The Full Itinerary
April 2025 Family Hub
Lake Atitlan Summer Program, April 15 -24, 2025
Alright families! Here is your itinerary for your Lake Atitlan cultural immersion adventure!
Day 1
April 15, 2025 TUESDAY
Arrival and welcome!
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Morning
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Arrival in Guatemala City and shuttle transfer to San Juan La Laguna.
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Check into Lake View Accommodations
Welcome charcuterie spread with fresh fruit, bread, cheeses, veggies, smoothies and juices.
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Orientation, review of guidelines and safety information.
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Evening:
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Dinner/Ice-breaker: paired local "host" families come to accommodation to welcome you to get to know one another.
Day 2
April 16, 2025 WEDNESDAY
Exploring our surroundings
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
Tuk-tuk tours around town
Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Kayaking
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Lunch
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Afternoon
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Spanish Immersion Classes: focus on conversational skills
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Community Potluck Dinner at Hotel/restaurants
Free time to enjoy the town
Day 3
April 17, 2025 THURSDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
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Tuk-tuk tours around town
Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Kayaking
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Lunch
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Afternoon 1:00-3:30
Kids: Supervised craft time in art room​
Adults:Spanish Immersion Classes: focus on conversational skills
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A special live music presentation
Families can order pizzas of choice and we will have them delivered to the hotel.
Wood-fire Pizza orders Q100 each, includes delivery and tip.
Day 4
April 18, FRIDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
Tuk-tuk tours around town
Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Kayaking
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Lunch
TIME OUT IN SAN JUAN WITH FAMILIES TO EXPLORE THE MAGICAL COLOURS OF GOOD FRIDAY IN TOWN
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Potluck dinner or eating out
There will be lots of yummy corn and street food out for the event.
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Day 5
April 19, SATURDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
10:00am CACAO WORKSHOP WITH PETRONA​
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Lunch
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Afternoon free to observe the easter traditions happening around San Juan.​
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Community Dinner at Hotel or meals out
Day 6
April 20, SUNDAY
Outdoor Adventure
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Morning
4:00am wake up for pickup ride to Indian Nose lookout point that overlooks all of lake Atitlan. Pancake breakfast and coffee served at summit.
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Return - Morning of rest.
Lunch
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Afternoon Open for exploring
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7:00pm
A hot soak at the Solar pools in San Pedro. (Thermo-baths in a beautiful secret garden environment)
Day 7
April 21, MONDAY
​​Community Involvement Day
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Morning
Breakfast at lodging
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Visit local public school and play dynamic movement games with local children.​
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Shared snack at school with local kids
Afternoon open/free to explore San Pedro
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Free evening
Day 8
April 22, TUESDAY
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Morning
Breakfast served in kitchen
Paired local families arrive to take guests around town to their favourite spots, introduce them to friends, family, etc. Guest families will be invited into local "host" family's homes for coffee and sweetbread to experience how local Guatemalans live. Toy share activity: guests present gifts they brought to share with their host families in return for their tremendous hospitality.
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Host families will Prepare lunch for Guest families and serve them in their homes.
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Bonfire
Opportunity to share highlights.
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Day 9
April 23, WEDNESDAY
Early Breakfast​
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Boat tour around the lake, swimming at San Marcos blue water nature reserve, visit ceramics factory in San Antonio, shop traditional textiles in Santiago Atitlan. As not all participants always choose to join, this activity is 20$ per person paid on the day of.
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Packed picnic lunch.
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Boat ride back to San Juan
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Final dinner at "Ancestral Delight"/Staff appreciation.
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Phrases learned in Spanish recited by participating children expressing their gratitude towards the staff or something they learned about the Country.
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Day 10
April 24, THURSDAY
Morning
Early Breakfast served in kitchen
Final goodbyes
Shuttles leaving at 9:00am and 10:00am back to Guatemala City
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​RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATION LIST
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Dos:
Zamboni - Lunch and supper (San Juan)
Idea Connection: lunch, bakery, place to buy butter (San Pedro)
Comedor Doña Érica - Lunch (San Juan)
La Farfalla - Breakfast and Lunch (San Juan)
El Gato Perdido: Lunch and Supper (San Juan) Pita Sabij: Closed Mondays (San Pedro) Tornados Cafe: coffee (San Pedro)
Du Monde: same as idea connection but located close to the market in San Pedro
Al Tempo: sourdough bread, really good pizza (San Pedro)
Don’t:
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El Muelle
Xe Kuku Abaaj
Ristorante Dionisio
Sababa & Sababa bakery
Shanti Shanti
Meet your host families!
