La Iguana Perdida

Top choice in Santa Cruz La Laguna


La Iguana Perdida is one of the granddaddies of Guatemala's backpacker scene, but you wouldn't know it from its ever-fresh appearance. It features a range of rooms, from a basic dorm in an A-frame cabin to the more decadent (an adobe structure with stylish furnishings and private balconies). Evening meals are served family style, making a stay here highly sociable.

The Iguana is a great hangout to enjoy the lake views and meet other travelers, go scuba diving or kayaking, or sweat it out in the sauna. There are regular evening events, from quiz nights to music and even barbecues where guests are encouraged to dive into the house dressing-up box.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santa Cruz La Laguna attractions

1. Museo de Sololá

2.56 MILES

Housed atop the elaborate Swiss-built clock tower that fronts the city hall, the museum is devoted to photograph exhibits and the clock mechanism itself,…

2. Reserva Natural Atitlán

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A former coffee plantation being reclaimed by natural vegetation, this reserve is 200m past the Hotel Atitlán on the northern outskirts of town. It makes…

3. Museo Lacustre Atitlán

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Inside the Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, this museum has displays on the history of the Atitlán region and the volcanic eruptions that created its…

4. Casa Cakchiquel

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Pana's cultural center started life as one of the first hotels on the lake, built by a Swedish countess in 1948. Now it holds a radio station, Japanese…

5. La Galería

3.32 MILES

Overflowing with art by Guatemalan painters and sculptors, this gallery functions as both an exhibit space and cultural center, hosting lectures, films…

6. Iglesia San Francisco

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The colonial-era church is the heart of old Panajachel. Its extremely broad stone facade, with four tiers of windows between double columns, resembles a…

7. Town Hall

3.61 MILES

The Town Hall (Municipalidad), which stands behind the church in the center of town, is Panajachel's seat of government and handles administrative…

8. Cerro Tzankujil

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This nature reserve is on a sacred hill west of San Marcos village. Well-maintained pebbly trails lead to swimming areas with shelters by the bank and a…