6 days in Lake Atitlan

My favorite Pana and I love watching the moon come up from the shores of Pana and the lights come on in the villages surrounding the lake. However othesr like the other lakeside villages. so I suggest you take a boat tour of all the villages and see what suits you. Photos on wolf calls.com. I really enjoy the old section of Pana myself as opposed to the tourist area.

I like Panajachel for the amazing view, shopping and the convenience of visiting Santiago and Santa Cruz/Jaibalito by boat (that is also possible from San Pedro), Santa Catarina Palopo by pick-up truck and the Solola market (Tuesdays and Fridays) by bus. And for the nature reserve.

But you should certainly stay in one of the smaller villages as well. I like Jaibalito. The walk to Santa Cruz is great and that village is nice as well. More great views. San Juan is another option.

Don't miss Santiago (market, church with saints, Maximon!, weaving museum). Take a look at San Pedro but walk to the village up the hill and visit nearby San Juan. Maybe climb Indian Nose.

Here is a thread from yesterday:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-central-america/guatemala/which-town-is-the-best-for-me-at-lake-atitlan

In Panajachel the best real budget option I know of is Hospedaje Sanchez, Calle El Chali (off Calle Santander, the main street). We paid only $5 per person. Nice Maya family, dirt courtyard with chickens and dogs but the rooms upstairs are clean and there is even a view from the rooftop.

In Jaibailto Casa del Mundo is great but the cheapest room there is $40. In the village check out Posada Jaibalito, cheap and good food.

You might want to check archives as this question has come up around 50 times in the last couple of months.

Nothing anyone tells you is going to have much more than generic value unless you state a bit more about the kind of environment you're looking for.

Definitely not a different one each day... max 2 in a 1-week period. Part of the joy of living in a place like San Marcos or San Juan is getting into the daily rhythms of the locals as opposed to just blowing through.

The one thing I'd recommend is to limit unnecessary time in Pana. It's the tourist trap of the lake, yes it's beautiful, yes it's fun, yes it's got great restaurants... but to me it has nothing on staying in a quiet forest retreat in SM or being in the thick of the fun in SP.

Great advices!!! Thank u so much!!!
I'll definetely pick a couple of nice towns and move from there to visit other places during the day. Im looking at pictures posted by other travelers so that im starting to have a feeling for each village in order to make up my mind about the choice. Im not looking for a too busy place or very touristic, although for some reason i wonder if san pedro despite ita popularity would bot be such a bad choice for 2/3 nights. After that i might pick up another one in a more quite place or charmful for other reasons. Still looking at it. If there are any more suggestions or advices j'll be happy to hear them! Also say that im a runner and i'll probably go out and do some jogging at least a couple of days, so a place where i can feel safe doing that will be also great! :))

SP is indeed a good choice, though it depends on the person. SM is also beautifully peaceful but has plenty of amenities. There are good running options... for example, between San Marcos and Tzununa (you'll have to content with tuk tuks passing though). Do muggings occur? Yes, very infrequently, but if you're already running then I think they're even less likely. Worst case scenario is you come back without your iPod. I think I've heard about a running/jogging group in Pana, maybe someone knows more.

Lots of people like San Pedro. I find the area down by the lake very touristy. The village up the hill is nice. I do prefer the view from Panajachel. And again, if you want to visit Santa Catarina Palopo, the nature reserve in Pana or the Solola market you will have to go to Pana first. Boats take 45 minutes from San Pedro to Pana or a bit less. San Pedro is a good base for climbing volcano San Pedro or La Nariz de Indio.

Thank u very much!!!
Im hesitating between SP and SM. By the way, in each of those places, which are the possible routes/streets/trails i could take to do a morning jogging?

My favorites are the markets of Santa Clara, was just there yesterday, and Solola. they are not tourist markets.

SP has the finca road, very flat and would make great morning jog. And in all my years of visiting or living here have never heard of anyone getting bothered.

Yes - we love that Santa Clara market, too (thanks for the tip years ago, ruizsteban). My husband loves running out that finca road and just keeps going down the trails and sometimes up onto the volcán and back to town on the newer roads.