Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
aged in-house), smoked meats and spreads are served under a delightful arbor, with wines
personally selected by the manager, a young man of Swiss heritage. Reservations are re-
commended.
GUATEMALAN
Comedor Elenita $
(Calle al Estadio Municipal; lunch Q20; 7am-9pm)
Locals crowd in for the daily specials at this ex-
cellent little dining hall in the center of town, where a brimming bowl of
caldo de res
,
served with rice, avocado and tortillas, is well within anyone's budget.
Getting There & Away
To get to San Juan, ask any boat coming from Pana to drop you off at the dock. Otherwise
it's a 15-minute pickup or
tuk-tuk
ride (Q10) from San Pedro.
TOP OF CHAPTER
San Marcos La Laguna
POP 4410 / ELEV 1562M
Without doubt the prettiest of the lakeside villages, San Marcos La Laguna lives a double
life. The mostly Maya community occupies the higher ground, while expats and visitors
cover a flat jungly patch toward the shoreline with paths snaking through banana, coffee
and avocado trees. The two converge under the spreading
matapalo
(strangler fig) tree of
the delightful central plaza.
San Marcos has become a magnet for global seekers, who believe the place has a spir-
itual energy that's conducive to learning and practicing meditation, holistic therapies,
massage, reiki and other spiritually oriented activities. Whatever you're into, it's a great
spot to kick back and distance the everyday world for a spell. Lago de Atitlán is beautiful
and clean here, and you can swim off the rocks. Boats put in at a central dock below
Posada Schumann. The path leading from there to the village center, and a parallel one
about 100m west, are the main axes for most visitors.
There's a community information board in front of the San Marcos Holistic Center with
postings on events and housing options. Get online at
Prolink
(per hr Q12;
9am-7pm Mon-Sat,
10am-5pm Sun)
, across from the Paco Real hotel.
Tikonem
(main path from dock)
, an initiative to support the local Escuela Los Caracoles, has a
few shelves of fiction in English, Spanish and other languages, plus muffins and cookies.
