San Juan Lake Atitlan – Local Artisans and Natural Remedies

Start the day with a boat trip from Panajachel to San Juan. Here you visit a women’s weaving cooperative and how they continue traditional methods of dying thread with native plants. Observe the process of extracting dyes and the elaborate weaving of recycled materials into the products, creating styles unique to San Juan. Watch the textiles being woven using traditional back-strap and foot looms.

Afterwards, walk through the open sky museum, enjoying the stunning paintings on the walls of the houses. Next up is a garden specialising in medicinal plants. An association of midwives and health educators continue to use ancient methods, successfully used for generations in the production of plant based products. Discover the magical healing properties of their plant based creams, shampoos, teas, and other products. If you want to know more about your own energy, the elders can discuss the sacred plants that balance your Mayan “nawal” or sign.

After lunch with a local family, take a maize tour through the “milpas” or cornfields. Learn about Mayan cosmovision and why the Maya consider corn a sacred part of their culture. Afterwards, relax and enjoy traditional corn dishes prepared for you by local women, such as delicious tortillas, chuchitos, and traditional drinks. Return with boat to Panajachel.

What’s Included