How To Spend 1 Day In San Marcos La Laguna: A Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

Here’s how you can spend 1 day in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala! San Marcos is a beautiful and tiny town set amongst the backdrop of Lake Atitlan. 

It is one of 12 towns around the lake and while it’s small, it’s filled with a plethora of activities. It’s known for being a spiritual haven, so come ready to experience all that it has to offer!

While I definitely recommend staying here for longer, you can still spend a glorious one day in San Marcos exploring the town, enjoying the lake views, and immersing yourself in the spiritual atmosphere.

How to spend 1 day in San Marcos, Guatemala

Getting there

A day trip to the Lake from Antigua might be possible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The drive is 2.5-3 hours to Panajachel or San Marcos, each way. So unless you leave early in the morning and are ready for a long day of windy roads, I’d find a place to stay the night.

If you have a private tour guide, this might be more doable, but trust me – you’ll want a longer time here.

If you’re already staying at one of the other towns on the lake, perfect! Just head down to the dock and let them know you’re going to San Marcos. Boats run frequently and it shouldn’t cost you more than a few dollars.

Morning

Head over to San Marcos first thing in the morning. This will ensure you avoid a bumpy boat ride and we’ll grab a tasty snack for breakfast.

When you arrive in San Marcos, walk straight up the path from the dock. This will lead you onto Hippy Highway – the main strip of the town. The town will be waking up and coming alive.

Our first stop is Circles Cafe and Bakery. This is one of my favorite cafes in San Marcos! They have some of the best pastries and bread in town and will make the perfect first stop for your day. Grab a matcha croissant or some coffee. You can either relax here for a bit or take it to go and wander through Hippy Highway some more. 

Next, you’re going to head back down to the dock, but turn right and walk all the way down the waterfront to reach the Nature Preserve. This is a beautiful park along the coast of San Marcos.

Visiting earlier in the day is ideal so you avoid the crowds, the heat, and the high winds. It should cost just a few dollars to enter, and then you can explore! Throw on your swimsuit and jump into the water, find a relaxing spot to read in the sun, or meander through the winding paths and enjoy the volcanic views.

Afternoon

After your time at the park, it’s time to find some more food! Head over to Amo Atitlan – just a short walk back down the edge of the lake. You can’t miss it – when you spot a beautiful pool surrounded by bali-style cabanas, you’ve found it.

Amo has some of the best food in town – it’s healthy, veggie forward, and a little more expensive but worth it. It’s also so beautiful here, you might just want to hang out, enjoy the views, or even jump in the pool or sign up for a spa service.

Other options for lunch: Hidden Garden, Eagle’s Nest, Emporium

Next, it’s time to explore Hippy Highway. This is the main “street” in town and is a small, alley-like pedestrian-only walkway filled with shops and restaurants. It’s the heart of the town and it never gets old walking amongst the stores and talking to people along the way.

At this point, all of the stores should be open. Browse for souvenirs and locally made handicrafts, talk to the locals, shop for artisanal clothing, and admire jewelry made by fellow travelers.

If you’re visiting on a Saturday, make sure to stop by the market at Emporium! 

Pro tip: Grab a coconut on your walk to sip on the way.

A trip to San Marcos wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Eagle’s Nest, so this is the next stop for the day. This retreat center is so much more than that – it offers yoga classes, workshops, events, and more to the San Marcos community and is an epic place to stay. But if you’re just visiting for the day, you have to at least come for the views!

Eagle’s Nest is far up the hill, so I recommend getting a tuktuk to come here (it shouldn’t be more than 30QTZ). Walk all the way to the end of Hippy Highway and you’ll find plenty of tuktuks waiting to take you. Once they drop you off, you’ll follow a dirt path up for another 5-10 minutes walking.

Then you’ve made it! Before coming to San Marcos, I recommend checking the Eagle’s Nest schedule online to see if there are any classes or events you’d want to participate in. You can plan your visit around this, or rearrange the order of this itinerary so you can attend a class here.

If yoga and healing workshops aren’t your vibe, you can still come for the incredible views or grab lunch or a snack at the healthy, veggie-forward cafe. If you visit on a Friday, you can attend the community day which is a full day of activities open all all.

Evening

If you’re not staying in town, it’ll be time to head back! The boats don’t run often after 5 or 6pm so make sure you check this time before getting lost in the San Marcos magic.

If you decide to stay in town, you can enjoy dinner in town or catch some live music and events. Here are some places you can check out for this:

• Vida
• Zen Eats
• Samsara
• El Buho
• Il Giardino

Final Thoughts on 1 day in San Marcos

And that’s how to spend 1 perfect day in San Marcos! It’s a small town, but it has so much to offer. So if you can’t stay here long, still try to make it for a day trip – you won’t regret it.

Want to see what else you can do in San Marcos to create your own itinerary? Check out 17 more things you can add to your visit here.

Need more practical information about the town? I’ve got you here.

Are you a digital nomad hoping to work here for a while? Click here for the best spots.