Magical Lake Atitlan: A Mayan Paradise

Have you ever experienced a place that had such a pull you actually felt melancholic at the thought of leaving? Lake Atitlan is a is the deepest lake in Central America, is surrounded by three volcanoes; San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman. The local Mayans say that Lake Atitlan is the “bellybutton of the world,” and there are unique energy fields that run through the area. It is described by Lonely Planet as “the closest thing to Eden on Earth.” I can say wholeheartedly, I AGREE and that this place makes Crater Lake in Oregon seem “cute” by comparison. There are 12 Mayan villages enclosing the lake, each with its own vibe, personality and unique characteristics to offer visitors. I fell ill with a harsh cough and cold following my ascent of Vulcan Acatenango and made one of the best decisions of my trip to “lay low” and heal for a week on the lake, take spanish courses, and take in as many sights as I could in my condition. I ended up spending some of the most magical 9 days of my trip at this lake, and was barely able to scratch the surface of what this marvelous place has to offer. I stayed in the villages of Santa Cruz and San Juan. You can take inexpensive lanchas to each of the villages to explore, dine and shop (makes for a really fun commute and activity in itself). I took spanish lessons in the town of San Juan (my personal favorite with a rich history, Mayan textile and art shops as part of a Co-op supporting locals and single Mayan mothers, and classes you can take in weaving, honey making, and chocolate making.) I stayed at a Mayan Run eco hotel that cultivated its own crops for the food we ate, offered a Mayan sauna known as a Temezcal (which really helped with my healing), offered complimentary kayaking, and was a great home base to relax, bird watch, explore the other towns, and practice spanish as the only languages spoken by the staff were spanish and Tz’utujil (the local native Mayan language of the area, there are up to 26 dialects). The team there treated me like family and even provided me natural herbal Mayan medicinal teas to help me recover. I am already planing my return. The amazing video by @cuzziereid!