I knew I'd find great specialty coffee in Antigua. But I wasn't sure what to expect from the cafes in Lake Atitlán, another of Guatemala's main coffee growing regions. I needn't have worried: I found at least one excellent coffee shop in each town I visited, many of them serving coffee grown, processed and roasted locally.
As a Brit who has spent many years failing to grow even small coffee plants, it was infinitely exciting to arrive in Lake Atitlán and find coffee trees growing randomly by the side of the road, up a mountain or in a back garden.
Most cafes I visited source from farms around San Pedro La Laguna, where the volcanic soils and high elevations create some very special coffees.
Given the small size of the towns and villages around Lake Atitlán, I was pleasantly surprised to find so many great specialty coffee shops. I visited seven in total during my stay. Read on to learn more about my favourites.
Panajachel
Chinajul Café
I stayed in Panajachel while I was at Lake Atitlán and my hotel happened to be a few doors down from Chinajul Café. Located on Calle Santander, Pana's main street, the cafe is a short walk from the lakefront and artisan markets.
I stopped by a couple of times during my stay, enjoying a well-brewed cortado both times. They also prepare hand-brewed filter coffees using V60 and Aeropress. And there's plenty of seating inside and out on the deck. They also have a branch in Quetzaltenango.
Chinajul Café is located at Calle Santander, Panajachel. Instagram.
Nativo Café
Nativo Café was recommended by the baristas at Café Sol in Antigua and I'm very glad I tracked it down. It's a short walk from the town centre, tucked away from the hustle and bustle on Calle del Frutal. The baristas were super-friendly and welcoming and it was a lovely, relaxing place to hang out.
Created as a tribute to Guatemala's coffee roots, Nativo occupies a bright space filled with plants and with a gorgeous mural on the back wall. The coffee menu features a wide range of Guatemalan coffees, many with interesting processing methods, roasted either under their own label or by Stima.
I decided to go for an anaerobic natural Pache Rojo variety from the Atitlán region. I ordered the Bex special: a piccolo and a poourover with the same coffee. Both were beautifully brewed and I loved the subtle differences between the flavour of the filter coffee and the espresso-based drink. They also have a great brunch menu.
Nativo Café is located at Calle del Frutal, Panajachel. Website. Instagram.
San Juan La Laguna
Canely Coffee
Located at 1,600 metres above sea level on the way to Mirador Kaqasiiwaan, Canely Coffee was one of my favourite coffee discoveries of my trip. It was so new, it hadn't officially launched when I came across it and it took me a while to work out its name, but there's an Instagram now.
For a hole-in-the-wall, hiking path coffee stand, Canely Coffee has an incredible selection of coffees. They're all from Guatemalan specialty roasters: many are grown and roasted in Atitlán, and some feature experimental processing techniques, so I was in my element! I also took note of two specialty roasters to check out in San Pedro.
It was hard to choose from so many interesting-sounding coffees, but in the end, I chose one from Cafe Xperimental from the Acatenango region, in honour of the volcano I'd climbed the day before. Brewed through the V60, it had beautifully sweet and juicy flavours. And what a great view of the volcanoes my coffee and I had!
Canely Coffee is located near Mirador Kaqasiiwaan, San Juan La Laguna. Instagram.
Nativo Coffee Shop
When I came across Nativo Coffee Shop in San Juan, I thought it was a sister location of Nativo Café in Panajachel, but it turns out they aren't related.
This small but vibrant and colourful café is a great place for both espresso-based drinks and hand-brewed filter coffee. They also serve juices, smoothies and a great range of attractively presented brunch dishes.
Nativo Coffee Shop is located at 5a Avenida, San Juan La Laguna. Instagram.
San Pedro La Laguna
Cotuc Mayan Specialty Coffee
Cotuc was on my radar after I bought some of their beans from the Canely coffee stall in San Juan. The location is a little tricky to find so use Google Maps or follow the signs to the 'best coffee in town' from the main road along the lakefront.
The café has a lovely, verdant seating area, filled with coffee plants — there's even a Spanish language school at the back. I was welcomed up to the counter not only by the friendly baristas but also by the charming ginger kitty. He later kept me company while I enjoyed my coffee (the cat, that is!).
My coffee tasted smooth and sweet with a little milk: just the way I like it. The washed coffee has also been tasting great brewed through my V60 at home.
Cotuc Mayan Specialty Coffee is located at this spot in San Pedro (the road is unnamed). Instagram.
Orbe Café
Orbe was another serendipitous discovery via the Canely coffee stand. It's located about a mile southeast of downtown San Pedro: follow the main lakefront road to the southeast, or take a tuk tuk.
The small café serves coffees roasted in house, grown locally in San Pedro and in the Huehuetenango region, and I was able to try both. I ordered the natural Huehuetenango coffee as an iced pourover to drink in and bought some Atitlán beans to take home. They have cute 50g bags, which are perfect for travel!
Upstairs, there's a peaceful rooftop terrace where you can enjoy views of the lake and volcanoes while sipping your coffee. My iced pourover tasted delicious and my Aeropress and I very much enjoyed the San Pedro coffee when I brewed it up in my hotel in Belize.
Orbe Cafe is located at this spot in San Pedro, about 20 minutes' walk south east of the town centre, near the waterfront. Instagram.
Santiago Atitlán
Space Speciality Coffee
Santiago Atitlán is a little further off the tourist track than some other towns in the region and I was delighted to come across Space Speciality Coffee a short walk from the dock. Diego and Elisa gave me a very warm welcome, introducing me to the café and explaining the different coffees they have on offer.
The coffees are sourced from local farms and roasted on site. The design is fantastic, from the art on the walls to the perfectly coordinated blue, pink and purple colour scheme of the espresso machine and bags of retail coffee beans.
I had a washed Gesha coffee from local producer Leandro Lorenzo Chavajay. It had delightful floral and berry notes, especially as the coffee cooled. And it was a delight to sit at the counter chatting to Elisa and Diego while I enjoyed some banana bread.
Space Speciality Coffee (Spacecoffee502) is located on SOL-4, Santiago Atitlán. Instagram.
Check out my other Guatemala travel guides here: Antigua city guide, Antigua specialty coffee guide, hiking Acatenango Volcano, Lake Atitlán guide. Flores & Tikal guide.
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