If you are interested in Guatemala's colourful indigenous population, taking a boat trip to visit the villages that hug the lakeshore, such as Santiago, Santa Catarina and San Antonio, is highly recommended.

Maya customs and beliefs are strongly adhered to in these tiny remote communities, whose residents proudly wear traditional dress that distinguishes each town from the next.

We recommend taking a helicopter from Antigua, which avoids a long drive and means incredible views of the Mayan site of Iximche, and the volcanoes surrounding the lake.