Guatemala isn’t anywhere near the birthplace of yoga, but the teachings of this wonderful practice have travelled thousands of miles to meet their match at Lake Atitlan; a picturesque home to Guatemala yoga retreats and schools. The tranquillity of the lake is the perfect place to regain some inner zen after the madness of urban Guatemala, so be sure to head to this Guatemala yoga paradise before you go on to travel the rest of Central America.
Claire Martin

Lake Atitlan offers an oasis for those looking for an escape from the chaos of Quetzaltenango for a Guatemala yoga retreat. Image © Claire Martin

Claire Martin works on her asanas in San Pedro, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Image © Claire Martin
Yoga in Guatemala
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Quetzaltenango to Panajachel
Guatemala is a mad country. I spent four weeks in Quetzaltenango, its second-biggest city, and quickly learned that it is completely socially acceptable to salsa dance at all hours of the day and night, loud music has to be blaring from every street corner and there is no limit to the number of times a bus can honk its horn in one minute, even at 5 am.
Don’t get me wrong, Guatemala is a beautiful nation, my favourite in fact. Despite its madness, Guatemala is incredibly safe and I relished and adored the chaos of the country, but after four weeks of manic city life I was desperately seeking some inner zen.
So, I travelled from Quetzaltenango to Panajachel in Lake Atitlan, where those dreams were met. It’s there I experienced a completely different dimension to the Central American country. Even just driving towards Lake Atitlan, I felt a sense of amazing calm wash over me. As I descended upon the lake, which has been deemed by many as one of the most beautiful in the world, I felt pretty awe-stricken. The waters glistened and sparkled like a thousand fairies were dancing on the ripples, and the volcanoes fringed the lake and proudly pointed straight up into the blue sky. This beat all of the exotic beaches I’d ever walked on, or every snow-capped mountain my eyes had witnessed. I felt like I’d just stepped into paradise. This seemed like the perfect place to reconnect with myself through a yoga retreat Guatemala style.
Although I maintain that Guatemala is safe, Panajachel is where I felt my safety the most compromised. The town is the ‘hub’ of Lake Atitlan, but definitely the least scenic. For that reason, coupled with the fact that there didn’t seem to be much in the way of yoga meant that the town wasn’t for me, so I quickly caught a boat heading to San Pedro.
San Pedro
San Pedro is split into two: the area around the Panajachel dock and the other around the Santiago dock. The Panajachel dock area hosts most of the budget accommodation and typical tourist restaurants, but the Santiago dock area offers vegan cafes, a yoga school, and an abundance of smoothie and juice bars.
If you’re in the pursuit of clean eating and downward dogs, San Pedro has what you require for a day or so. The area around the Buddha bar is pedestrian-friendly, brightly coloured with quirky signs, and it is a pleasant spot for a stroll.
Vegetarian and gluten or dairy-free food is fairly easy to locate. However, the town is rather expensive; and the one yoga school is aware that it has the monopoly in San Pedro.
If you’re after yoga in San Pedro, the aptly named San Pedro Yoga is your answer. The classes are professionally taught in a wonderful air-conditioned studio. However, at $US5 a class, they’re a bit on the expensive side. Still, the classes enjoy unbeatable views of the lake, so if you’re only looking for a picturesque spot for a little Lake Atitlan yoga, San Pedro could be the answer.
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Perfect blue-hued view across Lake Atitlan to the volcano from San Marcos, Guatemala. Image © Claire Martin
Yoga in San Marcos
No more than twenty minutes by boat from San Pedro is the sleepy village of San Marcos la laguna. At first glance, it seems an extraordinarily quiet area with very little going on. However, the village is fabled to be built upon sacred land and has become a mecca for all things spiritual. Today, it hosts many yoga retreats and meditation classes.
The village itself submits to complete relaxation and serenity. There aren’t really any cars; dirt paths and handmade painted signs guide you to the yoga classes and different cafes around the village. It’s a perfect destination to forget about any niggles of day-to-day life and focus on being in the present moment.
Retreat: Yoga Inversions for Beginners

Bathroom with a view at The Yoga Forest, Guatemala. Image © Claire Martin
Where to Stay in San Marcos
Hostal Del Lago
Hostal Del Lago is situated just outside the village and provides serene yoga classes twice a day, with an unbeatable lake view. This is ideal spot to practice yoga in San Marcos, particularly for those who wish to just drop into a yoga class.
Mahadevi Ashram
Mahadevi Ashram is an eco-friendly sanctuary focusing on spiritual growth through yoga, meditation, and peaceful living. The site is strictly alcohol, tobacco, meat, and fish-free and promotes a detox for the mind and body. The course is an all-inclusive two-week intensive Guatemala yoga retreat and takes place right at the gorgeous shores of Lake Atitlan.

Room at The Yoga Forest, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Image © Claire Martin
Yoga Forest
The Yoga Forest was my favourite Lake Atitlan yoga experience. It is a retreat-based community, and offers a drool-worthy location, a peaceful community, and fantastic classes. This yoga retreat is isolated; a 20-minute walk from Lake Atitlan itself, but there is everything you need there for an off-the-grid yoga experience.
At The Yoga Forest, the day begins with 6 am meditation, followed immediately by morning yoga. Breakfast generally consists of tropical fruit and oatmeal with homemade honey and peanut butter. All of the fresh fruit and vegetables served at The Yoga Forest are made in the forest itself; they grow fresh papaya and serve some of the most delicious avocados I tried in Guatemala (I ate a lot, the country is known for them).
Prayers follow breakfast, and then the mornings are free to spend as you please; forest tours are available, or the peaceful surroundings make for the perfect place to catch up on reading or writing in a journal (there is no WiFi at The Yoga Forest). Lunch is a Guatemalan-inspired vegetarian feast, and the afternoons are taken up by restorative yoga.
During the week, there are different activities happening including the chance to use an authentic Mayan sauna. Dinner is just as delicious as lunch, and bedtime is early, ready to be up for early morning meditation the next day.
As The Yoga Forest is a community, retreaters are expected to clean up after themselves and long-term guests undertake daily chores such as making the lunch salad or gardening. Prayers are said before every meal, and ceremonies are had at full moon or half-moon. The community vibe and the layout of The Yoga Forest are something pretty special, but what extenuates this is that it is set in paradise.
I arrived at The Yoga Forest with food poisoning which had given me a bad case of the travelling grumps. Five days and a dozen mugs of papaya leaf tea later and I left reminded of how lucky I was to be on this adventure, feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
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Lake Atitlan yoga at the Yoga Forest.

Santa Cruz offers visitors a quiet escape from the tourist trail and yoga classes footsteps from the water at Lake Atitlan. | © Claire Martin
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is well off the tourist trail. The village is nearly vertical, built into one of the steep inclines surrounding the lake. It has little in the way of tourist accommodation, with one exception; La Iguana Perdida. This is a different kind of community; it is less focused on spirituality and more on Lake Atitlan activities. However, there are still fantastic yoga classes that are definitely worth a mention.
These Lake Atitlan yoga classes are done right on the shores of this quiet village. During the class, you have the chance to gaze straight over the crystal waters of the lake, marvel at the awe-inspiring volcanoes, and breathe in the fresh air. The classes are taught by professionals and offered cheaply, making La Iguana Perdida one of the best places for some morning yoga in Lake Atitlan.

La Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan encourages guests to explore the local area and offers yoga classes by the lake. Image © Claire Martin

La Iguana Perdida offers an ideal view of the lake, surrounding landscape and volcanos across the water. Image © Claire Martin

Could this be the most idyllic yoga spot? Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. | © Claire Martin

Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
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