We love our light-filled, open living room / kitchen layout (rare and unique to this area), and being steps from the shore of the lake. The location as well as views from our home are spectacular!  We're surrounded by nature, and yet walking distance to cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops. I am happy to provide you with a thorough breakdown of everything you need to know to visit Guatemala, as well as assistance getting here, transportation contacts, and recommendations and contacts for cultural experiences and activities to enjoy. You will feel safe and held by us.

The Space

Our space is unique, comfortable, and fun! It was originally built by the local owners to be a cafe. They changed their minds and decided to make it a house, so later they built 2 bedrooms in the back. There is an open kitchen / living room space, and behind are the two rooms that are closed off from the living room by a door. These two rooms each have a queen size bed, and a doorway (without a solid door) dividing them. There is a bathroom off of one of these rooms. 

Each of these back bedrooms has a door that leads to a small, private back garden nestled between the main house and a back / guest third bedroom that we added to the property, that's completely private (with it's own bathroom). We have a giant tub in this back, private garden that is heated with a fire.

There is a third bathroom just outside the main living room door, which was part of the original cafe design :). 

Amenities are not modern here, but we've done our best to make our home comfortable. We have clean, filtered drinking water, a large refrigerator, a 4-burner stove and oven, Instapot, Vitamix blender, food-processor, an ozone machine (we use this to wash fruits and veggies, to kill pathogens), hot water in the shower, internet, a few musical instruments, and one of the only pianos in the entire village - and it's a Yamaha (there's a story here). 

We have a silk hanging in the main space for climbing and swinging, a hammock on the front porch facing the lake, and one in the back garden, a small trampoline / rebounder, and lots of art/craft supplies, children's books, board games, puzzles, and a few toys. We kindly ask that you don't wear shoes in the house (nor on the little trampoline). We think our space is pretty special.

Guest Access

Our house unfortunately, is not wheelchair accessible, and is a 2-5 minute walk from the main road, depending on which way you enter. 

We are located on a large property owned by a local family (Oscar & Maria Ester). They live on one end of the property, closest to the main road. Our house is located on the opposite end of the large property from Oscar and Maria, closest to the beach. There are 3 small casitas between us, and lots of green space. Oscar and Maria Ester’s property is uniquely large and quite special.

There are two ways to enter the house: From the main road, you enter the property, where you may see Oscar, Maria, or any of their 3 young adult children, or other extended family members. You are welcome to enter this way. They love meeting new people from different parts of the world. Maria may be preparing a large batch of chuchitos or tamales and would be happy to show you how. Continue walking toward the lake and you’ll pass by 3 small casitas on the property as you walk 1-2 minutes to our house…
OR, 
You can have the opposite experience - total privacy - and walk down a narrow path from the main road to the beach, walk along the shore a few seconds, and come up to the house this way (without seeing anyone else on the property). This way is a 3-4 minute walk from the main road.

We utilize both ways, depending on mood and time of day.

Notes

We have a kitty named Raya. She is friendly and even affectionate if she trusts you. She is mostly an outdoor cat, except when she decides to nap inside during the day or night. The rest of the time she's guarding the house and hunting, and having mysterious adventures. She has a tiny pet-door that she enters and exits the house through on her own. There is no litter box in the home, so nothing to clean up. We simply make sure she has food and water in her bowls. I'm actually slightly allergic so we keep our house extremely clean (no pet hair on the sofa or pet smells, for example).

Features

Show all features including those not in this home

Fridge

WiFi

Bed sheets

Oven

Towels

Washer

Workspace

Coffee machine

Garden / yard

Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace

First aid kit

Fire extinguisher

Toys

Covered porch / verandah

Travel Styles

Long term

Weekend

Adventure

Budget

Family

Romantic

Sport and leisure

Relaxing

Eco

Village

Mountains

Beach

Water

Culture

Hiking

House Rules

Suitable for infants under 2

Suitable for children ages 2-12

Pets not allowed

No smoking

Allergens

Dog free

Carpet free

Smoke free

Fragrance free

Low allergen

Hypoallergenic

Dates of Availability

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Neighbourhood

Walking down the beach you'll pass by vegetable gardens, corn crops, houses in the distance, Luna y Sol (restaurant and small hostel), and you'll see old fishing canoes or water taxis on the lake. If you walk down the main road from the property you will find cafes and shops, and a large fruit/veggie stall a 1 minute walk down the main road from where we live! This is extremely convenient. The other option for food shopping is going up to the center of town (near parque central) where you will find countless vendors selling whatever you desire.

You can get a ride in a tuk tuk to other parts of town, or walk everywhere. From one end of town to the other is about a 30 minute walk.

We live off of a road called Camino a la Finca / "the finca road." In one direction, away from town, the finca road ends and leads to a walking path (it's a nice hike) that takes you to an old coffee plantation / farm that is no longer operating (hence the name). Down the finca road in the other direction, you are heading toward the lower and upper parts of town - you can walk uphill toward the center of town, or zig-zag through narrow paths that take you to bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops. You can find live music most nights in various places, and always someone with whom to share a coffee or drink.

Getting to my home

I'll guide you every step of the way. You book your flight and I can arrange everything else, if you wish for this kind of assistance. Guatemala is directly south of Mexico. You fly into La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City (GUA). If you arrive late at night, I recommend staying 1 night near the airport (I have recommendations). One hour drive away is Antigua which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and worth seeing on the front or back-end of your trip (or both). Staying in Antigua is a nice way to break up your trip, because San Pedro la Laguna is a 3.5 hour drive from the airport (or 2.5 from Antigua).

I can set help you set up transportation, reservations, etc. We usually take a private car or shared taxi when traveling to or from the airport. There are also group shuttles and public buses.

Nearest airport

La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (GUA).

Getting Around

You can walk anywhere in town from our house. Tuk tuks are the main mode of transportation if you don't feel like walking. If you want to visit another village on the lake, you take a "lancha" which is a water taxi. There are 12 other villages on the lake, each one special and worth seeing.

Map of Approximate Location

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Feedback

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Premium

Jennifer

Hola! We are a family of 3, originally from the U.S., living on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala for 7 years now. Our son is 10 years old. We are conscientious, respectful, and clean. We love traveling, cooking, and enjoy exploring new places. We are happy to share our little slice of paradise with you. I am happy to provide you with a thorough breakdown of everything you need to know to visit Guatemala, and recommendations and contacts for cultural experiences and activities to enjoy. I can even arrange transportation and other reservations for you if you wish. You will feel safe and held by us. We live in a quiet part of town, surrounded by corn fields and gardens, at the base of the San Pedro volcano (inactive) - and yet we are walking distance to anything you need.