Getting Here
Getting to Eagle’s Nest is part of the adventure: a flight, a shuttle through the highlands, a boat across the lake, and an uphill walk marked by hand-painted yellow arrows.
Four legs, one unforgettable arrival
Here is the route most guests take, and we are happy to help arrange any leg of it.
Fly into Guatemala City
Land at La Aurora International Airport (GUA). There is no direct shared shuttle from Guatemala City, so from here you either connect through Antigua or book private transport straight to San Marcos.
Shuttle direct to San Marcos
The most direct route: a shared tourist shuttle, typically from Antigua, drops you in San Marcos La Laguna itself. We can also arrange a private transfer from Guatemala City or Antigua.
Or: boat via Panajachel
The alternative: take a shuttle to Panajachel and cross the lake to San Marcos by lancha (boat), with the volcanoes around you.
Tuktuk or walk up Barrio 2
From the San Marcos dock, ask any tuktuk driver to bring you to Eagle’s Nest, or walk up through Barrio 2.
A word about Google Maps
Google Maps shows our location, but its directions for the final stretch can mislead you. The last part of the journey is a network of small village footpaths.
Trust the village instead: the way up is marked with hand-painted yellow arrows that lead straight to our door.
Use the pin, not the directions
The map pin is right, the suggested route may not be
Follow the yellow arrows
Painted on walls and stones the whole way up
Save the guide offline
Download the photo guide below so you have it offline
Follow the Yellow Arrows
The walk up starts shortly before Shangri-La. These landmarks and the painted yellow arrows keep you on track the whole way.
Find the sign before Shangri-La
Coming up the road from town, look left shortly before Shangri-La. The wooden Eagle’s Nest sign hangs above the corner, with the first yellow arrows on the pillar below it.
Turn at the painted corner
Leave the road and follow the cobbled path. Yellow arrows painted on the walls and stones confirm every turn.
Take the stairs at the chameleon sign
At the notice board, an orange chameleon sign points you up the stone stairs.
Climb the bamboo passage
Keep climbing through the bamboo-walled stairway. Once you get to Shamana, follow the path to the right; you will find yellow arrows there too.
Cross the forest path
The trail levels out into a shaded forest path. Keep following it straight ahead.
The flower alley
One last narrow alley under the flowering vines, with a yellow arrow on the wall to reassure you.
Welcome home
When you see the hand-painted welcome sign, Utz Ipetik, you made it. Come on in and have some tea.
Arrows with a story
Our yellow arrows are inspired by the Camino de Santiago in Spain, where pilgrims have followed simple yellow marks for centuries to reach the resting place of the apostle James.
Just like them, you are on a journey, one step at a time, toward something sacred. The climb is real, and so is the reward: the moment the lake opens up beneath you.
Save the arrival guide
Download the photo guide before you travel so you have it with you offline, or send it ahead to whoever is joining you.
We can arrange shuttles and private transfers from Guatemala City or Antigua, direct to San Marcos. Journey photos: Ramiro Perez, Wagner T. Cassimiro, Midiaminuit, Simon Burchell via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY / CC BY-SA).