EL PICNIC ATITLÁN

An absolute paradise right on the shores of Lake Atitlán. We loved our stay at El Picnic. The room was truly wonderful, beautifully constructed, spectacular views and the right blend of amazing comfort and proximity to nature. Johannes and Gaby and unbelievably gracious hosts - they'll go out of their way to make you feel at home at all times. Breakfast and dinner was excellent every day. Our only complaint is that we had to leave. We'll definitely visit again next time we're in the area

An experience of a lifetime. Dreamy location with jaw dropping views, the environmentally conscious buildout and design is to perfection. The restaurant serves 5 star cuisine, and memorable Manhattan cocktails that are satiating after a long day. The location itself is not easy to get to, but that’s part of the charm and beauty. Thank you to Gabriela and Jochen for our exceptional stay.

A once in a lifetime experience. Jochen and Gaby (the hosts) possess a special combination of elite hospitality talent with incredible engineering/architectural skills to create a one of a kind oasis. We stayed there for two nights and by the end we were wishing we could stay with them forever. For two non particularly outdoorsy New Yorkers, this place had all the luxury that we’d have wanted while feeling like you’re in the middle of nature. Jochen and Gaby’s cooking and entertaining ability made us look forward to coming back after a long day exploring the lake. The reviews are all true - you won’t possibly regret staying here by the time you leave.

We stayed here during our honeymoon in November 2023 and it was an absolute highlight of our three week trip around central America. Going to bed watching the stars twinkle and waking up to the sun rising over lake atitlan is an experience I will truly never forget. Johann and Gabby are superb hosts, we felt right at home with them - they helped us to organise excursions and transfers by road an boat, they gave us champagne to celebrate our wedding and they had endless amounts of advice on how to best see the lake and its surrounds. The cabins are beautifully crafted by local tradesmen and designed with classic pragmatic German engineering - everything in them makes sense! Thank you Johann and Gabby, and I hope whoever reads this takes the leap and books - you will not regret it.

Beautiful and secluded rooms with astonishing views and surrounded by nature. Food was excellent too. Jochem and Gaby were great hosts; we felt thoroughly looked after and relaxed. Probably the best place we've ever stayed.

We loved our stay. Johan and Gaby are wonderful hosts. The place is off the beaten path but beautiful. Highly recommend joining for dinner and maybe even a B52!

A stay here is like visiting a friend who has a killer, unique vacation home. It’s very, VERY secluded and remote, so getting there will only appeal to real travelers who don’t mind inconvenience. Be warned that the village nearby is very poor. But El Picnic is top notch. It’s totally worth it for the tranquility, the food, the hosts, and unparalleled views of Lake Atitlan and its volcanoes. And, of course, the resident German Shepherds, who are very sweet. Thank you Johan and Gaby for a memory for a lifetime.

This is a beautiful property with incredible food, people, and dogs! The views from our tent were beautiful, amenities were 10/10, and Gabby + George were so helpful with helping us figure out our plans to get back to Antigua. Gabby and her husband were extremely kind in making sure we had packed breakfast to go before our early boat ride back to Panajachel. P.S. They make fresh bread everyday, and it is incredibly delicious.

Highly recommend eating here for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or all of the above!

El Picnic is situated on a quiet and bumpy side road out of the port of Tzunun, and is a 10 minute bumpy tuk tuk ride away from San Marcos. Be aware that the tuk tuks stop driving around 6pm, so don't get stuck in San Marcos by accident!

The only very small con was the lack of a safe for valuables. We never felt unsafe, or felt that anyone would approach our tent, but due to the glamping nature of the property, there are no locked doors and a safe would have been nice to lock up our passports/laptops/etc. while out of our tent.

Everyone at El Picnic was incredibly kind, helpful, and the property was amazing. If you're looking for a beautiful and quiet retreat away from the rest of the lake, stay here!

Wonderful experience. The hosts are friendly, accommodating, and fun to converse with. They put a lot of love and work into this place. The husband is also an excellent cook. Beautiful view of the lake.

