A cacao ceremony at Lake Atitlán sounds, from the outside, like an extraordinary thing. Sacred plant medicine. Heart-opening ritual. Ancestral Mayan wisdom. And the lake — well, the lake provides a setting that makes almost anything feel spiritual. I understand why thousands of travelers arrive at Atitlán every year specifically hoping to experience one. What … Read more
The temazcal has been part of life in Guatemala for as long as anyone in my family can remember. Not as a wellness amenity. Not as a spiritual tourism offering. As something you went to when your body needed to be cleaned out, when a woman was recovering from childbirth, when someone came back from … Read more
Mayan ceremonies in Guatemala are not a travel trend. They are the living spiritual heartbeat of my country; traditions that have survived colonial suppression, forced conversion, and five centuries of outside pressure, and are still practiced today by communities across the highlands, the lake shores, the cloud forests, and the jungles of Petén. I am … Read more
If you are traveling to Guatemala in February or March 2026, you are arriving during one of the most culturally and spiritually rich times of the year, and most visitors have no idea. Everyone plans for Semana Santa. But Cuaresma, the 40-day Lenten season that begins on Ash Wednesday February 18 and runs through March … Read more
If you are planning Holy Week in Guatemala and trying to decide where to go, Semana Santa at Lake Atitlán offers something that no other destination in the country can match: twelve indigenous villages, each with its own Holy Week traditions, spread around one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. While most travelers … Read more
Maximón is Guatemala’s most mysterious and misunderstood spiritual figure, and possibly the most fascinating thing you will encounter in the entire country. He is a wooden deity who sits in a smoke-filled room accepting offerings of cigars and liquor, and he will grant petitions that no Catholic saint would touch. Want revenge on someone who … Read more
This is a complete, day by day guide to Semana Santa in Santiago Atitlán: what happens, when it happens, and how to actually understand what you’re looking at while you’re there. If you’re planning Holy Week in Guatemala and weighing Antigua against Lake Atitlán, this is the guide for the lake side of that decision. … Read more
La Quema del Diablo in Antigua Guatemala is one of the most unique Guatemalan traditions and one of the most unforgettable festivals you can experience in December. If you are traveling to Guatemala in December and want to see a cultural event that blends community, history, fire, humor, and deep symbolism, this is it. Even … Read more
La Quema del Diablo is one of the first Guatemalan Christmas traditions that truly marks the beginning of the season, and it is also one of the most fascinating. When people ask me what La Quema del Diablo is, why Guatemalans burn the devil, or what the meaning of La Quema del Diablo really is, … Read more
Última actualización con los detalles confirmados del festival 2026. El Festival de la Luz en Antigua Guatemala 2026 es uno de los eventos más mágicos que espero cada año, y esta edición ya se ve como una de las más ambiciosas hasta ahora. En su tercer año, el festival transforma las calles históricas, iglesias y … Read more
