Guatemala Yoga Retreat at Lake Atitlán: Twice-Daily Classes, Mayan Ceremonies and Volcano Hikes

Days settle into a rhythm quickly. You are up for a 75-minute yoga class at 07:00, then brunch. The middle of the day is free — read on your terrace, use the sauna, book a massage, or walk into San Marcos La Laguna. At 15:00 there is a second class, this one working on strength and balance before winding down into restorative postures. Dinner follows, and the evening is yours. The schedule is a set of offerings, not obligations; you are told to listen to your body and rest when you need to.

What separates this from a standard yoga week is the access. Kawoq Forest is on land the Maya have protected and tended for thousands of years, and the programme is built with that community rather than around it. The Mayan fire and cacao ceremony uses dance, prayer and offerings. The Tuj is a sacred steam bath guided by prayers and offerings. The villages tour takes in San Juan, San Pedro and Santiago Atitlán — a cocoa factory, textiles and natural dyes, a coffee tour, a honey factory in San Juan; the town centre and market in San Pedro; Mayan ceremonies and veneration rituals in Santiago Atitlán. There is also an optional private Nahual reading with an Ajq'ij, interpreting your birth energy through the Sacred Cholq'ij Calendar.

The San Pedro Volcano hike is the big physical day. You take a boat from San Marcos La Laguna to San Pedro, then transport to the trailhead. It is about three hours up and two and a half down, consistently steep, topping out at 9,908 ft, with views over Lake Atitlán and the volcanoes beyond. It suits active beginners or intermediate hikers.

Samara Speller founded Sarai yoga studio and has led retreats in Morocco, Portugal and Peru. Her classes have been described as "sneakily tough" and "like an internal massage for your whole body." Purba Tyagi teaches with precision, drawing on historical, spiritual and anatomical traditions; her classes are quietly demanding, with the aim that students leave steadier in their bodies. She also handles the playlists — the house rule is no Shazam mid-practice.

Accommodation is spread across cliffside suites, forest cabins, geodesic domes and bungalows, all with lake and volcano views. Every room type uses shared compost toilet bathrooms and outdoor showers close by. High-speed internet works in the communal spaces, not in the rooms. February is dry season here: sunny days around 21–25°C, cooler nights.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation - Twice daily yoga classes with Samara & Purba - Daily vegetarian brunch, dinner and snacktime - Group airport pickup and drop-off to La Aurora National Airport (GUA) or Antigua (minimum 3 passengers) - Mayan Fire & Cacao Ceremony - Tuj Ceremony - San Pedro Volcano Hike - Sound Healing Bath - Lake Atitlán Villages Tour - Small group sauna session

What's not included

- Airfare - Travel insurance - Cafe extras such as smoothies, coffee and desserts - Chicken added to meals (additional cost, subject to availability) - Spa treatments (massages, facials, foot reflexology and more) - Private airport transfers for 1–2 people (00 per car each way) - Private Nahual Reading Ceremony