From Lake Atitlán (San Pedro) to Antigua Guatemala by Public Transport

Two weeks of memorable adventures passed on the misty shores of Lake Atitlán. It was time to continue our journey toward Guatemala’s former capital and arguably most beautiful city, Antigua.

The easy way would’ve been to travel directly in a shared tourist van—about €20 per person for a 3–4-hour ride. You can book one through any of the ubiquitous tour agencies in San Pedro or online. If you’re a group of more than two, it might be better to arrange a private transfer.

We had time but no money to spare, so we took the unfussy route: chicken buses.

One approach would’ve been to take the boat across the water to Panajachel—the lake’s principal town—and catch a series of buses up through Sololá and along the Inter-American Highway. We preferred to take a bus directly from San Pedro.

At around noon, we made our way to the town’s central park (location) and had lunch while waiting for the first chicken bus to show up. No reservation, no timetable, just word of mouth and faith in the system. About an hour later, one pulled in. It stopped briefly, we handed over our bags to be tossed on the roof, and hopped on.

A shop mannequin in a black bikini on a cobbled street in San Pedro La Laguna, with tuk-tuks and shops in the background. — That’s where we caught the bus (focus on the background)

The first leg of the journey wound steeply out of town, switchbacking through misty ridges and bursts of sunlit cloud. The views were dramatic—Lake Atitlán disappearing below us like a spilled bowl of ink, flanked by smoking volcanoes and clusters of tin rooftops clinging to the hillsides. At times, the rain came in sideways, drumming on the roof like it had personal grievances. Then it would stop abruptly, leaving behind steaming asphalt and fog-covered cornfields.

Our first transfer came at Los Encuentros—a well-known junction where buses heading in every direction seem to blur past in a frenzy of color, noise, and exhaust. No need to wait long: within minutes of stepping off, we were ushered onto the next bus with barely enough time to shift our bags and grab a seat. The second change, at Chimaltenango, followed the same pattern. The system, chaotic as it seems, somehow works with precision. All in, the journey cost us around €4 each and lasted about 5 hours.

By the time we rolled into Antigua—just before sunset—the light had gone golden, and the colonial buildings glowed against the backdrop of Volcán de Agua. We shouldered our backpacks and walked to the place we’d call home for the week we’d spend exploring this charming town.

The bus station of Antigua guatemala — The bus station of Antigua

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