Boats from Panajachel to Santiago Atitlán run regularly throughout the day, taking about 30–45 minutes depending on the route and making several stops at lake villages. The public lancha service is cheap and leaves from the main Panajachel dock. Private boats are faster but considerably more expensive.
Chicken buses connect Santiago Atitlán to the Pan-American Highway at San Lucas Tolimán and from there to Antigua and Guatemala City, but the road route takes considerably longer than the boat and the road is rougher. Most visitors arrive and depart by boat. The main dock at Santiago Atitlán is at the foot of the path leading up to the main plaza.