Connection Tours

Super excited to be co creating Holistic Adventures
​ with Venga Atitlan

Want to plan your own tour?
Venga Atitlan offers walks, rock climbing. aerial yoga and Paddle boarding an amazing way to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Shangri-La Atitlan is the local coffee roasting and production place that buys local coffee. As San Marcos is very much a coffee community they help tremendously to provide income and great coffee from farm to cup right here in town.

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​​How to “Help” in San Marcos


San Marcos is an Indigenous community along the beautiful shores of Lago Atitlan. Its population is around 4,500 inhabitants while tourism in high season, adds another three to four hundred tourists or short term visitors to the population.
Like every town around the lake, it has its own energy. Most would say this is the “spiritual” place to stay. Now, that being said, there is a lot of “spiritual shaming” that takes place here. From time to time, people who come in spend a few hours here and then report how “unspiritual” all the spiritual people are. (Seriously who are these people running around town claiming to be so spiritual anyway?)
Even some of the people who live here year round want to vomit when hearing the “new age” unauthentic, egotistical, just plain silly things that come out of people’s mouths. And that is saying A LOT as San Marcos is a place where pretty much absolutely any subject can be discussed openly.
Now, being very clear, discussion does not equal agreement. Like anywhere in the world, people have different opinions based on their own experiences and your truth may not be everyone else’s. Much time is often wasted trying to convince others that your way is correct instead of just listening to someone else’s perspective. So here are a few tips to stay sane and maintain your cool when triggering situations arise.
  1.  Normally, actions speak louder than words. Yet, when it comes to “helping” stop acting and start listening and talking to people.  The world over, is filled with NGOs, Religion Missionaries and egotistic do-gooders that want to insist their way is “the” way to save people less fortunate. So instead of jumping in and starting a project that will not work, focus on what the local people want. I once heard from a Peace Core Volunteer that, no project is started unless it is requested, at least three times, by the villagers. There is no point in investing your time and energy in a project that has no value to the local community.
  2.  Giving someone a fish is much different than teaching them how to fish. Unemployment, lack of education, alcoholism, violence, drug abuse, malnutrition, poverty, crime and the list goes on are a very real problem for MOST societies. So what sustainable solutions can you come up with that will create immediate and most importantly long term change? Empower people to make the changes they need to better their own lives. You are not here to “save” anyone and they do not need to be “saved” If they do not want, or ask, for your help, leave them alone.
  3.  Connection is the solution for most societal problems. Having people feel like they belong, are loved, are valued and have a role to play are incredibly important to self-esteem and empowerment. So sit, talk, listen, smile and share. Kindness is very effective.
  4.  Become informed. To the outsider, San Marcos may look like it does nothing for the local community yet there are many businesses and individuals who do their best to support local initiates. This includes employment, fundraising, educational sponsorship, training, classes and small things such as buying a slice of pizza at Konojel. Your money has power so give to those who give back if this is important to you. (Most who give authentically are not running around town telling everyone how much they do for San Marcos)
  5.  Be real. Yes there are problems here and when you have solved all the issues in your home community, have all the answers, are enlightened and have all the time and energy it takes to make the world better here… please come. Otherwise, be a good human and just do the best you can.
  6.  You can give your time, energy or financially. If you choose to give money to people or projects that are not transparent in their accounting, cool. This is completely your choice. Give it lovingly without expectation of what and how they should spend it. If the integrity of the organization or people you want to support is important to you, ask around, do some research and see if their values and ethics are consistent with your own. Have a time or talent you want to share? Ask for suggestions or offer your service on the San Marcos Atitlan Community page on Facebook.
  7.   Child Labour is a heated subject here. Some children are put to work to support their families. They may sell you chocolates, bread or nick nacks on the street.  Every sale is a bigger incentive for their families to insist that they keep working. Consider giving to La Cambalacha , which hosts a cultural arts program for kids instead. Kids grow up to fast here and having simple childhood fun is extremely beneficial to their development. Escuela Caracol and Konojel Nutrition programs also are happy to accept donations.
  8.  Interested in helping furry friends? Even if those cute little puppy eyes melt your heart, please know that adopting a dog or cat is a long term commitment. It may be heartbreaking to see skinny, malnourished, sick animals on the streets yet it is even more traumatizing to see them after you leave. A pet is like a child, you would not send your kid to live on the street after 6 months so please do not do it to the animals. If you want to help, Ayuda has various sterilization and vaccination clinics around the lake. They do not operate in San Marcos so you have to be willing to take the animals to wherever the clinics are.
  9.  Adopting and feeding animals at hotels is not generally appreciated as you are then shifting the responsibility onto someone else. Part of being a responsible pet owner is picking up after your dog, so if you are not willing to pick up its poop, perhaps you are not ready for parenthood just yet.
  10. Your ecological footprint. When we throw things “away,” there is no “away.” Here, much of your garbage goes to the landfill in Guatemala City. It is the biggest landfill in all of Central America. Recycling happens on a minute scale here as in other places in the world so it is not the solution. San Pedro and San Marcos both have passed laws for no plastic, straws or Styrofoam. However the power is in your hands. Say no to plastic bags, take your own. Remember how to drink without a straw (just lift the cup to your lips.) Take your backpack to the shop with you. Use cloth bags for produce and take your own container and cups. Carry your own utensils and cloth napkins. Every little bit counts. Reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, refuse, refurbish and RETHINK the way we treat the earth.
There are many people who live here year round that care about this community. Many have spent numerous hours listening to people here and doing their best to raise the standard of living for those here. It is easy to judge with eyes from the first world and see all that is “wrong” here. Yet, the economy has grown substantially, teenage pregnancy has been reduced and education levels have gone from an average of grade two to grade nine. So change is happening. People are working together and many are making a difference on either an individual, family or community level. No place in the world is perfect, challenges only make us stronger.
Everyone has a role to play in this world. It is not a big role or a small role, it’s just your role. 
smholisticcentre at gmail.com 502 3183 7662 (Phone) kjbird at yahoo.com