San Lucas Tolimán

At the southeastern tip of Lake Atitlán is San Lucas Tolimán. With a population of some 17,000, the town is quite a busy one. It isn't the most popular destination for tourists to the lake but if that's exactly what you want to get away from than it's worth a visit. Fiestas here are frequent and well done, particularly Semana Santa and around the 15th - 20th of October. The local markets, running Tuesdays, Fridays and a bigger one on Sundays are also a nice place to buy local goods and produce. Much of the economy is based on onion farming but there is also a lot of coffee grown in San Lucas. There is even an organic processing plant in the town that you can visit and learn about café justicia; the political efforts being made to ensure the fair trade of coffee. The town is also a good spot for those interested in hiking or volcanoes as the town is flanked by two, Volcán Atitlán and Volcán Tolimán. Neither climb is too difficult but there are many different paths to choose from. Some guided trips up the volcano depart at midnight and arrive at the summit at around 6.30am to avoid cloud cover and avail of the magnificent views from above.

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Other places nearby San Lucas Tolimán: Panajachel, San Marcos La Laguna, San Antonio Papoló, Tzununá, Jaibalito, Santa Cruz La Laguna, San Pedro La Laguna, Santiago Atitlan, San Juan La Laguna and Santa Catarina Palopó.