TAPESTRY OF CULTURE 

Traveling from Antigua’s colonial charm to the spiritual calm of Lake Atitlán, a Guatemalan journey weaves incredible experiences into a fabric of beautiful memories.

Like a handwoven huipil, the traditional, embroidered, loose-fitting tunic worn in Central America, our journey through Guatemala was threaded with history, beauty, nature, and culture. From the baroque streets of Antigua to the serenity of Lake Atitlán, each stop added a new strand to the fabric of our experience.

ANTIGUA
We began in Antigua, the former capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala—shaped by earthquakes, twice abandoned, and ultimately reborn as one of the world’s most beautifully preserved colonial cities. Nestled between three volcanoes, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a baroque treasure of cobblestone streets, pastel facades, and crumbling convents. Within its tight one-kilometer grid are 73 Catholic structures built by 13 different religious orders, making it both spiritually and architecturally enchanting. Strolling the streets, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Mexico’s San Miguel del Allende, Antigua’s “twin city.”

Our home base, Villa Bokéh, is Antigua’s most refined retreat and was recently recognized by the 50 Best Discovery list, an international guide highlighting the world’s top accommodations. Founder Claudia Bosch and her three daughters have transformed the former private home into a Relais & Châteaux luxury boutique hotel that is a soulful refuge where art and hospitality converge. Surrounded by six acres of lush gardens, it is the largest hotel property in the city and a haven of thoughtful design. The modern detail was envisioned by Katy Jay, Claudia’s daughter, in collaboration with Paliare Studio, and the family’s personal art collection infuses the space with warmth and personality.

Each of the 15 rooms is distinct, brimming with vibrant local textiles and artisanal ceramic tiles. My suite, Indigo No. 8, featured a cozy loft for children above an expansive primary suite and two balconies with glorious views of the pond, cypress trees, gardens, and volcanoes. The light-drenched bathroom featured bird motif tile and an enormous tub beneath tall French doors, which flung open for the most scenic of soaks. Even the room key, adorned with a handmade tassel, was a small work of art.

Our first evening, we gathered around a round table for a welcome dinner with Chef Javier in the hotel’s dining room. Seated beneath a vaulted brick ceiling and beside a roaring fireplace, we feasted on a menu celebrating Guatemalan ingredients and culinary flair. The first course was an upside-down puff pastry tart with heirloom tomatoes, oranges, smoked beetroot, goat cheese mousse, toasted pumpkin seeds, watercress, Maldon salt, a honey-lemon emulsion, and chili dust. This was followed by oven-roasted chicken breast with black mole, baby potatoes, and avocado mousse with jalapeño and cilantro. Dessert? A heavenly chocolate mousse with cypress-infused white chocolate ganache, cookie crumble, lemon purée, and pistachio sponge. That night, I discovered a tiny Worry Doll resting on my pillow. Tucked beside it was a note explaining the Guatemalan legend that if you whisper your worries into the doll’s ear and place it beneath your pillow, it will carry your troubles away as you sleep. I followed the ritual, and the next day I awoke with a mind free of concern.

On our first morning, we were invited to visit the chicken coop to retrieve eggs for a custom-made omelet. Following breakfast, Antigua’s colorful streets beckoned. Highlights included stopping beneath the iconic yellow clock tower and peeking into vibrant doorways filled with artistic treasures. Don’t miss Colibrí for exquisitely hand-crafted textiles or a coffee stop at Artista de Café, where the espresso is extraordinary. Call ahead to arrange a barista-led coffee tasting where you will learn the art of coffee-making and enjoy the finest Guatemalan coffees paired with traditional local sweets. For lunch, we reunited at Villa Bokéh’s Casa Cristal, a contemporary reimagining of a greenhouse where Chef Marcos Saenz served family-style dishes showcasing modern Guatemalan flavors.

As the sun dipped behind the volcanoes, we returned to the city center to visit UL’EW, a hidden speakeasy named after the K’iche’ word for “earth.” Accessed through a phone booth and hidden curtain, UL’EW is all mystery and alchemy—cardamom-scented water served on coffee leaves, no menus, just mood-based cocktails conjured on the spot. Each drink is unique, both in its ingredients and presentation.

Following this chic cocktail hour, we returned to Villa Bokéh to dine under the stars at 3.1, the property’s fine dining restaurant, where we savored a tasting menu that beautifully fused Guatemalan heritage with French culinary technique.

