San Juan La Laguna

San Juan La Laguna is the town of murals, weaving and coffee. It is Tz'utujil, like Santiago and San Pedro, but it has a personality of its own: clean, quiet and organised around cooperatives.

Walk along the main street and look at the walls. The murals tell the story of the town, its legends, the work of the fields and the lake. Many were painted by local artists who now have galleries in the town itself.

The most special thing about San Juan is its weavers. Several women's cooperatives weave on the backstrap loom, the same one their grandmothers used, and dye the cotton thread with plants: indigo gives blue, avocado bark a soft pink, carrot orange, achiote red and pericón yellow.

When you enter a workshop, ask how the thread is made and how the colour is fixed. It is a process that can take weeks, and every piece you buy here pays directly the woman who wove it.

If you have the energy, climb to the Kaqasiiwaan viewpoint. From the top you can see the whole town, the bay and the San Pedro volcano. The walk takes about twenty minutes.

This point completes the Atitlán route. Stamp your passport and share your postcard.