Direct Shuttle from Antigua Guatemala to San Pedro La Laguna: Our Experience + What to Know

Direct Shuttle from Antigua Guatemala to San Pedro La Laguna

After 6 weeks of digital nomad life in Antigua Guatemala (which unfortunately also included a dental emergency in Antigua), our next destination for our slow travel base was Lake Atitlan.

Having visited some of the other towns by the lake before, this time we chose to base ourselves in San Pedro La Laguna.

Our accommodation host there sent us instructions on how to transfer from shuttle to boat in Panajachel to get to San Pedro, and asked us if we were planning to arrive by direct shuttle to San Pedro.

If there are direct shuttles from Antigua Guatemala to San Pedro La Laguna, of course, we are going to take that!

Our Experience

Pickup in Antigua

Most shuttle companies will offer pickup from your hotel in Antigua Guatemala or some may give you a pre-designated central spot as the meeting point.

If you are not staying in a central location, at the time of booking, you can choose a pickup location closest to your hotel in Antigua. That is what we did.

Vehicle

We shared the shuttle with seven other travelers who got picked up from different areas of Antigua.

The vehicle was a comfortable minivan. They had not turned the air-conditioner on, and neither was it needed.

All passengers’ main luggages were stowed on the top of the minivan, and we kept our smaller backpacks and valuables with us inside the vehicle.

Route

The route climbs out of Antigua Guatemala through the highlands, passing villages and towns on paved highways, most part on the Pan-American Highway, and gets winding as you approach the town of Santa Clara La Laguna.

Then comes a series of hairpin bends on the downhill mountainous road. This is where our driver took it really slow for the brake to not get heated.

We had to cross this stretch of hairpin bends again, multiple times, when we went on the India Nose Sunrise Hike and took trips to Quetzaltenango and Chichicastenango.

After the hairpin bends, we continued down the mountainous road, the curves and turns now slightly less sharp, and Lake Atitlan giving us a few glimpses on some on those turns.

If you are prone to motion sickness, prepare accordingly and may be, sit near the front.

We gradually passed by some other towns like San Pablo La Laguna and San Juan La Laguna before finally arriving at San Pedro La Laguna.

Duration and Pitstop

Our entire trip took about 4 hours. Along the way, we got one pitstop at a gas station in Tecpan. There were restrooms and a store. Some of us bought some snacks and beverages from the store.

Drop-off in San Pedro La Laguna

Note that, the shuttles do NOT drop you off at your hotel in San Pedro La Laguna. Most shuttle companies drop everyone near their respective tour office. Many of them are located on the main street near the boat dock, Muelle San Pedro.

So, if you are staying nearby, be prepared to walk a few steps, else, get a tuk-tuk to get to your accommodation. They usually charge 10Q per person.

We were staying a bit farther out from the tourist strip of San Pedro La Laguna for our digital nomad life in Lake Atitlan. So, upon arrival, instead of walking 30 minutes with our backpacks, we got a tuk-tuk to our place of stay.

Why We Recommend Direct Shuttle Vs. via Panajachel

• Fewer and predictable logistics
• No boat connections to coordinate
• No waiting time for boat
• No luggage handling between shuttle and boat
• No stowing luggage on boat top
• No stress about last boat timings

🚤 Wondering if you are missing out on a boat ride across Lake Atitlan? You are not. You will get plenty of boat rides on the lake when you visit different towns around Lake Atitlan.

How to Book

We use Bookaway to check provider options, see available times, compare prices and book our ride.

Book online in advance, in either direction:

• Antigua → San Pedro La Laguna
• San Pedro La laguna → Antigua

💰 Use our promo code PARADISE5 and get 5% off