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Description
This is a small lakeside community and retreat space based on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.
What began years ago as a solitary retreat and dark retreat centre, has now focused more towards spiritual practice, service, simplicity, and community life. Alongside the residential land, we also run a separate service base in the nearby town of San Pablo La Laguna, where we prepare free meal distributions, host workshops, and work more directly with the local Mayan community, which is one of our main pillars.
We are a small and evolving project, still very much in the process of building, learning, and growing, and we tend to welcome people who feel genuinely drawn to that kind of environment.
We have an amazing local Mayan chef, Francisca, who is trained in vegan cooking, so she will be cooking and preparing working meals. She also helps with our local service & charity initiatives and is an incredibly important part of what our place is. Besides her, we have an amazing team of 4 permanent builders / construction workers, who are also like our family as well.
We have overnight security guardian, whose name is Gaspar -- and he works from 6pm - 6am, sweeping the land, often praying and watching the space for the full 12 hours.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Animal Care
General Maintenance
Interests
Videography
Sustainability
Culture
Self development
Charity work
Vegetarian or vegan
Plant care
Art & design
Architecture
Cooking & food
Gardening
Photography
Writing
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Living here tends to involve a natural cultural exchange on many levels. Our local team is Guatemalan, and daily life is closely connected to the surrounding community of San Pablo La Laguna and the wider culture of Lake Atitlán. Volunteers often spend time with local workers, neighbours, market vendors, boat drivers, and community members as part of "every day" life. Once a week, we do a food distribution exclusively for the local Mayan community where volunteers are most welcome to come and join as part of their working day!
Depending on the season and what is happening on the land, Workawayers may join shared meals, chanting, meditation, local celebrations, workshops, or days connected to our outreach work in town.
At the same time, many of the people who pass through here come from very different backgrounds and parts of the world. We value the perspectives, skills, and experiences that each person brings, and some of the most meaningful exchanges happen very informally through the flow of a community life.
Help
Much of the support we need at the moment relates to the ongoing development of the land, creative projects, and the wider growth of our place as a community and retreat space.
This Summer include natural building, eco-conscious design, permaculture and gardening, photography / videography, mural work, social media and storytelling, retreat support, organisational help, or assistance with workshops and community-based initiatives. From time to time, we also welcome people with experience in fundraising, project development, education, or healthcare outreach connected to the local community.
Some days are more physical and practical, others may be quieter / more creative or organisational. It also very much depends on your skills, interests and on the season that you come!
In general, we value people who are adaptable, able to take initiative, and comfortable helping where needed rather than only within a very fixed role.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Accommodation is comfortable and closely connected to the natural environment of the land. Most volunteers stay in one of our private single rooms, each with a single bed, desk space, and a small private balcony overlooking the greenery and lake. Bathrooms are shared, with outdoor compost toilets and showers integrated into the land.
The property itself is fully solar-powered and intentionally low-impact, so living here requires a certain level of adaptability and awareness around shared resources. While the space is peaceful and quiet overall, it is not a luxury environment or a completely isolated retreat from the realities of life around the lake.
Workawayers are provided with one shared meal per working day, usually lunch, alongside access to the communal kitchen for preparing additional meals. All of our meals are locally sourced, whole, nourishing, vegetarian & egg free, and so is our entire property (which means any meals you make here will also be so!). So if this is something that feels restrictive, please reconsider this opportunity. Filtered drinking water, Wi-Fi, gas, and access to shared spaces across the land are also included, including the yoga shala, gardens, meditation platform, and lake access.
The atmosphere here tends to suit people who appreciate simplicity, nature, and a more grounded way of living rather than high comfort or convenience-based travel.
What else ...
The land itself is intentionally simple and eco-conscious. We use compost toilets, solar power, and low-impact systems, which means a willingness to adapt to a less convenience-based lifestyle is important. Shared living also naturally comes with different personalities, rhythms, and ways of being, so good communication, maturity, and consideration for others go a long way here.
We are completely drug, alcohol, smoke, plant medicine free, and we will not accept anyone coming with the intention of engaging with any of these activities.
We value openness to different spiritual teachings, and attending morning practices like chanting mantra is also highly encouraged.
We are generally silent from 9pm-9am.
Outside of volunteering, there is a lot to explore around the lake. It is good to note that whilst we are very close to neighbouring more "touristic" towns of San Marcos and San Juan, we are in a much quieter part of the lake with not many shops or restaurants nearby. However the nearby villages offer markets, hiking, live music, cafés, thermal waters, kayaking, language schools, and opportunities to learn more about Mayan culture and life around the lake.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
elohim
Photos
