9x Amazing Cafes In Lake Atitlan Guatemala Worth Visiting
Discover the best cafes all around the lake: from boho-chic cafes to rustic cafes.
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Ashley Metcalfe
June 18, 2024
On the hunt for the best cafes in Lake Atitlan?
Look no further than this blog post right here…or Google Maps, but mostly this blog post because we have personally been to these cafes in Lake Atitlan!
We lived in Lake Atitlan for 2 months and we enjoyed staring at the stunning lake views, the small-town feels and drinking the delicious Guatemalan coffee.
The cafes in Lake Atitlan all had their own charm and quirks which made them fun to visit. From boho-chic cafes to lake-view cafes, you’re bound to fall in love with the coffee culture in Lake Atitlan.
From two wanna-be coffee snobs…
…here are the 9x best cafes in Lake Atitlan!
The Cafes Lake Atitlan Has To Offer Will Impress You
Lake Atitlan is a beautiful town located just 3 hours away from Antigua, Guatemala. There are 12 towns surrounding the lake. Some of the more popular towns are San Pedro, San Marcos, San Juan and Panajachel.
Drawing visitors from all over – from local Guatemalan tourists to international tourists, Lake Atitlan is a top destination. The stunning views are enough to capture your heart! It’s a great place to have a long weekend escape and/or live in Guatemala as a digital nomad.
While living in Lake Atitlan, we made it our mission to try some of the best cafes. We rode the lanchas (public boat taxis) from town to town to create this list right here.
QUICK ANSWER: 9x Must-Try Cafes in Lake Atitlan
If you love coffee and you’re visiting Guatemala, don’t miss these 9 cafes in Lake Atitlan.
- Crossroads Cafe
- Cafe Loco
- Sababa Cafe
- Cafe Las Cristalinas
- Idea Connection Cafe
- Circles Cafe
- Nectar ArtCafe
- Cafe San Juan
- Caffe La Cabana
These cafes all serve great coffee, snacks, and free wifi and have gorgeous views of the lake. If you’re staying in one town – it’s easy enough to catch the boat taxi (lanchas) to get to the other towns and visit the other cafes.
So let’s get to it!
9x Best Cafes Around Lake Atitlan
Are you a coffee lover?
Do you enjoy sitting in cafes and taking in the ambiance?
The cafes in Lake Atitlan have you covered! There are so many different coffee shop options around Lake Atitlan…but how do you know which ones are the best?
We’ve got you! Take it from us – a couple of coffee lovers who made it their mission to try as many cafes as we could during our 2 months as Lake Atitlan digital nomads!
We made this cafe list based on the 4 most popular towns they are located in. If you find yourself in any of these towns – you can check which cafes to go to for that specific town.
Enjoy!
Best Cafes in Panajachel
Panajachel is the main town in Lake Atitlan. It’s where most shuttles, chicken buses and cars drive to first from various spots in Guatemala like Antigua. We stayed here for our first night because like most people, we took the shuttle from San Cristobal to Lake Atitlan.
There are 2 very popular cafes in Panajachel. With hundreds of reviews on Google Maps, these cafes in Panajachel won’t disappoint.
1. Crossroads Cafe
After a restful night, coffee is always the first thing on our mind (call us obsessed, we probably are). After searching Google Maps, we found Crossroads Cafe in Panajachel (or Pana as locals like to call it). The owner, Mike, is full of life and passionate about his coffee.
This cafe is a popular spot amongst expats and you can tell by their decor and name. There are plenty of flags and murals about the world/travel. Matt even found an Aussie flag! They are very serious about their coffee and even roast their own beans. They have a few pastries available – we got a cinnamon roll and a cheesecake (blueberry if I remember correctly).
This is one of the most popular cafes in Lake Atitlan! A latte costs around 17 quetzales ($2.20 USD).
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm (closed Sunday)
2. Cafe Loco
Serious about coffee? The team behind Cafe Loco definitely is!
They offer espresso-based coffee, cold brew and pour-over coffee that’s sure to satisfy any coffee lover. Cafe Loco’s limited seating is designed that way on purpose. There are only a couple of bar stools that face the baristas which allows you to connect with them. They are very friendly and if you visit regularly, they will even try to remember your order. Now that’s a cafe status we love to have!
