Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Chakras: Sacral, Throat, Crown
Lake Atitlán or ‘between the waters’ in Nahuatl language is marked as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is the deepest lake in all of Central America. Lake Atitlán is actually a filled volcanic caldera fed by two rivers, and was formed by an eruption almost 84,000 years ago. Three volcanoes—Volcán Atitlán, Volcán San Pedro, and Volcán Tolimán—surround the lake like watchful guardians.
Lake Atitlán holds much significance as it is a place of great energy and history. The Cakchiquel and Tz’utujil Mayans first resided near the lake almost 4000 years ago. Stories of lost villages, ancient creatures and magic surround this lake.
The lost Mayan pilgrimage site of ‘Samabaj’ was discovered just over a decade ago. The Mayan ‘bible’ Popul Vuh tells the story of the creation of the Earth. From the inky expanse of the ocean, the creator gods Tepeu and Q’uq’umatz parted the waters and called the lands to rise. The site of Lake Atitlan was a physical representation of this creator story and became an important pilgrimage site for Mayans sometime in the 5th century BCE and the centuries after. Spanning 30 acres wide, the pilgrimage site sat on top of a lone island peak in the middle of the lake, surrounded by a ring of volcanoes. The site had a plaza, amphitheater, temples and monuments for worshipping and ceremony. In the 250-300 CE, Volcan Atitlan exploded and the island disappeared under emerging water levels. The island site was lost and preserved in time until artifacts were discovered by a scuba diver in 1998, and in 2007 architectural discoveries were made.
The lake also has its own resident mythical creature named chakona or arcoirs, a dragon-like creature that lives in a cave on the north shore and lurks deep within the waters.
The lake has become home to one of the largest indigenous Mayan populations, with the town at over 90% Mayan (primarily Caqchiquel and Tzutujil). The Mayan traditions around cycles, seasons, agriculture, weaving, family, healing and religion still rule the way of life here. Stepped terraces are built into the hill towns surrounding the lakes, growing everything from squash, beans and corn to strawberries. The local trickster deity Maximon, a Mayan-Catholic creation, watches over the people and answers their prayers. Shamans (spiritual guidance and healing), Curanderos (plant healers), and Bone Setters (fixes and sets broken bones) form the healthcare trio for many Mayans. And the tradition of weaving has become commercialized and along with tourism is a main financial source for Mayans living here.
There are twelve towns that surround Lake Atitlan, ten of which are primarily Mayan. These towns include: San Pedro La Laguna, Santa Catarina Palopó, San Juan La Laguna, Santiago Atitlán, San Marcos La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna, San Antonio Palopó, Jaibalito, Tzununá, Panajachel, San Pablo La Laguna, and Santa Clara La Laguna. All of the towns can be visited by ferry boat or ‘lancha.’ Boats run from 6:30AM - 7:30PM, every 30ish minutes, everyday.
Viewpoint at Cerro de la Cruz in San Juan La Laguna (20-minute walk up to the top)
Hike through terraced onion fields to a waterfall in San Marcos La Laguna.
Local pottery shop in San Marcos La Laguna.
Lake Atitlan is a beautiful and sacred place to slow down and admire the beauty and peace in everyday life. If you slow down and become present, the people will help show you how.
Ancient Prophecy
One day people of all colors of the sacred corn—red, white, yellow and brown (black)—will come to our land. And when they come, they will arrive on big birds and flying boats. They will come from many lands. When this day is upon us, it will be a time of great change once again and the world will need to remember the Old Ways.
This will be a time when all colors of the corn will be called to come together as one Tree of Life. It will be at a time when our own youth will have begun to forget the sacred ways. The people of these other lands will come because they will have forgotten, too. They will come to remember and to receive the ancient wisdoms.
When this time and these people come, you are to receive them and teach them. Those who come will have been called by the spirits. What we have cared for and sustained of the ancient sacred ways of our ancestors will again be needed, for the world will be out of balance and in pain. It is in this way that we will all come together as one Tree of Life, reborn of all colors of the corn. In our joining and our remembering we will find balance once again.
