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Recommended by the Moon Handbook, Rough Guide & Lonely Planet Guide Books....
Earth Lodge
This Week...
ACCOMMODATION SPECIAL
Stay 2 nights, get the 3rd
night's accommodation
FREE!!!
Make your reservations now!
This offer is on until the end
of October....
What's New?
We are harvesting avocados
right now and enjoying
some yummy guacamole!
EARTH LODGE
the MOVIE!?
Watch it.
Check out info and
pictures for our
El Hato School Fundraiser
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"If you're keen on a rural base
near Antigua, consider
staying at the Earth Lodge,
a wonderful new guest house
and campground occupying
a forty-acre plot high in the
hills above Jocotenango
and about 7km northeast
of Antigua, with stunning
views of the Panchoy valley
and its volcanoes.
There's a warm welcome
from the Canadian-American
owners, and the
accommodation includes
solid, comfortable A-frame
cabañas and a dorm in a wood
cabin. You'll also find a chuj
(Maya sauna); good walking
trails; and plenty of space
for frisbee throwing,
football or swinging
in a hammock."
-The Rough Guide 2006 |
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.
Facilities
So far, we've built 3 A-frame cabins, a 8 bed
dormitory, 2 tree houses, a kitchen/dining area, bathrooms, and a sauna.
That means we're still small and we often fill up fast on the weekends,
so you must call 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, comfy double bed, 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 5Q. 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 70Q single,
100Q double, 120Q triple. Our famous treehouse costs 70Q single, 125 Q
double. The amazing deluxe, new tree cabin costs 150Q double, 200Q 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.
Volunteers pay 1/2
price for their room and food. Breakfast and lunch range from 15-38 Q
depending on what is ordered. Dinner is 45Q. We accept
Quetzales & U.S. dollars.
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.
Bottled water is only 3Q for a 1.5 liter refill. Oh yeah, 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.
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, so ask us first before planning
on it.
The Farm
We are harvesting twice a year from
about 220 avocado trees and have just planted 138 more. We have 3
dogs, and 3 cats.
Getting Here
Please contact us to arrange transport so
we can set you up with a pickup truck ride or inform you
of
bus schedules. Buses leave from Antigua almost everyday to the
nearby village of El Hato. The bus costs 4 Q and from the bus stop it
is about a 15 minute walk to Earth Lodge. Pick up truck rides can
be organized at pretty much anytime and it costs 50-60 Q for the ride for
up to 8 people.
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! 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.
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