Lake Atitlán – Guatemala

Lake Atitlán is a beautiful body of water surrounded by mountains and volcanoes in the southwestern part of Guatemala. The lake was formed thousands of years ago when a volcanic eruption caused the earth’s surface to collapse, forming a basin for the lake. A driver climbs into a small taxi, known as a tuk-tuk, in Santa Cruz, a small town on the northern shore of Lake Atitlán. The tuk-tuks could be hired to take passengers up the side of a mountain leading to the main part of the town where most of the native Mayan population lives.

A driver looks around the side of his boat as he steers it from one small town to another. Many small and medium size towns line the shore of Lake Atitlán, and the easiest way to get around is to hire one of the boats that act as public transportation.
Though the lake is stunning, there have been ongoing problems with pollution. Unfiltered sewage from nearby communities is dumped into Lake Atitlán, and the water has become infected with cyanobacteria that can be toxic to humans. Even so, I kayaked in the lake, and I feel fine.
Here’s a panorama I made by stitching together several different images. Click on the picture to see it full size.
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