaurant halfway up should you want to eat on the way back down.   

Artisanal Co-ops and Shops

The artists in San Jaun are mostly Tzutujil locals.  Artwork ranges from pottery, textiles, painting, leatherwork, sculpting and more, with a focus on vibrant colors and snapshots from both everyday life and Mayan mythology.  Did I mention vibrant colors?  And a lot of artworks aren’t just pretty pictures, but adept insights into local affairs and historical events.    

Take the work of Diego Ixtamer, who painted his mother with astonishing accuracy and realism, balancing a plastic pot and clay pot to bring awareness to the issue of excessive plastic use and waste at the lake.  Find this and other works at the Maya Jovenarte collective at the top of the main street.  https://www.facebook.com/maya.jovenarte

Another favorite artist is Diego Isaias Hernandez Mendez, whose work ranges from sculpture to painting.  One of his paintings won the Pintura Popular, the most famous and important art competition in Guatemala.  His works have been included in exhibitions seen all over Central America and the United States.  Chatting with him is a real pleasure, he exudes huge positive energy when he talks.  His liveliness is translated peerlessly into the subjects of his paintings, who are often seen stumbling, falling, or moving in some manner or another.  His shop can be found at the top of the main street on the left.  

Conclusion

San Juan is the perfect place to connect with your artistic side, eat delicious local food, and enjoy conversation with the locals. This article is just the tip of the iceburg!  Go to San Juan and explore for yourself the mythos surrounding Lake Atitlan and Tzutujil Mayan culture.