Hike to Tzunun-na

The skies were a beautiful blue when we woke up—the first time we could really see the volcanoes’ terrain clearly across Lake Atitlán.

We walked up above our unit at Casa del Mundo and picked up the trail to Jaibalito—an easy 15-minute stroll.

 From there, we continued on toward Tzununá, which was definitely not as easy. It took us about an hour and a half (maybe more) to cover roughly three miles, climbing up and down the mountainside with some pretty steep stretches. Starting early was a smart move—we were able to pause in the shade and catch our breath along the way. There were incredible views and the path was pretty most of the time.

By the time we reached Tzununá, my knees were making their opinions known. We split up—Scotty powered on for another 45-minute uphill trek to a small waterfall, while I wandered through town, found a drink and grabbed a roll. This town is known to be less touristy, and I noticed a lot of Guatemalan’s heart at work in different tasks. It seems like every town has some sort of a municipal/community center with resources for the people. And as usual, there were many colorful, murals, and many tuk-tuks on the road.

We very wisely took a ferry back to Jaibalito—otherwise I might have staged a full-on protest right there on the trail.

For lunch, we headed to a German restaurant we’d heard about, Hans’ German Restaurant. We both ordered beef schnitzel—Scotty with fried potatoes (and more fried potatoes thanks to a translation hiccup), and me with sauerkraut. It came with delicious bread, and we each had a pineapple smoothie. It was hearty, filling, and such an interesting, unexpected spot. The owner, Hans, is German and has lived here for 25 years. The place felt like part restaurant, part community hub—dogs lounged under our chairs, a few ducks wandered by, and we even spotted a goat nearby. It’s clear he’s well loved in the village, employing locals and supporting the community in meaningful ways.

After lunch, we took the lakeside path back to Casa del Mundo—just a quick 10-minute walk and easily one of the nicest stretches of the day. We relaxed on one of the lower balconies before heading up for hot showers, then spent more time unwinding on our own balcony as the rain finally rolled in.

Weather-wise, we’ve been incredibly lucky—despite daily forecasts calling for all-day rain, it’s mostly held off until later in the afternoon, giving us full, beautiful mornings to explore