Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is considered to be one of the top ten most beautiful places in the world to visit. Once you’ve been there, you would totally agree. However, when traveling with kids views and scenery only go so far. After ten minutes of soaking in the beauty, restlessness, and suppressed energy wins over and you better come up with some fun ideas for them or no one will be happy.

Porta Hotel del Lago

On our last trip to Lago Atitlan, we discovered that having kid-friendly amenities definitely helps – a lot.

It isn’t necessary to stay in a Guatemala resort with these amenities, certainly helps, but you can visit one for a portion of the day to let the kids release their energy while enjoying amazing views and also eating yummy food.

We did just that.

Since we decided to stay in a 2 bedroom villa overlooking the lake, we had few actual activities on the property and searched for a fun option. That’s how I discovered Porta Hotel del Lago.  Our vacation rental didn’t have a typical Guatemala breakfast included, and I certainly wasn’t about to start cooking on my trip, so I made reservations for breakfast at the hotel and also playtime for my kids.

I’ll be honest with you, I’m quite biased about the Porta Hotels. Living in Antigua we have spent many, many mornings and afternoons at Antigua Hotel, which is the sister hotel of Porta Del Lago of these resorts in Guatemala. So I had a good idea of what to expect.

However, unlike Hotel Antigua, the lake resort had a lot more activities for kids to do.

Of course you have the pool with an amazing view.

Huge chess pieces that the kids can play with outside. Also, checkers, a basket ball court, football court and a playground. These are all located on the property which is well secured and you don’t have to worry about the kids too much.

A Taste of Traditional Guatemala Food 

Another difference between the two hotels was the breakfast.  We’ve only experienced the breakfast buffet at Antigua Hotel, here you get to order a la carte. They have set menu, but we were able to order a custom made breakfast for my son as well.

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day, so it’s hard to impress me with this meal. But I was truly surprised. At first we wondered why it took longer than usual for the food to come out. But when it did, it made total sense.

The dishes were large and, even though my husband got the typical breakfast and my son an omelet, I always go with a bacon accompanied breakfast. So the big surprise was the overflow of bacon on my dish. Usually restaurants serve two tiny pieces, but this time I had so many I gladly shared with my kids and husband.  Yes, I do judge my breakfasts by the bacon and, as far as I’m concerned, this won extra stars in my book. Plus, the dishes themselves were homemade, not canned beans, and quite yummy.

Find prices for Porta Hotel del Lago

Before the plates were cleared off the table, my kids were in the dressing rooms throwing on their swimming suits for some serious pool time, while my husband and I chilled out looking at the lake and digesting our meal.

A great way to start the day.

NOTE:  $10 entrance to use the grounds is an incredible deal and a great way to spend some time relaxing while the kids have tons of fun.