The full-day trip takes you from one end of Lake Atitlan to the other by boat with an English-speaking guide and walking tours in each village.
We begin in San Marcos la Laguna, renowned for its holistic healing centers with meditation and yoga, plus the best cliff jumping spots in Guatemala. Then to colorful San Juan la Laguna, home to women’s weaving cooperatives and a medicinal plant garden run by midwives where you can learn about the curative powers of Guatemalan nature.
Several famous painters are from San Juan la Laguna and we visit galleries to see them at work, plus the weaving cooperative that started the hand-spun cotton and natural dye movement in San Juan. See how the beautiful fabrics are made; from harvesting the cotton to spinning it into yarn, dyeing the yarn, and then creating one-of-a-kind fabrics with a back strap loom.
Finally, we see the bay of Santiago – a photographer’s dream – and the town’s Catholic church. First constructed in 1547, the church has two wooden altarpieces from the original 1500s as well as other ancient artifacts, with a rustic design quite different from the colonial-style churches seen in Antigua.
You will have an off-the-beaten-track experience, learn about Tzutujile Maya traditions and spiritual beliefs, and visit the Maximon where the Mayans go to ask for healthy crops, to cure illness, to find love, or to cast a spell on a neighbor. We also allow you to buy some candles, cigarettes, or liquor to make your offering.
