The Full Itinerary
March 2025 Family Hub
Lake Atitlan Summer Program, March 8-18, 2025
Hello Families! Here is your itinerary for the hub. Please check back regularly over the next few weeks leading up to the trip for updates on your local host families, packing lists and extra tips you might find useful!
Day 1
MARCH 8, 2025 - SATURDAY
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
MARCH 9, 2025 SUNDAY
Exploring our surroundings
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
Group 1:Guided market tours and shopping for fresh produce
Group 2:Tuk-tuk tours around town
Group 3: Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Group 4: 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 Dinner at Hotel
Free time to enjoy the town
Day 3
MARCH 10, 2025 - MONDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
Group 2: Guided market tours and shopping for fresh produce
Group 3: Tuk-tuk tours around town
Group 4: Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Group 1: 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
In-room massage timeslots available.​
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Community Dinner at Hotel
Mayan History and Folklore told by Brigita Matzar
Day 4
MARCH 11, 2025 - TUESDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Rotating small group activities:
Group 3: Guided market tours and shopping for fresh produce
Group 4: Tuk-tuk tours around town
Group 1: Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Group 2: Kayaking
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Lunch
Afternoon 1:00-3:30
Kids: Supervised craft time in art room​
Adults: Massage Time Slots $12/35mins
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Free afternoon for exploring: Time for families to organize the opportunity to observe a private Mayan Fire Ceremony, temascal, connect with their host families, relax, etc.
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Community Dinner at Hotel
A special live music presentation
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Day 5
MARCH 12, 2025 - WEDNESDAY
Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
Final day of rotating small group activities:
Group 4:Guided market tours and shopping for fresh produce
Group 1: Tuk-tuk tours around town
Group 2: Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
Group 3: Kayaking
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Lunch
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Afternoon 1:00-3:30
​Kids: Supervised craft time in art room with teachers.
Adults: Optional Spanish Immersion Classes on deck/massage timeslots
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Community Dinner at Hotel
Day 6
MARCH 13, 2025 - THURSDAY
Day of rest - time off program for families to explore, spend time with host families, relax.
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Morning
Breakfast at lodging.
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Flexible lunch spread from 12-1:30
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Afternoon 1:30 - 3:30
​Kids: Supervised craft time in art room with teachers if parents want some alone time to explore.
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Dinner meals out. See restaurant recommendations.
Day 7
MARCH 14, 2025 - FRIDAY
​​Community Service 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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Picnic lunch on the beach in San Pedro
Afternoon
Community Service: ​​
Pick up trash on the beach
Wash clothes on the lake with locals
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Free evening
Bon fire with opportunities to share highlights
Day 8
MARCH 15, 2025 - SATURDAY
Outdoor Adventure
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Morning GROUP 1
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.
HIKE OPTION AVAILABLE FOR THE NOT-SO-FAINT OF HEART! 3:00am wake up, guided by Simon.
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GROUP 2
8:00am breakfast
10:00am Boat tour of the Lake
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Lunches served:
Group 2: Picnic at one of the boat stops
Group 1: Lunch at the hotel
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Free afternoon for group 1
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Dinner out for families to connect. ​
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Day 9
MARCH 16, 2025 - SUNDAY
Outdoor Adventure
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Morning GROUP 2
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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GROUP 1
8:00am breakfast
10:00am Boat tour of the Lake
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Lunches served:
Group 1: Picnic at one of the boat stops
Group 2: Lunch at the hotel
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Free Afternoon for group 2
Day 10
MARCH 17, 2025 - MONDAY
​Morning
Free for last shopping and preparing to go home.
Breakfast served in kitchen, hanging out in the kitchen and deck is encouraged to connect with families and discussion about favorite moments.
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Afternoon
Lunch
Paired local families arrive to take guests around town to their favorite 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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Meet and have lunch back at accommodations​​​​​
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A SPECIAL MEAL OUT AT ANCESTRAL. FEEL FREE TO INVITE YOUR HOST FAMILIES OUT FOR THIS DINNER.
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Bonfire
Opportunity to share highlights.​​​
Day 11
MARCH 18, 2025 - TUESDAY
Morning
Early Breakfast served in kitchen
Final goodbyes
Shuttles leaving at
8:00am to Guatemala City
10:00am to Antigua
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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
LAUNDRY SERVICE IS AVAILBLE FOR 80 QUETZALES A LOAD.
​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, March 8 -18, 2025
Familia Toh
Jaime, Julietta and their daughter Sol are outgoing and fun people to chat with!
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Jaime runs a small transportation company and does most of the driving for our hubs. He is a huge help in getting our guests to and from the Guatemala City airport. Julietta works with a non for profit and does fantastic work helping locals access healthcare information. Her organization is focused on helping young pregnant women find resources they need.
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Their daughter, Sol, is 3 years old and as her name says, she's a little ray of sunshine!
Familia Cruz
Elvira (bottom right), the matriarch of this lovely family is an amazing masseuse and enjoys sewing in her free time to support her family. We have had the privilege of working closely with her over the last year and enjoy seeing her family at our community gatherings.
Her grandchildren are Juan Nicolas (11) and Guadalupe (5)
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This will be Elvira's children and grandchildren's first time participating as a host family and they are excited about the opportunity to learn some English phrases and show their guest family around their town of San Pedro.
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 on the way! 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.
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!
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. ​
​A few notes!
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 crowing, 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.
Cultural Immersion Retreats