2 Best Hotels in Santiago Atitlan, The Highlands

This longtime favorite has deluxe accommodations in private stone-wall bungalows with volcano views, as well as a few rooms and suites in the main building. Pass through the carved-wood doors of your bungalow and you'll find a fireplace and thick wool blankets piled high on the bed. The restaurant (¢–$) serves exquisite food, such as smoked chicken píbil in a tangy red sauce and Thai coconut shrimp. The wine list is surprisingly extensive. On the premises is a small store where you can rent canoes and mountain bikes.

On the beautifully tended grounds at the dock entrance to Santiago Atitlán is a string of rooms with private patios overlooking the lake. Stone pathways loop through a series of taxonomically arranged gardens (cacti in one, flowers in the next, and so on)—and most of the hotel's restaurant's fruits, vegetables, and herbs are cultivated out back. Canoes are available for paddling around the lake.