Dusk Over the Lanchas Docks at Lake Atitlán, Panajachel

Lake Atitlán fills a volcanic caldera formed some 84,000 years ago and plunges to roughly 340 meters at its deepest point, making it one of the deepest lakes in Central America. Panajachel, on the lake's northern shore, serves as the main gateway town for visitors and locals alike, and its piers are where lanchas — the small motorboats that public transport — depart for villages such as Santiago Atitlán, San Pedro La Laguna, and Santa Cruz La Laguna. No roads fully encircle the lake, so these boats remain the primary link between many communities. The volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán rise along the lake's southern edge, visible across the water from these docks.