When I think about our visit to San Juan la Laguna, I remember the color. Umbrellas hanging over the street. Murals covering walls. Textiles filling shops. Even the pavement had stripes.

My wife and I visited this town on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, and looking through our pictures brings back just how vibrant it was. There is a lot going on in almost every frame: a red tuk-tuk beneath pastel umbrellas, a painted face surrounded by flowers, patterned fabric hanging from the ceiling.

I also came home with a couple of handmade shirts. With all those textiles around, you can probably see how that happened.

Start by looking up

On one street, there was a veritable kaleidoscope of umbrellas overhead. Underneath, people walk past shopfronts while tuk-tuks share the narrow street. The buildings frame a view downhill toward the lake and the mountains beyond it. That combination gives you plenty to look at before you have gone very far.

Other stretches have a different feel. In one lane, fabric shades hang between the buildings, with lanterns and flower decorations suspended below them. Another has long purple strips of cloth overhead. The decorations change the light as much as the view.

Our pictures show busy streets, with signs, wires, shoppers, and traffic all sharing the scene. I like having those details in the photographs. They give you a better sense of being there than a perfectly empty street would.

The murals were to die for

Guatemala has a smorgasbord of murals. San Juan took that to another level. There were murals around every corner, and hidden away down the alleys, drawing my attention and camera to each.

One of our close-ups is almost entirely filled by a painted figure, striped fabric, leaves, berries, and white flowers. In another photograph, a woman painted against a turquoise background holds yellow thread that loops across the wall.

I brought some of the color home

The textiles were part of the visit that made it into my luggage. I bought two handmade shirts while we were there.

San Juan is home to a Tz’utujil Maya community, and its art and weaving are a substantial part of what draws visitors. Atitlan Living’s guide gives some useful background on the town’s artist cooperatives and galleries. It is worth leaving room for those alongside the more obvious street photographs.

There is also a lot to learn about how textiles are made here. The local women’s group Casa Flor Ixcaco, for example, describes its work with organic cotton, natural dyes made from materials such as leaves and bark, and traditional backstrap looms. That is one specific group’s process; it is worth asking individual sellers about the pieces you are considering.

If you enjoy buying things on your travels, this is a good place to give yourself time to look closely and ask questions. Who made it? How was it woven? Where did the colors come from? Those answers can become part of what you take home.

Don't forget the lake

With so much filling the streets, it's easy to forget to check out the lake. Boats sit beside a wooden dock, and the mountains soften into the haze across the water. While there isn't a lot to do down by the water, it's a relaxing place to take in the view. The lake is also how many people arrive in San Juan la Laguna. The wife and I took a tuk-tuk from neighboring San Pedro la Laguna.

A few notes for planning a visit

If San Juan la Laguna is on your Lake Atitlán itinerary, I would leave at least half a day for walking, looking around the shops, and spending some time by the water. Give yourself longer if you want to add a workshop or tour.

Shared boats connect San Juan with other towns around the lake, and a tuk-tuk is another option from neighboring San Pedro. Confirm the current fare and your return arrangements locally. Along Dusty Roads’ San Juan guide covers the transport options and additional stops, including the uphill walk to Mirador Kaqasiiwaan.

For a fuller itinerary, weaving demonstrations and coffee or cacao experiences are possibilities to investigate. They are suggestions for planning your own trip, rather than a checklist of what we did.

And leave a little space in your bag. I needed enough for two shirts.