storyteller within
Journey into Sacred Expression
eco-living at The Yoga Forest, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
In the rural highlands of Guatemala, The Yoga Forest perches high in the jungle overlooking Lake Atitlan and three majestic volcanoes. A stunning location hidden away in the valley behind San Marcos La Laguna, The Yoga Forest offers beautiful shared cabins with comfortable beds, panoramic views, delicious vegetarian meals, yoga, and Mayan sauna in dream surroundings. Inspired by the creative union of yogic and permaculture principles, The Yoga Forest is eco-friendly living in harmony with nature.
the local village
San Marcos la Laguna is a small Mayan village on Lake Atitlán in the western highlands of Guatemala. It has become a Mecca for international travelers attracted by its beauty, tranquility and diverse options for spiritual exploration and therapy. It is often quoted as the most naturally attractive and peaceful village on the lake.
adventure into beauty
The Yoga Forest is a 2o minute gorgeous hike into the valley from San Marcos, with an entrance of stone steps leading up, up to this surreal spot, where the adventurer is richly rewarded with dreamlike views over the lake and volcanoes. A basic level of fitness is good.
accommodation & facilities
Retreat guests will stay in shared cabanas of up to 4 people. Made of bamboo frames, adobe walls, cypress, and thatched palm roofs, each cabana features Guatemala furniture, Mayan fabrics, and Indian textiles. There are no private bathrooms. Showers and compost facilities are outdoors with beautiful views. Cabana living is attuned to the natural electricity-free rhythm of day & night.
delicious meals
All meals are vegetarian. The Yoga Forest is dedicated to growing food organically and understanding the organic nature of our relationships to our food, our environment and the people within it.
off-the-grid living
The Yoga Forest aims to help grow and inspire deep green yogis – people dedicated to viewing the environment and their relationship to it in a sustainable manner.
The Yoga Forest has been built using various natural and traditional building methods. We use solar energy for simple electricity and hot water, natural grey water filtering systems for our kitchen and two outdoor showers. We cook outdoors with a beautiful rocket stove and barrel oven installation. We blend our smoothies using a bicycle blender with much joy. We use compost facilities with outstanding views and minimize waste.
This is a real chance to disconnect and re-treat yourself to the experience of going inwards. Internet is available on one main computer, and electricity is used only in the cafe. We encourage you to connect into your natural rhythms during this retreat. Living amidst nature, spiders and scorpions can be present in the forest.
what to bring
Bring a backpack or duffel bag (rather than a wheelie suitcase) & a spirit of adventure! Please bring your own biodegradable toiletries, a towel, and layers of clothing to suit varying temperatures during the day and night. Natural insect repellent is nice to have and a headlamp is a necessity. Hiking or running shoes are handy for walks in the valley.
The Yoga Forest is a 20 minute hike out of town, so we advise bringing anything you might need on hand.
There is one ATM in San Marcos and none of the businesses take credit cards so we advise you to arrive with a modest amount of cash for extras.
Note: Neither Storyteller Within nor The Yoga Forest are responsible for any loss, damage or theft to personal items.