3D2N in San Pedro – Stayed at Hostal Mi Cabana; a beautiful room with a traditional Mayan blanket. Visited Santa Cruz, and had meals in Alegre Pub & Nick’s place.
The boat from San Marcos to San Pedro only took nine minutes at the cost of 10 GTQ per person, and this time it didn’t stop anywhere else. When we got to Hostal Mi Cabana at 11:20 am, the room we booked yesterday was already ready for us. Trev had already got himself settled and was waiting for us.
Hostal Mi Cabana
The lady who also took care of the Jewellery and Art Gallery took us to our room. We chose to pay for the accommodation in Quetzal instead of dollars, and for a night stay without breakfast, it cost 200 GTQ for the two of us. When I first saw this place yesterday, I already fell in love with it.
The room was spotless, and the colourful Traditional Mayan Blanket was eye-catching. The rooftop terrace with a stunning view overlooking the lake was an extra benefit of staying at this place. Trev got his room with the view of the street, and a little bit of the lake, while ours was the view of the walkway inside the house.
Once we placed our backpacks in the room, we went for lunch, but Trev didn’t go with us. Mike and I went to a local place, almost like Cafeteria Jennifer in Antigua. We had Pepian and three Cokes, and it cost GTQ 36 in total.
Picture Around San Pedro
In the late afternoon, I went out exploring the place alone while Mike and Trev had drinks at the Alegre Pub. I didn’t feel threatened or scared of walking alone in this place. There were polices around, and the locals were quite friendly.
Alegre Pub
When I finished my tour, I went to the pub to meet them. Trev recommended Bloody Mary to me, and I quite like it. It tasted like a curry-flavoured drink. I loved this place, the staff were friendly, and there were a few TVs for sports watching. There’s plenty of food and drink selection, and it was lovely.
But you don’t want to get too drunk here, because the staircase going down is a bit steep!
While we were having our drinks in the pub and talking about our plan whether to stay for another night or to leave for Panajachel tomorrow, two little girls came and tried selling us souvenirs. They spoke a little bit of English and were very persuasive. Trev ended up buying a handmade bracelet, and I got my fridge magnet from them.
Some of the Food and Drinks Prices in Alegre Pub
Speciality Plates GTQ 48 - Burrito Vegetarian GTQ 50 - Lemon Garlic Tilapia GTQ 52 - Rosemary Baked Chicken/ Burrito Chicken/ Buritto Ground Beef/ Traditional Scottish Stew GTQ 58 - Indian Chicken Curry Platter Baguettes Wraps GTQ 34 - BLT/ Roasted Vegetables & Mozzarella GTQ 38 - Bacon & Egg GTQ 44 - Chicken Bacon & Avocado GTQ 46 - Chicken, Bacon & Blue Cheese Burgers GTQ 36 - Quarter Pounder/ Chicken Burger/ Veggie Burger GTQ 38 - Cheese Burger/ Cajun Chicken Burger GTQ 48 - Half Pounder with Cheese/ Mushrooms Swiss/ Blue Cheese
Baked Potatoes GTQ 26 - Buttered Potato GTQ 28 - Coleslaw GTQ 29 - Baked Beans GTQ 30 - Roasted Vegetables GTQ 35 - Cheddar Cheese GTQ 38 - Coleslaw & Cheddar/ Beans & Cheese GTQ 44 - Bacon Cheese/ Chicken, Bacon & Avocado GTQ 45 - Sausage & Beans Nachos GTQ 42 - Classic GTQ 48 - Chicken/ Ground Beef Quesadilla (2 Cheese Quesadilla, Quartered and Served with Guacamole, Salsa and Refried Beans.) GTQ 34 - Simple GTQ 38 - Vegetarian GTQ 44 - Cajun Chicken/ Ground Beef GTQ 45 - Teriyaki Chicken GTQ 48 - BBQ Chicken & Bacon
Bar Snacks GTQ 14 - Popcorn GTQ 30 - Snack Nachos/ Greek Salad GTQ 34 - Onion Rings GTQ 45 - 10 Chicken Wings (Siracha & Honey, BBQ, Buffalo) GTQ 48 - Sharing Plate - for Couple (Nachos, Potato Wedges, Mozzarella Sticks & Onion Rings) GTQ 60 - Deluxe Sharing - for Group (Buffalo Wings, Jalapeno Snacks, Nachos, Potato Wedges, Mozzarella Sticks & Onion Rings) Beers 1/2 Pint - GTQ 14, Pint - GTQ 24 & Litre - GTQ 30 Gallo/ Cabro/ Ice/ Dorada Draft Monte Carlo/ Moza/ Heineken Cocktails GTQ 16 - (House Cocktails) - Moscow Mule GTQ 18 - (House Specialty) - Bloody Mary GTQ 20 - (House Specialty) - Caesar GTQ 22 - (House Specialty) - Michelada GTQ 22 - (House Cocktails) - Black or White Russian/ Tequilla Sunrise/ Kamikaze/ Mojito GTQ 24 - (House Cocktails) - Brass Monkey GTQ 25 - (Luxury Cocktails) - Sangria/ Lynchburg Lemonade/ Peach on Fire/ Margarita GTQ 28 - (House Cocktails) - Long Island Iced Tea
Fruit Juice, Smoothies, Tea & Coffee GTQ 8 - Local Tea (Black/ Pink/ Mint Jamaica) GTQ 10 - Fresh Orange Juice/ Cranberry Juice/ Can Juice (Mango, Peach, Vegetable, Pear, Pineapple, Apple) Smoothies/ Imported Tea (Tetley/ Yorkshire/ Bewleys and PG Tips)/ Premium Tea (Jasmine/ Cinnamon/Chamomile)/ Coffee (Grown in San Pedro) GTQ 15 - Chocolate Caliente GTQ 18 - Smoothies (Banana/ Strawberry/ Pineapple/ Blackberry) GTQ 22 - Smoothies - Blackberry & Orange/ Strawberry, Banana and Cocoa/ Pineapple Papaya GTQ 25 - Smoothies Ginger Watermelon
At first, we ordered a takeaway for our dinner, thinking of having it on the rooftop of our hostel, but we ended up eating it in the pub! Too drunk maybe? Sorry for making you, (Pub Alegre) not obey the new ordinance 👇. By the way, I took the free copy of the Lake Atitlan Magazine in this pub.