If your looking for a place where the views will blow you away, the service will leave you feeling pampered, and the food prepared will make you never want to leave… EVER…then this is the place to book. We originally booked the smaller room and as soon as we arrived, our host George informed us that due to the rainy season our view wouldn’t be up to his standard for us to enjoy. So, he moved us to the honeymoon suite. It was little things like that from the very beginning that made our stay memorable. They go out of their way to make you comfortable, and also are very knowledgeable of the area for things to do. Definitely the highlight of our trip.

Our stay here was the highlight of our trip to Guatemala!! Unreal views, amazing food and incredible service.

The hotel is a glamping type concept with open air bungalow style rooms, an outdoor Biergarten, and awesome outdoor bar and dining area. We stayed in the “deluxe double room” which was perfect! Plenty of space for a couple, an amazing outdoor shower with a view of the whole lot and hot water plus a small outdoor seating area to relax and read.

Breakfast is included every morning and it is so delicious!!! Dinner is optional for an extra cost but would completely recommend because it was some of the best food we’ve had on our trip. Jochen is an amazing chef and cooks up something delicious and nutritious every night. They also have a great selection of wines, beer and cocktails to accompany your meal. Dinner is eaten together with other guests and is a great way to spend the evening.

Getting to the hotel is pretty easy and Gaby and Jochen are very helpful with any questions you might have. It’s about a 40 min (20 quetzales) ferry ride from panajachel to tzununa then a 15 minute walk or 5 min tuk tuk to the hotel from the ferry stop. Tzununa is a very quiet, not-touristy town at all with not much to do for visitors but it’s a good central location for day trips to San Juan, San Marcos, San Pedro, Santa Cruz, etc. San Marcos is walking distance! (45 min walk). Just keep in mind there are no restaurants or bars that we know of in the town so after ferries stop running (5-7 pm depending route) you should plan to stay relaxing at the hotel for the evening.

Besides the amazing views, food and awesome room, probably the best part of the stay are the owners Gaby and Jochen and Jorge are so welcoming, attentive and helpful with any questions you might have. They also speak Spanish, English and German! Plus they have two adorable German shepherds that love to befriend the guests.

Would love to come back to stay here next time we are in Guatemala!

We had the honeymoon suite and it is simply stunning. It is set against the rock face of the mountain and the bathroom even shows you a bit of this rugged nature in a very sophisticated and beautiful way.

From the room the view is better then words can describe. When waking up at night you have full view of the starry night and in the morning the sky colors to impress.

I've slept like a baby in the soft and vast bed.

Gaby and Jochen are made to host; caring, warm, friendly people that can cook as well.

Yes, it is not the cheapest option but to me it was worth every quetzal!

El Picnic was truly outstanding - unlike any hotel we’ve ever stayed at. The two hosts jochen and Gaby welcomed us fully, making it feel like home. they’ve built this place totally on their own, and every attention to detail shines through. the views of the lake are stunning. and the food - all home made - was excellent. if you’ve ever wanted to sleep in a dreamy treehouse overlooking a volcano and lake, this is the place. note there are lots of stairs so better to travel with a backpack than a rolly bag. we stayed for five days and were sad to leave!

A truly magical stay! Open air rooms make you feel like you're immersed in nature, but with all the amenities you could need. There's easy access to the surrounding areas of Lake Atitlan, but El Picnic is away from the hustle and bustle so you can relax and recharge. Gaby and Jochen go out of their way to make you feel at home and the food is delicious! As others mentioned, the journey here isn't the easiest, but it's well worth the trek.

