Casa Palopó perches on the edges of Lake Atitlán just outside of the small town Santa Catarina. A former private family home and estate, Casa Palopó is tucked away in Guatemala’s highlands. Colourful woven textiles, artefacts and art are dotted around the property.
There are fifteen private rooms with six original suites in the main building. Colourful furnishings and objects are offset with dark wooden floors and beams. A later addition in 2018, six new suites were added to the property.
Rooms open out onto terraces with sweeping views of the lake and three brooding snow-capped volcanoes.
Our favourite room is the Santa Catarina suite. There’s a solar-heated pool at the main building and an impressive infinity pool at the villa with sweeping views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes.
Roosting at the top of 150 steps, private Villa Palopó has modern interiors inspired by both African and Indonesian tribal influences. There are three guest rooms, a large sitting room with an open fireplace along with a well equipped kitchen.
Ideal for groups of friends and family, guests may book the entire villa with an included butler. Alternatively it’s possible to take rooms individually.
Carved out of Guatemala’s landscape like a crater, Lake Atitlán is the deepest in Latin America. Volcanoes dominate the skyline, bordering the edges of the serene lake flanked by pine forests.
In Mayan, the word ‘Atitlán’ means ‘the place where the rainbow gets its colours’. Mayan traditions live on at the settlements on the lake’s edges. Traditional dress represents their rich indigenous culture, women often wear brightly coloured intricately woven blouses known as ‘huipiles’. Shop for handicrafts and textiles from the family-run shops at the water’s edge.
Hike to the top of the San Pedro Volcano or kayak on the lake to the local villages. Try your hand at weaving textiles and discover techniques that have been unchanged for generations.
Guests can opt to take part in a social initiative and adopt a house, painting colourful designs and patterns on the walls selected by the family living inside.
Arrive by helicopter, landing on the property’s helipad and avoiding the 2 – 4 hour bumpy drive from Antigua. The journey in itself is worth it for the incredible panoramic views of the lake and the country’s colourful highlands.
