Travel Guide Amatitlán

Located in the Sierra Madre and surrounded by 14 municipalities, Lake Amatitlán covers an area of 15.2 km². It is one of the most important natural resources in the country's hydrological system, generating almost 11% of the country's energy. Concretely, it consists of two water formations connected by a small canal, built to ensure the passage of railroad lines. Access to the lake is mainly via the town of the same name, located at its northern end, some 30 km from Antigua and Guatemala Ciudad. Lake Amatitlán is above all a holiday destination for the wealthy residents of Guatemala City, who built luxury homes on its shores in the 1950s and 1960s.That said, apart from May 3, during the Santa Cruz de Amatitlán - an aquatic religious procession unique in the country - there's little point in visiting the lake itself. The reason: the extreme pollution of its north-western part, which receives the capital's - mainly industrial - waste. To the south, on the other hand, tourism development projects are flourishing in the surrounding area, such as the El Barretal, El Amate and La Escondida fincas. In addition to coffee production, these parks, with their sometimes breathtaking views of volcanoes and surrounding nature, are diversifying to offer a range of tourist activities, such as abseiling down the rock face of a waterfall, birdwatching and camping.