Lake Atitlan
Eco-Travel around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Filed in: Guatemala
By Kat Vaughan
Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Lake Atitlan is surrounded by three majestic volcanoes, lined by twelve villages around the shores of this gorgeous lake. Although the national language is Spanish, three Mayan dialects are spoken amongst the indigenous: Tz'utujil, Kaqchikel, & Quiche. One never tires of the magnificent views and scenery, although the poverty is staggering.
When you go to Lake Atitlan , I highly recommend staying and/or visiting the following unforgettable hotels on the shores of the Lake:
Casa Del Mundo - A must-stay hotel in Jaibalito
Hotel Atitlan - A beautiful hotel in Panajachel
Hotel Aaculaax - An eco-friendly hotel in San Marcos La Laguna
Villa Sumaya - A gorgeous hotel in Santa Cruz
Posada De Santiago - A lovely hotel and restaurant in Santiago Atitlan
The area around the Lake is an outdoor enthusiast's playground: kayaking, diving, volcano climbing, mountain biking, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and more. Jovenes Mayas organizes and leads eco-tours around the Lake. They can be found in the charming village of San Marcos La Laguna. I highly recommend using their services because they are knowledgeable, interesting and trustworthy. Also, for you non-Spanish speaking folks, the guides are tri-lingual (Mayan dialect, Spanish and English)!
If you want to go horseback riding or climb the San Pedro Volcano, simply take a boat from Pana to San Pedro La Laguna, across the majestic beauty of Lake Atitlan. You can inquire where to set up such adventures right when you get off the dock. Stay at Hotel Sak'Ari and dine at Tin-Tin, a great restaurant owned and run by Gary, a Canadian guy.
If you want a guided horseback ride above the clouds, contact the folks at Posada De Santiago, make a reservation for a night or two and another one for a horseback riding adventure.
You can rent kayaks at Casa Del Mundo (where you can also stay for a night) or in numerous villages around the Lake. Trust me, you don't need a reservation but you will want to go kayaking in the early morning before the wind starts or around dusk, when there is little wind.
Mountain bikes can be rented in Pana or San Pedro La Laguna. Again, forget the reservations, there will be enough bikes for you. Just go and ask where the bike rental stores can be found.
Please remember: NEVER go hiking or volcano climbing alone. There are numerous stories of robbers along hiking trails. A local guide will be of great benefit and security as you step into the wild beauty of Guatemala.
The sunrises and sunsets can be spectacular around the Lake, though the afternoon will bring a wind across the Lake. The best time to travel to Guatemala is between October and May, otherwise you'll hit the rainy season. While in Pana, make sure to dine at the Sunset Cafe where you will enjoy great sunset views of the Lake and volcanoes, listen to great music and eat delicious food.
Check out Atitlan Resource for more information.
Happy Traveling!
Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Lake Atitlan is surrounded by three majestic volcanoes, lined by twelve villages around the shores of this gorgeous lake. Although the national language is Spanish, three Mayan dialects are spoken amongst the indigenous: Tz'utujil, Kaqchikel, & Quiche. One never tires of the magnificent views and scenery, although the poverty is staggering.
When you go to Lake Atitlan , I highly recommend staying and/or visiting the following unforgettable hotels on the shores of the Lake:
Casa Del Mundo - A must-stay hotel in Jaibalito
Hotel Atitlan - A beautiful hotel in Panajachel
Hotel Aaculaax - An eco-friendly hotel in San Marcos La Laguna
Villa Sumaya - A gorgeous hotel in Santa Cruz
Posada De Santiago - A lovely hotel and restaurant in Santiago Atitlan
The area around the Lake is an outdoor enthusiast's playground: kayaking, diving, volcano climbing, mountain biking, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and more. Jovenes Mayas organizes and leads eco-tours around the Lake. They can be found in the charming village of San Marcos La Laguna. I highly recommend using their services because they are knowledgeable, interesting and trustworthy. Also, for you non-Spanish speaking folks, the guides are tri-lingual (Mayan dialect, Spanish and English)!
