Anzan Atitlán — Between San Marcos and Tzununa, Guatemala
A quiet-mountain retreat and artist residency on Lake Atitlán's shore
Anzan comes from a Buddhist term meaning "quiet mountain," and the place is built around the idea that less is more. Locally it is known as Casa Rosada, a pink cubic house that sits in the sloping landscape of Lake Atitlán's shore. Three volcanoes surround it, and the lake below is crater-formed. The site's own phrase for what it offers is "the ultimate escape into silence, where water and time slow, and nature speaks." Condé Nast Traveler has featured it.
There are three rooms and a separate Loft. Rooms One and Two sit on the first floor, 105 steps from the dock, and Room Three is on the ground floor, 79 steps from the dock and closest to the beach. Room One has a cast-iron bathtub, and Room Two has a rooftop terrace. The Loft is a modern house designed and built by a Czech glass artist and his wife. It stands among pine trees, a mile from San Marcos, and has its own beach, road and helicopter access. A wood-burning sauna sits by the water, so guests can step from the steam straight into the lake. The property is a three-hour drive from Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, or a 35-minute helicopter ride that lands on site. It also has its own dock, served by public boats.
The house doubles as an artist residency. It has two studios, one closed and one open, along with an exhibition area. The founding idea is that artists' work will enrich the house, with the creations envisioned as contributions to a future contemporary museum. Residents have included photographer and film artist Hazal Orhon and Brooklyn multimedia artist Caia Diepenbrock. The retreat calendar has also held a five-day silence-and-creativity program called IntegrARTE, a Secular Sabbath weekend with music, and a hiking weekend. On select evenings, Anzan Table serves a seven-course tasting menu on the beach, with every guest seated at six.
For more than 20 years Anzan has partnered with Ecolibri, a non-profit working on education, nutrition and the arts in the indigenous communities around the lake. Guests can try backstrap weaving, take part in a cacao ceremony, or visit a school in San Juan La Laguna. The Wi-Fi is switched off at 10 each night.
Traditions: Cacao Ceremony, Backstrap Weaving, Natural Dyeing, Wood-Fired Sauna, Massage, Meditation Workshops
Programs: Anzan Table Pop-Up Dinners, Artist Residency, IntegrARTE, Secular Sabbath Weekend, Superstar Retreat, Chance-Challenge Weekend, Photography Artist Residency Weekend, Tailored Village Experiences