About Us
Growing up, our founder Abigail believed that progress meant moving away from her indigenous roots.
Her dreams included owning a car, upgrading from an adobe house to one made of concrete, and getting as far from agricultural work as possible.
By 26 years old, Abigail was a successful young leader. She was selected to participate in a climate change resilience programme, and sent on a 5-week placement to Australia to learn about sustainability in action.
There she was amazed to see modern farms tackling climate challenges with the same traditional techniques her mother used. Sitting halfway across the world, in a beautiful adobe house just like the ones she’d left behind, Abigail was suddenly longing to reconnect with her community.
From that moment of realisation, Casa Maya was born.
Abigail came back to Guatemala and got to work. She set up a sustainable vegetable garden outside her house, and teamed up with 10 local families to invest in remodelling a home for guests.
In 2017, the first Casa Maya homestay opened in San Juan La Laguna, with a second host family joining in 2019 in the nearby town of Tecpán. By 2021, we hope to have a network of 10 homestays across the two destinations.
Communities
Welcome to San Juan La Laguna and Tecpán, our two locations in Guatemala.
San Juan La Laguna
San Juan La Laguna is set on the western shore of Lake Atitlán and is home to the Tz'utujil Maya community. The village has a vibrant arts scene, with several small galleries and colourful street art. There’s also a women’s weaving cooperative where you can shop for traditional handmade textiles.
Nearby you can enjoy hikes to the Mayan Face or Cerro de la Cruz viewpoints, take a boat ride or watch the sunrise over the lake.
Tecpán
Located 45 km east of Lake Atitlán, Tecpán is home to the Kakchikel Maya people. The town was the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in Guatemala, founded in 1525.
Nearby you can visit the remains of the Kakchikel capital city, Iximché, set on a hilltop just outside the town.
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