Take in all that Calle Santander (the main street in Panajachel) has to offer on the stoops of this cute and quirky cafe! A latte costs around 15 quetzales ($1.70 USD).
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am – 7pm (closed Monday)
Best Cafes in San Pedro La Laguna
San Pedro La Laguna is probably the 2nd biggest town on the lake which also means there’s better infrastructure like higher wifi speeds, better data reception and a bigger community. One of the reasons we chose to live in San Pedro (as opposed to the other towns on the lake) is because of the volume of restaurants and cafes around. We’re pretty simple digital nomads – we love to eat and drink coffee lol!
We think the best cafes in Lake Atitlan are located in the popular town of San Pedro La Laguna. Here are the top 3 cafes in San Pedro that you HAVE to visit (especially the first one)!
3. Sababa Cafe
A Lake Atitlan trip without visiting Sababa Cafe?! You’re kidding right… 😉
Sababa Cafe is an iconic cafe in Lake Atitlan. Why? I mean just look at those views! If you only visit one cafe on this list, make it Sababa Cafe!
The cappuccino was surprisingly good – Matt couldn’t get enough of it. Their American was very tasty and they have a wide range of food selections.
It’s an Israeli cafe so there are lots of vegetarian options and the most delicious hummus! Their lava cake is also really good (although it depends on how well they bake it) but yummy nonetheless.
TTA TIP: Don’t get it confused with Sababa Resort either – it’s this one on Google Maps.
If you’re looking for some of the best views of the lake, Sababa Cafe is your best option!
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 8am – 9.30pm
4. Cafe Las Cristalinas
Cafe Las Cristalinas is a local favorite! Whenever we got in the tuk-tuk and mentioned the cafe they knew exactly which cafe we were talking about.
The decor and vibe of this cafe in Lake Atitlan is a more rustic feel. There are a few tables and chairs out on the terrace where you overlook the main street of San Pedro. it was fun to watch all the tuk-tuks and people go up the hill. You also get a small view of the lake from their terrace.
They also roast their own coffee beans, which means the quality of coffee is next level! There are about 2-3 tables with some plugs around the corner that you can work from if you’re a Lake Atitlan digital nomad. The wifi was just okay (as in most places on the lake).
This quaint and local cafe, Cafe Las Cristalinas, will leave you appreciating Guate even more.
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 12pm; Saturday – Sunday, 9am – 11pm
5. Idea Connection Cafe
We loved going to Idea Connection Cafe! While it’s also a pretty good Italian restaurant, it’s a popular place to drink coffee and work in the mornings. We usually had an omelet for breakfast and then started working afterward. And while the wifi is not the best, it’s doable!
I think it’s just a normal drip coffee and it’s not espresso-based, so expect simple coffee. But it still tastes great! You can also get some homemade bread, pastries and sweets at the front of this cafe.
Don’t go too early because they have pretty flexible opening hours, we would go when it opened around 8am (plus other customers too) and it just wasn’t open yet. We were left wondering and eventually just ended up at Sababa Cafe again which opens even earlier.
Looking for good food while in Lake Atitlan? These are the best restaurants in Lake Atitlan you won’t want to miss.
Opening hours: Friday – Wednesday, 8am – 5.30pm (closed Thursday)
Best Cafes in San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos La Laguna is a popular town where you can buy a lot of arts and crafts and even do some yoga. This town has big hippie vibes and you can feel it from the moment you get off the lancha (boat taxi).
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this is where you’ll find the best cafes in Lake Atitlan! There are so many different options – avocado toast, stirfries, and Asian food. Here are the 2 cafes in San Marcos you should visit!
6. Circles Cafe
The most popular cafe in all of San Marcos is Circles Cafe – for a reason! We visited this cafe every time we went to San Marcos. We loved it! The coffee is pretty good here and they also do iced coffee which is my favorite! They offer alternative milk if that’s your thing too. The toasts are pretty cheap (around $2 USD) and super tasty!