If you want to go horseback riding or climb the San Pedro Volcano, simply take a boat from Pana to San Pedro La Laguna, across the majestic beauty of Lake Atitlan. You can inquire where to set up such adventures right when you get off the dock. Stay at Hotel Sak'Ari and dine at Tin-Tin, a great restaurant owned and run by Gary, a Canadian guy.
If you want a guided horseback ride above the clouds, contact the folks at Posada De Santiago, make a reservation for a night or two and another one for a horseback riding adventure.
You can rent kayaks at Casa Del Mundo (where you can also stay for a night) or in numerous villages around the Lake. Trust me, you don't need a reservation but you will want to go kayaking in the early morning before the wind starts or around dusk, when there is little wind.
Mountain bikes can be rented in Pana or San Pedro La Laguna. Again, forget the reservations, there will be enough bikes for you. Just go and ask where the bike rental stores can be found.
Please remember: NEVER go hiking or volcano climbing alone. There are numerous stories of robbers along hiking trails. A local guide will be of great benefit and security as you step into the wild beauty of Guatemala.
The sunrises and sunsets can be spectacular around the Lake, though the afternoon will bring a wind across the Lake. The best time to travel to Guatemala is between October and May, otherwise you'll hit the rainy season. While in Pana, make sure to dine at the Sunset Cafe where you will enjoy great sunset views of the Lake and volcanoes, listen to great music and eat delicious food.
Check out Atitlan Resource for more information.
Happy Traveling!
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Launching an Internet Cafe in Guatemala
Filed in: Social Enterprise
By Kat Vaughan
In January of 2001, I moved to San Pedro La Laguna, a village on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala to launch PlanetOutreach, the first ever satellite internet cafe and telecenter around the lake. We received a generous grant from the eBay Foundation and another grant from the Skoll Foundation to help us get started. The village for this internet cafe was selected based upon one of my business partner's relationship with Colegio Bethel, a local school in the village. The goal, aside from providing travelers and locals the ability to communicate with their loved ones and bridge the digital divide, was to support teachers' salaries with profits generated from the internet cafe. (Years later, after I had left the project, I learned that they school never did receive any support from the internet cafe. Naturally, this was distressing for me to hear.) To help locals get tech savvy, we provided computer classes in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Indeed, it was an amazing 1.5 years of my life. I learned so much about living in a foreign country, setting up a social enterprise, living amongst the poor, and the humility of being a non-native Spanish speaker in a Tzutuhil and Spanish speaking village!
(eBay Belt Project and Meg Whitman in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala - July 2001)
With my three business partners stateside, we communicated through email, instant messaging and a webcam on a regular basis. They came down a couple of times for a week or two, but I was the one on the ground 24/7. In addition to the internet cafe, I worked with a large group of Mayan women to produce various fair trade products, including 3300 handwoven and embroidered belts for the employees and Board of Director's of eBay. In addition, I worked with artisans to design and market fair trade, handwoven and/or embroidered products, like aprons and hammocks.
In 2003, Adam Cohen published a book about eBay called "The Perfect Store". I was surprised to learn that the last chapter was about PlanetOutreach and, although well-written, had many erroneous facts about the launch of the internet cafe. It was disappointing for me that eBay would highlight this project when they only provided us grant money and had zero legal ownership. In addition, although one of my stateside partners worked for the eBay Foundation, I was never paid by eBay to launch the social enterprise, yet they took the story and made it appear their own. If I had it to do all over, however, I would do it again. Why? Because my passion for social justice remains and because it was a life changing experience.
Although the internet cafe has moved a few times, the technology center continues to this day, now managed and run by local Mayans. One of my first employees, Otto, has since named his first daughter after me, truly an honor for me. Indeed, my time in San Pedro was foundational for the development work I do now to empower the poor through fair trade, education and business. To learn more, click here and here.
