Housing Around the Lake

International business reviews describe the area around Lake Atitlan, especially San Pedro La Laguna, as one of the top the places for offshore investment. People arrive every day looking for long-term room rentals and property for sale, although in San Pedro nailing a good deal takes time and patience.

Unless you are a neo-hippie content with roughing it out under a shack, electricity, windows, hot water and security are things everyone needs. While you can find a room in the village center for less than Q200 a month, the places listed below all provide the basic requirements of any traveler. If you are into the back-to-nature thing, Punta d’ Oro and Neighbors is the place to go with private beaches and gardens. A bit far from town along the Finca Road, there are cabanas for Q600 a month and better equipped, larger rooms from Q900 or even Q1500. Towards town, rooms rented by local families with shared kitchen and bathroom use range from Q500 to Q1000. If you hate walking more than two minutes at four in the morning, El Otro Lado has plenty of possibilities. Start by asking around the following locally-owned places that cater to short- and long-term visitors alike: Solar Pools (rooms from Q1000), Casa Domingo (shared Q700, private Q900), Tika’aj (Q15 per day, negotiable) or any of the Spanish Schools along the Trail (Cooperativa and San Pedro are highly recommended).

If you want to listen to international chatter under your window every morning, ask around the gringo places. You will be sure to get what you were promised, but prices tend to get higher. Casa Maria has super clean rooms for Q1400, while neighboring Zoola is truly a secret garden with a restaurant and chillout palapas (fully booked all the time, no reservations possible). Jarachik, Hotel Amanecer and Mikaso rent quality rooms by the day or for a longer stay. Hotel Villa Sol, HML or Penelu also offer long-term stays for over Q1000, but if you have that amount of money around you might as well look for a villa with a lake view and private beach fully equipped with more bedrooms and bathrooms, starting at Q2000.

Renting is also very seasonal; between Semana Santa and June many leave, prices plunge and the best rooms are available all around the lake. If you need professional help with real estate, information about long term renting, property or business for sale in San Pedro visit www.paradisegutemala.com.

Our intrepid San Pedro correspondent, Aron Bedouin, will be hiking trails, crashing parties and drinking until the wee hours of the night to bring you the scoop on all things San Pedro. For more of his writing and fantastic photography, check out his blog here.