LAKE ATITLÁN

The next morning, we departed for Lake Atitlán where we would stay at Casa Palopó, the Bosch family’s second Relais & Châteaux property, an intimate boutique hotel perched high above the lake. The three-hour drive was beautiful, taking us through highland roads framed by purple wildflowers and swaying trees. For those preferring a faster arrival, the hotel offers helicopter service, landing guests on its private helipad in under an hour. Eventually, we caught our first glimpse of Lake Atitlán. The lake, Central America’s deepest, is vast and still and encircled by three volcanic peaks—Tolimán, Atitlán, and San Pedro.

Each of Casa Palopó’s 15 rooms is a vibrant expression of place—bold colors, reimagined local furniture, vivid textiles, hand-selected Guatemalan art, and balconies with mesmerizing views. Even the amenities impress—hello, Dyson hairdryers. The atmosphere is hushed, and the lake view is dreamlike.

We began our visit at Kinnik, the hotel’s lakeside beach club and open-fire restaurant. Built entirely from Guatemalan-sourced materials, the restaurant’s mustard yellow walls, volcanic stone, and rich woods create an atmosphere that feels grounded in tradition but contemporary in spirit. Just below Kinnik, bright yellow loungers and striped umbrellas offered sunbathers a spot to watch paddleboarders skim across the crystalline lake.

Over the course of two days, we savored two very different lunches at Kinnik courtesy of Chef Jorge Peralta. The first lunch featured an array of charred, grilled, and smoked meats, served family-style beside the water, while the second lunch offered treasures from the sea paired with house-made sauces and warm tortillas. After our pescetarian lunch, we rode the hotel’s private funicular up the mountain—a cinematic ride through a lush garden path—to reach the main property. Climbing a cobblestone footpath, we reached a broad wooden deck just beyond the hotel’s helipad, where we took part in a traditional Mayan ceremony. With volcanoes rising in a perfect ring around us, Tomás, the hotel’s resident shaman, lit a great fire encircled with ears of corn and bright petals and then invited us to set intentions. I can’t explain what caused tears to stream down our cheeks or how all six of us felt our collective energy feed the fire, but it was a beautiful journey of gratitude and reflection. The most powerful moment of the hour-and-a-half ceremony came as Tomás chanted to the wind spirit, and a sudden gust lifted the flames skyward. This was the most emotional ceremony of all my travels—pure, spiritual, and deeply moving.

From the platform, the view stretches toward Cerro de Oro, the small mountain across the lake whose rounded shape inspired the famous drawing of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who once stayed nearby. This classic story recounts how the cares of the adult world can dull imagination. A visit to Casa Palopó rekindles a childlike wonder as guests are encouraged to slow down, breathe, and reconnect to nature’s beauty. One tool in this journey of reconnection is the painting kit found in each guest room. I set mine up on the terrace overlooking the lake and let the scenery guide my brush.

Following the ceremony, we visited the villa and its infinity pool, where we sipped tea and watched the sun set in a blaze of gold and lavender. Dinner followed at 6.8 Palopó, the hotel’s signature restaurant named for its kilometer marker on the lakeside road. There, we dined on creamy corn soup, Guatemalan ceviche, and a standout, handmade ravioli filled with Icha-J Pá Sakil, a traditional herb-and-pepita sauce from Santa Catarina Palopó.

The next morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast beneath a vine-covered trellis, where hummingbirds flitted from flower to flower. Then we boarded a boat bound for San Juan La Laguna, one of the area’s most artistic villages. We explored artisan co-ops and workshops, browsed hand-dyed fabrics, toured honey, cacao, and coffee producers, and climbed the hill to the town’s ancient church before strolling back down its painted streets. Our guide shared that each of the 12 surrounding Mayan towns has its own language, textile traditions, and customs.

Later that day, we visited Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó, a community revitalization project supported by the Bosch family and championed by Claudia. The initiative transforms homes with color and pattern, engaging locals in art, identity, and pride.

Our final stop was Katy Jay’s concept store, where the creative force behind Villa Bokéh and Casa Palopó has created a vision that beautifully intertwines design, culture, and philanthropy. Our farewell meal was a fun, interactive “make and build-your-own tortilla” dinner with fresh tortillas! Before bed, I sat on my terrace and lit my meditation kit on the eve of a Mayan new moon, feeling eternally grateful for this trip. With the scent of burning sage and the twinkling lights across the lake beneath a hazy full moon, I set my intentions and sent gratitude into the universe.

Like the huipil, our time in Guatemala was layered and entirely one-of-a-kind. What began as a vacation became a meaningful journey. The best news for those seeking their own Guatemalan adventures is that American Airlines recently introduced a direct flight from O’Hare to Guatemala City, making visiting this amazing country easier than ever.

For more information, visit villabokeh.com, casapalopo.com, and plansouthamerica.com.