I cannot recommend staying here enough! We loved being close enough (45 min easy walk or 15 min tuk tuk) to tourist destination such as Mayan’s Nose, Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve, and San Marcos but staying in a non-touristy, very quiet part of the lake. If you practice yoga, I highly recommend taking the daily 7 am-9 am class at Doron Yoga, an 8 min walk down the hill. Gaby booked everything we did for us - transportation from Guatemala City with her friend Ernesto, a tuk tuk ride to the ferry the day we left, a sunrise hike with her friend/local guide Zaire, and the best massage of my entire life right in our room with her friend from town, Alicia. I highly recommend using Gaby and her many connections, as everyone she booked for us provided amazing service. Communicating/booking through Gaby was seamless and convenient- door to door service! We loved having breakfast and dinner right at the hotel, everything tasted great and it was extra relaxing not having to think about what/where to eat, make reservations, etc. Jorge at the Biergarten is a wonderful person and chef/bartender. Putt putt golf was a really fun bonus! We’d love to come back. Thank you Gaby and Jochen for sharing your slice of heaven with the best view on the lake. You two and everyone at Picnic made this trip unforgettable for us!

Stay here! A truly magical setting perched up in the mountain overlooking Atitlan lake.

With easy access to the water taxi so you can explore all of the surrounding towns, El Picnic is the perfect retreat for an incredible Lake Atitlan experience.

Jochen, Gaby and George greeted us upon arrival making us feel right at home. They were extremely friendly and checked in throughout our stay to make sure we had everything we needed.

Our room… AMAZING! Nothing compares to the open air and incredible views. The bed was extremely comfortable. The interior decor was stunning. The location of the room was extremely private making us feel like we had the entire lake to ourselves.

The food was exceptional. Delicious with large portions.

El Picnic is a must!

My girlfriend and I stayed at at El picnic and the experience was more than we could have ever asked for. Jochen and Gaby were the best hosts. Breakfast was included each morning and you have the option to add on dinner and we definitely recommend doing so, the food was AMAZING! One of the nights, the meal was sous-vide pork and it melted in your mouth. They gave very good recommendations for activities to do in the neighboring towns and for means of transportation. Pancho and Negra are the friendliest dogs!
Jorge was an amazing bartender and chef, he was very helpful and always made sure we were comfortable during our stay.
We stayed in the “Deluxe Double room” and were very happy with the room. The views were amazing, we slept with the “windows” open each night and had no issues with any bugs!
10/10 would recommend without hesitation!

This place is just magical. The glamping rooms have incredible views, they are cosy and comfortable. They are completely open air which makes for a very unique experience. You open your curtains in the morning to watch the sunrise over the mountains. The hosts are very friendly - the food was amazing. We had lovely chats with the hosts at breakfast and dinner. The rooms are quite a steep climb up some Steps but totally worth it

It is just a 15 minute (bumpy!) tuk tuk to San Marcos - this was perfect as you are away from the noise of San Marcos here. It’s just a short walk or 4 minute tuk tuk to the ferry port so it’s great for exploring the rest of the lake. The ferry’s to the other places come very regularly ( the longest we waited was 10 min but the wait can be up to 20).

Dinner for an additional charge was perfect as we could then enjoy our room from the early evening. It was healthy and delicious. The cocktails were also fantastic.

We explored San pedros , San Juan , San Marcos very easily from this hotel but we were so relieved to come back here afterwards. It was by far the best option for us. We just wish we stayed here an extra night!

The best view in Atitlan! The hosts were so gracious from beginning to end. They were very responsive when we had questions before arrival and gave us all kinds of recommendations. We had everything we needed for our pleasant stay, all amenities were carefully thought out. The food was also Amazing! We love eating at their restaurant/bar onsite. You really don't have to leave El Picnic for a relaxing stay on the lake but the location is also super convenient to get around other towns which are only 15 minus away by water taxi!

This property was absolutely worth it! Our tent had beautiful views of the volcanoes, mountain and of lake Atitlan. The hosts were extremely nice and had the cutest dogs. Amazing free breakfast in the morning at the bar which also had breathtaking views. They also provide dinner at an added cost and it was delicious. I’m definitely considering coming back to this hotel as I had an amazing experience here and I recommend this hotel to friends and family and anyone reading this review.