La Iguana Perdida - Hostel

One of the best hostels I've stayed in. Our private room was beautiful, the shaded hammocking spots were cool, and open mic night was a blast. They host family dinners every night, and you can join even if you're not staying there. We had a fantastic stay at the Iguana.

The hostel itself is lovely, with a great location and plenty of potential, and parts of our stay were enjoyable. But the volunteer culture made things uncomfortable. Volunteers seemed to dominate the common areas and form a tight clique. Their passive-aggressive remarks, especially near the bar, gave the place an awkward feel. Sometimes the friendliness came across as fake, and we felt guests were more of an inconvenience to the group than the priority. I'd encourage the owners to hire more local staff instead of relying so heavily on volunteers. Other reviews seem to raise this as a recurring concern. Some of the payment arrangements also felt too focused on money. For a higher-end hostel, it was surprising to have to pay on-site and then be charged another 8% at checkout for card payments, without being told when booking. We could have paid through the website beforehand. With ATM fees so high in the area, this came across as a bit sly. The place has a lot going for it, and our stay was good in some respects, but the volunteer atmosphere and payment policies left us less comfortable than we expected. A few changes could make it fantastic.

The hostel has a great position beside a dock where boat taxis come regularly. There are lots of facilities, including a lovely yoga room you can use when there isn't a class. The family dinners had soup, a main, and dessert every time, with great food and lots of variety. Breakfast was good and reasonably priced too. The three bathrooms serving the whole place, though, were in pretty rough condition. I'd avoid staying here as a solo traveller. There were far more volunteers than seemed necessary, and it created a strange atmosphere, like you were intruding in someone else's space. They were cliquey and didn't seem to feel they needed to engage with guests. I spoke with several other travellers who felt the same, and some even left to stay elsewhere during their limited time at Lake Atitlan. I don't blame the volunteers themselves, though I do think basic courtesy means including guests. The hostel doesn't need this many staff, especially since they don't do the cooking or cleaning. Fewer volunteers could make the place much friendlier.

The staff were incredibly kind and went well beyond expectations when my friend left her passport behind after check-out. They coordinated delivery to us in antigua through other guests. We're so grateful and hope to return. We loved this gorgeous lakeside spot in santa cruz. My room had a hammock on the balcony overlooking the lake, and you can choose between hotel-style rooms and hostels. The family dinners at 7PM are delicious, just sign up that day, and breakfast is fresh too. Paddle boarding is a short, pretty walk along the lake, and the launchas, or public boat transfers, dock right in front. You can also sign up for a 5AM sunrise hike, yoga, weaving class, cooking class, and more, all for very cheap. I'd highly recommend staying here.