Lake Atitlan Summer Program, April 15-24, 2025
Familia Hi-Tuch
Dorly is an incredibly resourceful woman! She is the mother of Frank (12) and Yona (4). She is our neighbor and is always up for a coffee, visit, walk... She is great with her sewing machine and enjoys tutoring Spanish and helping her mother-in-law Concepcion with the weaving workshops she teaches in her kitchen.
She is energetic and enthusiastic in her teaching and we appreciate that we have such a lovely family living beside us!
Familia Cruz-Matzar
Cecilia (middle) is a beautiful soul that just never gives up. Her perseverance in life is nothing short of inspiring. Her mother (right) is Rosario and they live together just down the road from our family's home. Ceci has 3 children: Christopher (10), Geronimo (7) and Carolina (2, Not shown in picture)
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The Cruz family (Yes, Elvira and Rosario are sisters) are well known in San Pedro for their work in preserving tradition, the Mayan Calendar and everything Nahual-related. Their family work goes back generations and they are proud to hold this vocation in their community.
Familia Cruz-Matzar (2.0)
Carolina (middle) is a woman that loves to laugh, gets embarrassed easily and has a great sense of humor! She is sisters with Cecilia and lives in the same home with her and her mother Rosario. Carolina also has 3 children:
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Tono: (18)
Micho: (15)
Chayito: (12)
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Carolina works with us at the hotel and is a great friend to our youngest 3 girls. We appreciate her care and desire for her children to get ahead and it is evident through her focused work at the hotel and as a mother.
Familia Cox
Kevin and Angelica are amazing to chat with! Enthusiastic, loving kind people that you could just chill with for hours. Kevin is an excellent conversationalist and loves to share local stories and history with our guests. For the last year, Kevin and Angelica have shown up every single morning from 6-7 at the hotel together to ensure there is fresh coffee made and smiling faces present to greet early rising guests. Together they have one daughter Violeta, aged 10 and one (very new) baby boy! They love meeting new people from around the world! During the day Angelica weaves traditional textiles and Kevin drives his tuk-tuk around San Juan as a local taxi driver.
Familia Tzaj-Yotz
Lucia is Julietta's (Toh Family) sister and will be teaming up with her to help ensure the best experience possible for their guest family. (Toh family and Tzaj-Yotz family come as a pair!)
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Lucia has 3 children:
Silveria (16)
Eder Noe (12)
Juan Diego (7)
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Lucia is a loving mother that grew up in a family that regularly hosted international guests in their mother's guesthouse alongside her sister Julietta. She and her children are excited to meet and get to know their guest family!
CLOTHES PACK LIST
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7-8 Pairs socks and underwear
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4 Pants
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Comfortable hiking pants
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3 pairs of shorts
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8 shirts/tops
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Toiletries, brush, hair ellastics
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Swimwear
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Sandals -hiking type recommended for versatility
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Sport Bras
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Base layer of thermo-wear
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Jacket AND sweater
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Walking shoes
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Earplugs and headphones
Check out our promo video showcasing our area, activities and accommodations!
GENERAL INFORMATION
​Join us for an incredible 9 days of work hard - play hard fun! We are so proud to offer this experience. Once registered, you will be invited to the Registered Families' WhatsApp group party-line where registered guests are posting ideas, preparation hike photos, tips and questions for the hosts to answer. ​​
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Lake Atitlan remains extremely traditional and conservative in nature. Please remember that we are guests and as such we should dress and behave respectfully towards the hosts. Please dress modestly during your time here.
Bringing a small gift is optional but recommended to give to some of the families we support in our community. (Quality socks, a no-longer used smartphone, children's toys or a quality kitchen utensil/gadget.)
We hope you love Guatemala for what it is and don't hate it for what it is not: Come with an attitude of adventure and expect some things to NOT go smoothly at all times. Guatemala is a developing country and amenities and infrastructure are developing. While the accommodations we book and offer during your visit are considered luxury to the local population, they are not immune to occasional water cuts, internet cuts, power outages, etc. Guatemala is a vibrant place and roosters cawking, dogs barking, music playing and fireworks being set off at all times of the day is considered normal. Please bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
Our goal as your hosts is for you to leave our place BETTER, in so many ways.
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Please note: Parents are responsible for their children's behaviour and safety. By registering you confirm that you have read through the trip guidelines and assume all responsibilities for the well-being of your family and will adhere to the behavioural guidelines for your safety and the comfort of the other guests attending this hub.
Cultural Immersion Retreats