In January of 2001, I moved to San Pedro La Laguna, a village on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala to launch PlanetOutreach, the first ever satellite internet cafe and telecenter around the lake. We received a generous grant from the eBay Foundation and another grant from the Skoll Foundation to help us get started. The village for this internet cafe was selected based upon one of my business partner's relationship with Colegio Bethel, a local school in the village. The goal, aside from providing travelers and locals the ability to communicate with their loved ones and bridge the digital divide, was to support teachers' salaries with profits generated from the internet cafe. (Years later, after I had left the project, I learned that they school never did receive any support from the internet cafe. Naturally, this was distressing for me to hear.) To help locals get tech savvy, we provided computer classes in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Indeed, it was an amazing 1.5 years of my life. I learned so much about living in a foreign country, setting up a social enterprise, living amongst the poor, and the humility of being a non-native Spanish speaker in a Tzutuhil and Spanish speaking village!
(eBay Belt Project and Meg Whitman in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala - July 2001)
With my three business partners stateside, we communicated through email, instant messaging and a webcam on a regular basis. They came down a couple of times for a week or two, but I was the one on the ground 24/7. In addition to the internet cafe, I worked with a large group of Mayan women to produce various fair trade products, including 3300 handwoven and embroidered belts for the employees and Board of Director's of eBay. In addition, I worked with artisans to design and market fair trade, handwoven and/or embroidered products, like aprons and hammocks.
In 2003, Adam Cohen published a book about eBay called "The Perfect Store". I was surprised to learn that the last chapter was about PlanetOutreach and, although well-written, had many erroneous facts about the launch of the internet cafe. It was disappointing for me that eBay would highlight this project when they only provided us grant money and had zero legal ownership. In addition, although one of my stateside partners worked for the eBay Foundation, I was never paid by eBay to launch the social enterprise, yet they took the story and made it appear their own. If I had it to do all over, however, I would do it again. Why? Because my passion for social justice remains and because it was a life changing experience.
Although the internet cafe has moved a few times, the technology center continues to this day, now managed and run by local Mayans. One of my first employees, Otto, has since named his first daughter after me, truly an honor for me. Indeed, my time in San Pedro was foundational for the development work I do now to empower the poor through fair trade, education and business. To learn more, click here and here.
Maya Life: Tortillas and Joy
Filed in: Guatemala
By Kat Vaughan
Espiritu de Santos (Holy Spirit in English) is my friend from San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atitlan, a place I call my second home. Corn tortillas are a main staple for the Mayan people and they are eaten at every meal. Most of the men in the village work in the fields harvesting the corn, green onions and other vegetables to provide for their families and sell in the open market. These farmers work long days, leaving at sunrise with machetes and shovels to work the fields. On average, they make about $2.50 a day. Mayan women are responsible for making the tortillas (a lengthy process), backstrap weaving, washing clothes, raising the children, going to the market, and cleaning the house. Many homes have open fires for cooking and many have dirt floors and no bathrooms. Water must be hauled in from the lake for washing and purchased for drinking. Life is so very different amongst the poor, yet as you can see by Espiritu de Santos' lovely countenance, there is a purity and a joy that she wears that comes from peace and gratitude within. Her smile is not uncommon on the faces of many living in poverty. Joy from within, flowing out to all.
Espiritu de Santos (Holy Spirit in English) is my friend from San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atitlan, a place I call my second home. Corn tortillas are a main staple for the Mayan people and they are eaten at every meal. Most of the men in the village work in the fields harvesting the corn, green onions and other vegetables to provide for their families and sell in the open market. These farmers work long days, leaving at sunrise with machetes and shovels to work the fields. On average, they make about $2.50 a day. Mayan women are responsible for making the tortillas (a lengthy process), backstrap weaving, washing clothes, raising the children, going to the market, and cleaning the house. Many homes have open fires for cooking and many have dirt floors and no bathrooms. Water must be hauled in from the lake for washing and purchased for drinking. Life is so very different amongst the poor, yet as you can see by Espiritu de Santos' lovely countenance, there is a purity and a joy that she wears that comes from peace and gratitude within. Her smile is not uncommon on the faces of many living in poverty. Joy from within, flowing out to all.