Recommended by the Moon Handbook, Rough Guide & Lonely Planet Guide Books....

Earth Lodge This Week... The avocado harvest happens this weekend!!  We'll be eating guacamole by July 16th! We need reception volunteers by the end of July. If you have good social skills and have at least a month, we need your help. Some Spanish required, free private room, food, internet and cheap drinks. Please contact us if you are interested. What's New? The staff room is done!  We'd like to thank everyone that worked so hard on this building!!!   Adi, Jason, Ben, Chris, Slade, Meric, Jared, Ed, Dave, Jasmine and Jeffrey... We couldn't have done it without you! We used a new rammed earthbag technique for the walls of the building and for all of the retaining walls. Scan down to check out the photos! If you are interested in learning this technique, we plan on having future workshops so get in touch! EARTH LODGE the MOVIE!? Watch it. We still need donations for the school! Read about our work with the local school and see how you can help!!

Click Here for Photos

"Earth Lodge is a sure bet for wonderful volcano views and the chance to get away from it all at a reasonable distance from town in the surrounding hillsides.  " -The Moon Handbook 2007 "An excellent getaway from the bustle of Antigua is the Earth Lodge, hight in the hills above Jocotenango.  This little slice of hippy heaven is set of 40 acres of avocado farm, and the views of the Panchoy valley and volcanoes are truly mesmerizing.  There's plentry to do out here- hiking trails, Spanish lessons, a chuj (Mayan sauna) as well as just hanging in a hammock and taking it all in." -Lonely Planet, Guatemala, 2007

Legendary home cooked meals, one of the best views in Guatemala, a peaceful & relaxed atmosphere, clean & comfortable rooms, and friendly staff....

Just up the mountain from Antigua, and situated on 40+ acres, Earth Lodge is a wonderful place to get away and be surrounded by nature. Wake up to gorgeous views of the surrounding volcanoes and cities below as the sun casts its first light over the valley. Then spend the day swinging lazily in a hammock or hiking the hills while active Volcano Fuego puffs smoke in the distance.

Perfect for backpackers, families, couples, groups of friends, old & young alike.  People living and studying in Antigua love that they can escape to nature without travelling for hours. People passing through love the break from hectic travel. People travelling alone love the family style, sit down dinners and friendly atmosphere. Couples love the private cabins. Everyone loves the view. 

What is there to do here?
The mountainsides are covered with hiking trails, with the views becoming more amazing the higher up you hike. You can take Spanish lessons with a private teacher. Just next to the dormitory is the sauna, perfect for winding down after a day of hiking, or sweating out the many aches and pains in your body from all those chicken-bus rides.  In the evening watch the sunset with a cold beer by the campfire. We also have an eclectic collection of books, a big movie collection, music and games to keep you entertained for hours on end.   Earth Lodge is also an amazing place for birdwatching, click here to see a full list of birds found in our area.

Facilities
So far, we've built 3 A-frame cabins, a 8 bed dormitory, 2 tree houses, a dining/bar area, bathrooms, and a sauna. That means we're still small and we often fill up fast on the weekends, so you must call or email ahead if you want to come up. All of the private cabins are tucked in a grove of spanish oak trees and are spaced apart from each other for privacy. Each has electricity, a large balcony and lots of space for all your traveling gear. They also have lovely views down towards the valley and the mountains beyond. Bathrooms are shared and cleaned daily. A gas-powered super hot shower is available for those in the private rooms for free and is available for those in the dorm for a 5Q charge. The dormitory sleeps up to eight people in bunk beds with new super-comfortable mattresses, has lockers for your stuff and its own bathroom just steps away. 

Prices
Dorm beds cost 35Q. Cabins cost 80Q single, 120Q double, 135Q triple.  Each cabin has 1 double bed and 1 single bed.  Our famous treehouse has a brand new queen size bed and costs 90Q single, 140 Q double. The amazing deluxe tree cabin costs 160Q single or double & 215Q triple.  Campers are welcome to pitch their own tent for 20Q per person. If you want to use our tents, it is 30Q per person to camp.  Breakfast and lunch range from 15-38 Q depending on what is ordered.  Dinner is 45Q.  We accept Quetzales & U.S. dollars and we now accept all major credit cards.

Food & Drinks
Plentiful, delicious home-cooked vegetarian dinners are served family style, and nobody leaves the table hungry. Meat dishes are optional and cost extra, don't miss the weekend barbeque. Our breakfast menu offers lots of tasty choices like pancakes, quality bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs with basil and cheese, fresh fruit and more. Our lunch menu has lots of fat sandwiches, salads and other good stuff. We're famous for our homemade hot sauce, jam, and granola. Freshly baked treats are available between meals. There is also all kinds of reasonably priced beverages, including soda, beer, liquor and juice. You can help out the kids in the nearby village by enjoying drinks during our daily happy-hour when 1Q from each drink goes towards school supplies.

What to Bring and What Not to Bring

Spanish Lessons
Learn some Spanish in a beautiful setting with Luis, a young Guatemalan teacher with years of experience teaching in Antigua. Learn the way you want, by the book, conversational, or street slang. Choose your own schedule by the hour, day or week. He charges 45 Q an hour and gives discounts for pairs of people and week long students. 

Volunteer Opportunities
We've got lots to do around the lodge, so we sometimes accept volunteers who help out for about 4 hours a day in exchange for 1/2 price accomodation and food. You might be tending the gardens or avocados, doing carpentry work, or helping out in the kitchen.   We often need help with building, so bring your skills and tools. Volunteers should be expecting to stay for at least a week. It's not a sure thing, ask us first before planning on it.

The Farm
 We are harvesting twice a year from about 365 avocado trees. We only have avocadoes in Jan/Feb and in July/August, so if you come during those time you are guaranteed to be eating some delicious guacamole!!

Getting Here
We organize rides with our pick up truck driver.  We try to group guests together and the ride costs 50Q for up to 5 people and 10Q per person after that.  If you have your own car, please email us for driving directions.  If you need to get here from the airport, we have a shuttle driver that can pick you up at the airport and bring you straight to Earth Lodge.  He charges $40 for up to 4 people and then $10 per person after that.  He only does rides to Earth Lodge during the day, if your flight comes in at night, it is best to stay in Antigua for your first night and then come to Earth Lodge afterwards.

Contact Us
You can call us on our cell phones at 5664-0713 or 5613-6934. Sometimes the reception isn't very good but don't give up! We don't check voicemail very often, so it is best to call back as opposed to leaving a message.  You can also email us at earthlodge@gmail.com.


History
Armed with an old volkswagen bug and a dream, Briana and Drew, an American and a Canadian, started building Earth Lodge in the summer of 2003. Between the two of them, they've spent over 12 years living in Central America. If you're curious, take a look at our extended history.

Links
We've got some friends you should visit while in Central America.

In Monterrico- Check out Cafe Del Sol, a super relaxed hotel- ask for room #5 if you can splurge the Q200 for the room, it is worth it!!   Call 5810-0821 or www.cafe-del-sol.com

 La Iguana Perdida- laiguanaperdida.com The best place in Lake Atitlan!!!  Skip San Pedro and go straight to Santa Cruz.
El Retiro Lodge-  elretirolodge.com- The place to go if you are headed up to Lanquin and Semuc Champey.