Hi Aelf Crew,
If I thought crossing the Belizean border was bad, this journey topped it.
Unfortunately, there are no daytime buses from Flores to Lake Atitlán, so I had to brave the dreaded overnight route. This involved:
- A ferry from the hostel to Flores Island.
- A 7PM shuttle from Flores to the Santa Elena bus station (departing 9PM).
- A 6-hour overnight bus to Guatemala City.
- A 4AM shuttle to Antigua (where we stopped for breakfast).
- A final bus at 9AM to Panajachel.
- A ferry across Lake Atitlán to San Pedro La Laguna.
All in all, it took four buses, two ferries, and 18 hours to reach my next hostel.
To give you an idea of some of the sizes of the shuttles, here is a video showing how cosy it is from a girl just over 5 foot:
If you struggle to sleep on buses (as I do), this will be a long night. Between the constant changing of vehicles, waiting in dimly lit bus stations with no toilets, and not knowing what anyone’s saying (my Spanish is… limited), it’s truly a test of patience.
Luckily, being short came in handy – I managed to stretch across two empty seats to half-sleep sideways. Small mercies.
When I finally arrived at Mr. Mullet’s Party Hostel at 1PM the next day, I was a shell of my former self.
Getting to San Pedro La Laguna
Public boats run every 15–30 minutes from Panajachel to San Pedro between 6:00AM and 5:30PM, costing around Q20 (£2 or US$2.50). The journey takes about 30 minutes across Lake Atitlán.
Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:
- You may not be able to avoid overnight buses. Bring snacks, water and patience.
- For a full list of items to pack for an overnight bus: read my post here: Lessons from my Overnight Bus Journey in South America.
Am I overreacting or has this topped some of my long journeys as the worst one so far? Let me know in the comments!
If you enjoy honest travel notes – the practical bits, the quiet moments, and the things I wish I’d known – you can subscribe using the yellow button at the top or bottom of the page to follow along.
Crossed a lake, a border, and my limits,
Aelfgifu
Aelfgifu Travels 
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