Lake Atitlan has been lauded as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is revered as a major spiritual vortex, and center for healing. Surrounded by nature, your yoga instructor will be offering a variety of classes (for all levels) allowing you to unplug from daily busy life and reconnect with yourself.
Day 1&2: Arrive in Guatemala City, where a driver will escort us to the colorful, colonial town of Antigua, located an hour away. A city that boasts cobblestone streets, cute cafes and volcanoes looming in the distance, is unarguably charming and easy to fall in love with.
Our hotel for the next two evenings is situated on one of Antigua’s famed cobblestone streets in front of the superb 18th-century Capuchin convent. Sumptuous accommodations, a picture-perfect location, and an award-winning restaurant, offering splendid international cuisine. We will dine here on our second evening in Antigua.
On Sunday morning at 11am, a guide will escort us on a two hour walking tour of Antigua in order to have a better understanding of the city. After lunch, roam the streets and enjoy some shopping🙂
On the evening of October 21st, reservations have been made at Meson Panza Verde restaurant, considered to be one of the top restaurants in Guatemala, having received the “Tenedor de Oro” award as best in the country.
Day 3: After breakfast, we will be escorted to the beautiful Lake Atitlan, located 4 hours away to begin our yoga retreat!
Framed by the mountains on one side, and the majestic Lake Atitlan on the other, Doron Yoga & Zen Center offers an eco-chic experience that is both comfortable and beautiful. The name “Tzununa” is Kaqchikel (local dialect) for “Hummingbird of the water”, or locally referred to as “Hummingbird Valley”. The river flows year round with waterfalls higher in the valley offering a nice place to cool down and enjoy the lush natural beauty of the area. Lots of local trails weave the hillsides allow for hiking and gorgeous views of the valley and lake.
Smooth cypress flooring and full length floor-to-ceiling windows open to great lake and volcano views. Sliding glass doors at the front and sides allow a nice breeze and the sound of the river into the space.
We all need a little more ‘self care’ in our lives, which is exactly what this trip offers. Surrounded by nature, your yoga instructors will be offering a variety of classes (for all levels) allowing students to unplug from their busy lives and reconnect with themselves.
The accommodations at Doron Yoga & Zen Center were built with care by local Mayan craftspeople and constructed with ecological practices in mind. Rustic and charming, rooms have either a jungle, garden, or lake view; they are decorated with murals, local art and textiles.
With all of the beautiful nature and serenity, you may just want to stay on the grounds enjoying the view of the lake, reading a book in a hammock, bird watch, dip in the river pools, or book a deep tissue massage or other treatment.
The Tzununa River runs across the entire length of the property. Lined with hammocks and benches, it is the perfect place to relax and restore. The grounds are a lush oasis of banana, coffee, berries, avocado, a vegetable farm and herb gardens.
On Tuesday, we’ll paddle board as group, in addition to our daily yoga classes.
Wednesday, we will take an excursion to neighboring villages by boat. (10-4pm).
On any day, it is easy to jump in a tuk tuk to the boats and explore the various local villages. Visit San Juan to check out the weaving co-ops, paint galleries and quaint cafes and restaurants.
An optional excursion ($50) is to hike Indian Nose (easy to medium difficulty), one of the most epic sunrise viewpoints in Guatemala. The trek up is moderate with the entire trail being a total of two miles. At the summit, you will have views over San Clara, San Pablo, Lake Atitlan, and San Pedro Volcano as the sun rises. A guide will meet you at 430am to begin the hike.
The Buddha Cafe serves vegetarian food with the option to accommodate gluten free and vegan diets. Doran bakes fresh daily tortillas, breads and pizzas as well as offering delicious veggie soups with salads, steamed kale and spinach, Israeli/Arab dishes like hummus, pita and tahini sauces. Avocados come straight from the trees on site along with many other local fruits and vegetables.
Herbal tea, fresh coffee and purified drinking water are available throughout the day. Home brewed Kombucha, super food smoothies, bliss balls (made with pure local Maya Cacao), choco-banana muffins, and other homemade goodies are available for sale as well.
The outdoor deck dining space overlooks the lake; it is surrounded by the lush landscape and has a variety of seating (and hammock) options.
Day 8 & 9: Today, a driver will take us to our hotel in Guatemala City (3.5- 4 hours) for the evening. In the morning, we will head to the airport for our return flights home, feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
Meet your yoga instructor offering daily classes for four full days.
Jane Chapman-Holt
I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, moved to the United States in 2007. I have worked in the wellness industry for over 25 years. I believe that my love for yoga stems from my experience as a ballroom dancer. I’ll forever value the memories I treasure of my father and I waltzing around the dancefloor in my earlier years.
I’m very hands-on in my instruction, assisting with alignment, adjustment and direction. I aim for my students to feel the pose mentally and physically. Yoga is my passion and shines bright through my guided instruction. Today, you will find me teaching at Landfall, Be Unlimited Yoga, Longwave and private yoga sessions.
I am thrilled to be joining Cairn Travels in this yoga adventure. We welcome everyone from all walks of life, and levels of yoga experience. I will be offering different classes throughout the trip to enhance this unique experience.
Cairn Travels 