“San Pedro has instituted a very progressive new ordinance. It is now prohibited to give out plastic bags, straws, and styrofoam plates, cups and boxes. Any business doing otherwise is subject to a fine of up to Q2000.”
Credit to: Lake Atitlan Magazine – January 2019
The next morning, I was still feeling full from our dinner, so I asked Mike to buy me something light. When he came back, I went to the rooftop and had my breakfast looking out at the fantastic landscape.
Nexway Travel – Buying Tickets for Transfer to Guatemala City
Yesterday we decided to stay another night here, so today, we have an extra day here to do some excursion, and we decided to go to Santa Cruz. But first thing first, since we’re leaving this place tomorrow, we need to book a bus ticket.
Once I finished my breakfast, we went looking around, but it didn’t take us long to sort it out because there were plenty of travel agents around in San Pedro. We bought it from Nexway Travel near the Alegre Pub, and it costs $23 per person.
The price included a boat transfer and a bus ride with Magic Travel that departed from Panajachel to Guatemala City. However, Trev didn’t book his transportation because he planned to stay an extra night here before leaving for Antigua, then Guatemala City and finally back to his home in Birmingham.
Santa Cruz
The boat trip to Santa Cruz cost 20 GTQ, and the ride took about 53 minutes because we stopped many times taking and dropping passengers from San Juan, San Marcos and other docks. It’s another beautiful day today, so far while we’re in Lake Atitlan, we always have a sunny blue sky.
It was a great exercise walking uphill to the village. The people there were friendly, always plastering a smile on their faces. The houses were built close to one another, we could see children playing around with their neighbours, and the animals roaming freely on their property.
We stopped at the highest point we could get to and caught our breath while looking out the scenery. We thought that the view on top would be amazing, but it wasn’t that great. Walking back down to the pier, I almost got bitten by a dog. But it was my fault for trying to pet the dog, and I felt sorry when the owner hit him. Sorry doggie! I learnt my lesson that day, and wouldn’t dare to touch others anymore.
The view from La Iguana Perdida Restaurant near the jetty was beautiful. The leaves around the pole in the restaurant perfectly framed the Volcanoes, and it was such a pretty sight. It’s the best view we got compared to what we had while walking our feet up over the steep hill, a 2.5km return trip.
We took a private boat which cost 150 GTQ for the three of us and headed back to San Pedro. The ride was only about 17 minutes. If we were to wait for the shared boat, we would have to wait for another twenty minutes before it arrived, not including the time of dropping passengers at their destination.
Nick’s Place
After the trip to Santa Cruz, we stopped by to have lunch at Nick’s place. I noticed that some of the food prices were the same as one near Las Cristalinas, but some were slightly higher.
This restaurant was located next to the jetty, and while waiting for our lunch, we enjoyed the view in front of us. The water was clear that day, with no Algae. So other people took the opportunity and went kayaking.
I had Pescado Frita, and as usual, Mike had his favourite, Pechuga ala Planca, while Trev had Sandwich with Jamon.
In the late afternoon, I went out exploring the place alone while Mike and Trev had drinks at the Alegre Pub. When I finished my tour, I went to the pub to meet them and had my last dinner in San Pedro.
San Pedro (Population 14,000, mostly Tz’utujil)
Credit to: Lake Atitlan Magazine – January 2019.
“San Pedro has much to recommend it to the tourist. Many people come to study Spanish in one of its many well-established Spanish schools, most with family homestays available. Physical adventures abound as well, including climbing San Pedro Volcano, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, and hiking the Indian Nose. Also noteworthy is San Pedro’s world-class selection of bars and, especially, restaurants. There is a lively nightlife scene here, while plenty of cheap accommodations draw backpackers from around the world. A diverse expat population keeps things interesting, as many who have just come for a visit have ended up staying for a lot longer. Don’t forget to check out the colourful, daily market up the hill in the town centre, which starts slowing down around mid-day. Then take in an afternoon football match in San Pedro’s beautiful new stadium, perched high above the town. A tuk-tuk ride anywhere in San Pedro costs five quetzales per person, and you should certainly have no problem finding one.”
Video of Panajachel, San Marcos, San Pedro and Santa Cruz.
Travel Date: 05th ~ 07th January 2019