The cafes give major hippie vibes and you’ll see what we mean when you visit. The are plenty of wooden tables, a hammock chair and funky decor. The only thing that we didn’t enjoy about Circles Cafe was that there were SO many flies buzzing around your food and coffee.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 7.30am – 3.30pm (closed Monday & Tuesday)
7. Nectar ArtCafe
Nectar ArtCafe in Lake Atitlan is located just off the main street in San Marcos. Another big hippie-vibes cafe serving decent coffee and delicious breakfast food. I got the avocado toast while Matt had the typical Guatemalan breakfast.
The outdoor seating is so cute and they have a couple of tables inside as well. We went here with our friends and the staff was very friendly towards us. The service was pretty slow though so don’t arrive hungry!
Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday, 8am – 6pm (closed Tuesday)
Best Cafes in San Juan La Laguna
San Juan La Laguna is one of the smaller towns located on Lake Atitlan. It’s a great place to spend the day, do some hikes and even go on a chocolate tour. San Juan is less touristy and we loved visiting this town – we went 3 times because it’s just a 5-minute boat ride from San Pedro La Laguna.
It’s easy to go cafe-hopping in San Juan because it’s a popular coffee town. They take coffee seriously here, and that’s why it’s so easy to find a great cup of coffee. Here are some of the best cafes in San Juan La Laguna to visit.
8. Cafe San Juan
Cafe San Juan is a simple yet popular place to have a cup of coffee. This rustic cafe roasts its own coffee beans and even has a little farm in the back.
When we visited, we were greeted by very friendly staff members. You can order a coffee and sometimes they have banana bread which you should get! After our coffee and snack, we ventured outside and explored the wonderful farm out back.
It’s very small so it only takes around 10 minutes, but there are a couple of signs which show the coffee roasting process. It’s free to just walk outside and explore the coffee farm!
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 7.30am – 6pm
9. Caffe La Cabaña
In need of some lake views? Caffe La Cabana is one of the best cafes in Lake Atitlan to relax and enjoy the views. There is an Instagram spot to take photos at this cafe – probably one of the reasons it’s so popular.
You can tell they have put a lot of effort into the decor of this cafe. There are hammocks, cabanas on the shore and picnic tables to sit at. The coffee is pretty decent as it is in most places around Lake Atitlan. The food is a little subpar so we would only go for the views and a cup of coffee.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 8am – 9pm
Cafes Lake Atitlan: Good food. Good ambiance. But even better coffee!
If you love coffee and hanging out in cafes – you’re in for a treat!
The coffee culture around Lake Atitlan is alive and well. As two bonafide coffee lovers, we enjoyed visiting some of the best cafes in Lake Atitlan. From boho-chic cafes to rustic cafes, there are plenty of cafes to choose from no matter which town you’re in at the lake.
Our favorite cafes on this list are Sababa Cafe, Crossroads Cafe and Circles Cafe! Let us know below know which cafes in Lake Atitlan you loved the most!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best month to visit Lake Atitlan Guatemala?
The best time to visit Lake Atitlan is January, February and March.
We usually try to visit places in the shoulder months as it’s cheaper and there are less crowds…but with Lake Atitlan, it’s worth battling the crowds for the beautiful weather.
Is Lake Atitlan expensive?
Our monthly cost of living in Lake Atitlan for 2 people was $1,529 USD. Other than accommodation costs, we found Lake Atitlan was pretty affordable, but we definitely found that the cost of living in Guatemala was more than we were used to spending.
Where are the best places to stay in Lake Atitlan?
Our top three picks for staying in Lake Atitlan are:
1. San Pedro La Laguna (great lifestyle, best restaurants, good wifi)
2. San Marcos La Laguna (hippie, chill vibes)
3. Panajachel (main town of Lake Atitlan, more touristy)
How do you get around Lake Atitlan?
The main ways to get around Lake Atitlan are:
Lanchas (public boat taxis) – these are very cheap and will get you to most towns around Lake Atitlan. They run every 10-15 minutes and stop at 5pm.
Tuk-tuks (land taxis) – this is the easiest way to get around each town. We used them every day when we were living there! It should cost around 5 quetzal each trip.
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