Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Lake Atitlan is one of my favorite places in Guatemala and I love it so much I’ve been there twice. The last time we went was for almost a week and we spent the entire time exploring the towns around the lake. After both visits, I have a top recommendation on where to stay (and a few other options to consider).
Below you can see my review of Casa Del Mundo with lots of photos and what to expect during your visit.
You can read our full itinerary to Guatemala to get all the details of our trip.
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Where to Stay on Lake Atitlan
In case you couldn’t tell so far, my top recommendation of where to stay is Casa Del Mundo. This incredibly beautiful hotel on the western coast of Lake Atitlan is the perfect place to spend your time at the lake. It beautiful and you can swim, kayak, hike, and explore all with incredible views. If you need a few days to relax this is the place to do it! You can read complete details of our stay below.
That said, there are many amazing places to stay on the lake and you can find both budget options as well as luxury stays. Here are a few other places we either stayed or talked to people who loved their visit:
Budget — La Iguana Perdida (Santa Cruz la Laguna) A legendary, soulful hostel accessible only by boat, famous for its nightly communal family dinners, open mic nights, and a true sense of community that keeps travelers coming back. This is where I stay on my first visit to the Lake.
Budget-Mid — Hotel Arca de Noé (Santa Cruz la Laguna) A charming lakefront property with rustic casitas right at the water’s edge, offering stunning sunrise views over the volcanoes and an easy dock for catching the lancha.
Upper Mid-Range — Lake Atitlan Wellness Retreat (Tzununá) A breathtaking clifftop retreat perched above the lake with sweeping volcano views, yoga, sauna, farm-to-table cuisine, and a deeply restorative vibe.
Luxury — Hotel Atitlán (Panajachel) A stunning colonial estate with world-class botanical gardens, a pool, and arguably the most spectacular lake-and-volcano views on Atitlán a true bucket-list stay.
What to Expect at Casa Del Mundo
The Setting Perched on a cliffside in Jaibalito, the hotel offers unparalleled sweeping views of Lake Atitlán and its three majestic volcanoes from almost every vantage point.
The Rooms The hotel has 19 unique rooms built into the cliff sides, where guests can enjoy stunning views of the lake and surrounding villages. Rooms feature authentic hand-crafted Mayan decorations and colorful textiles, creating a culturally rich ambiance. There are both budget economy rooms with shared bathrooms and private suites with balconies. Compared to many places on the lake, this is a more expensive stay, but it is completely worth it.
Getting There You can only reach the hotel by boat, stopping at the hotel’s private dock, from which you’ll climb a lot of stairs to reach the reception desk. You can also take a boat to Jaibalito and walk a short path to the hotel. Getting a boat is easy, just walk to the docks on the lake and hop on a boat going to the other side – tell the captain where you are heading. The cost was about 30Q when we visited in 2026.
Note that there are lots of stairs to get to your room, so this isn’t a great choice if you have mobility issues.
Amenities The hotel has a restaurant featuring dishes prepared with fresh, hand-selected local ingredients from Panajachel’s indigenous market. The food is good but expect to pay more that other places nearby.
There is also a wood-fired outdoor hot tub offering a distinctive wellness experience amidst stunning scenery – although this needs to be specially booked. They also offer kayak rentals, massages, swimming directly from lakeside terraces, and a sauna.
We also enjoyed a hike along the cliffs above the hotel.
The Vibe Guests consistently rave about the atmosphere: hammocks strung between terraces, small nooks to sit with a book or a towel, volcano views at breakfast, and sunsets from the gardens.
Price Economy rooms are running around $70/night as of 2026 remarkable value for a property this visually stunning and you can pay more if you want a room with a private bathroom.
One Important Note It is the most popular hotel to stay at on Lake Atitlán, so make sure you book at least 2 months in advance. Availability disappears fast, especially on weekends.
Visiting for the Day
It is possible to visit the hotel with a day pass and enjoy the amenities. This is a good option if you aren’t able to get a room reservation, but in our opinion, spending the night is the best choice.
Hiking from Casa Del Mundo
The most famous hike on the lake is Indian Nose but we really enjoyed walking along the Northern shore between Santa Cruz and Jaibalito. This is a lovely walk along the cliffs with incredible views. The hike starts at the top of Casa Del Mundo (or you can walk to Jaibalito and start the trail). The trail is well marked and skirts the top of the cliff past a few hotels before descending steeply down to the town of Santa Cruz.
You can see the details of this hike (and some more photos).
