A Warm Welcome to Casa Kula

Casa Kula is a regenerative project to nurture the land, strengthen the local community and create a space for healing and celebration. We are nestled in an avocado grove in the small Mayan village of Tzununa, set to a backdrop of rugged mountains, waterfalls and forests, with beautiful views of Lake Atitlan. We hope you receive nourishment, inspiration and joy from your stay at our home and retreat center. Here is some information to guide your time here.

Your Journey To Casa Kula

Packing List
  • ​Warm clothes. The weather is generally quite comfortable, but evenings can get a tad chilly, so bringing a warm layer or two can be helpful.
  • Flashlight (Torch). We keep our property lights on until 9pm, after which, it's a good idea to carry a light of some kind.
  • Mosquito Repellent (preferably natural). While we don't have many mosquitos, we do have some coffee flies that bite some people.
  • Cash is King. More and more stores and restaurants accept credit card with hefty fees. If you can make a stop at an ATM before arriving to the lake, it's great to have some local currency on you. The local currency are called "Quetzales".
  • Rain Gear. If you're traveling to the lake between May and November, it's a good idea to have some type of rain jacket. During our dry season, from December to April, it rains very infrequently.
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Arrival Information
​If you would like help with your luggage, please arrive BEFORE 5pm.
​Any arrivals past 8pm incur a $30 fee to compensate your arrival host.

Casa Kula is located 3.5 hours from the Guatemala City Airport "Aurora" (Airport Code: GUA). The primary ways to arrive are by private car (recommended!) or by public transport. If you would like to book a private car, please contact Marta (she speaks English) via WhatsApp (+502 3073 0413) who can organize your ride. The ride is about 3.5 hours and costs around $100us.

The public option is a bit tricky, so be ready for a bit of an adventure. There are four legs to the journey from the airport to our front door...
  1. Airport - Antigua ($10us / Q75)
    ​Shuttles leave every 20-30 minutes from the airport to Antigua and can be found just outside the terminal.
    Duration: 45-60 minutes.
  2. Antigua - Panajachel ($10us / Q75)
    Every hotel in Antigua also acts as a tour agency and can book shuttle service to the lake. Shuttles leave at 9am and 2pm.
    Duration: 2.5 hours.
  3. Panajachel - Tzununa ($3us / Q20)
    Boats leave Panajachel approximately every 15 minutes from early in the morning until 7pm. Let the people at the dock know that you want to go to Tzununa and they'll help you find the right boat.
  4. Tzununa Dock - Casa Kula ($3us / Q20)
    At the dock you will find TucTuc drivers. Ask any driver to take you to "Casa Kula" and they'll drop you off at a forested path that leads to our house.
  5. Road - Door (Free!)
    The last step is to get to the road to our property, which is a 1 minute walk, but a little tricky. We've put some photos below to help...
Here's where you will get dropped off. Follow this little trail and it will lead you to the front door.
This is our front door. If it's locked, simply pull the string on the right side of the door as you push the door open. Welcome home! You made it!!

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Your stay at Casa Kula

Our Pups
When you first arrive at Casa Kula, you will likely be greeted by our welcoming party, our four dogs Rumi, Xela, Yana and Yoda. While they may have big barks they have even bigger hearts. You`ll soon be giving belly tickles and receiving sneaky kisses in return! Please enjoy their company. Our only requests is to not let them off-site and to not feed them. Thank you and enjoy!
Mama Rumi
Princess Xela
Baby Yana
Sneaky Kisser Yoda
Orientation
Here's a list of information to help you get oriented to the property:

  • WiFi
    • Network: Casa Kula
    • Password: peaceful

  • Casa Kula Team:
    • Coby & Ananda - Founders
    • Aurelia - Off-site manager
    • Emma - On-site manager
    • Lia Maria - Head chef
    • Vinicio - Head gardener
    • Vind - Photographer/videographer

  • ​Need help, contact US:
    ​​Our staff at Casa Kula is here to help. And, we need to find a healthy work/life balance. So, if you need anything, we have devised the follow flow:
    • If any of us are in the dining area, then we're available to answer your questions and help where we can. 
    • If nobody's around, please ask your retreat leader who can relay messages.
    • If it's urgent, please contact us via WhatsApp. Our numbers are…
      • Emma: +46 73 541 12 00
      • Vind: +47 923 77 260
      • Coby: +1 858 751 9584
      • Aurelia: +34 635 36 75 35
    • In case of emergency, please visit Coby and Ananda's house on the top of the property.
 
  • Miscellaneous
    • We turn the property lights off by 9pm after which point are quiet hours
    • If you're the last one in the kitchen, please turn the light off
    • If you'll be out after 9pm, carry a torch
    • If you're out after dark, best to be in groups and use tuctucs (motor taxis)
    • All of our bathrooms are equipped with compost toilets. Add sawdust after each use. If it ever smells, add more sawdust.
    • Our showers are solar powered. They're generally quite hot. If not, blame the sun ☀️
    • There is a first Aid kit in the kitchen that you are welcome to use  
    • Only drink water from the kitchen. If you're new to latin america, it's a good idea to add vinegar to your drinking water to keep your gut flora healthy. 
    • We offer a range of Wellness Services, information can be found in the Casa Kula folder in the Fairy Cafe.

Around the lake

Tzununa
  • Food:
    • Balam - Locally owned, solid food, delivery Available - WhatsApp: +502 4851 3389
    • Granja Tz`ikin "The Farm" - Farm to table, delivery Available - WhatsApp: +502 3614 6513
    • Trece Cielos - Solid Hippie Grub
    • Mayan Moon - Lakeside Location
  • Events:
    • Gaia - Sunday Dance Temple
    • Karuna - Kirtan & Poetry Retreat
  • Apothecary:
    • Casa Curativa
  • Other:
    • Waterfall Hike: Our neighbor, Elena, can take you to beautiful waterfalls only 25 minutes from Casa Kula. Ask us for contact info.


San Marcos 
Other Villages
  • San Juan - Very cute Mayan village that has a strong artesian tradition, specializing in naturally dyed textiles
  • Santa Catarina Palopo - Another amazing village that specializes in pottery
  • San Pedro - Not so much a "village" as a party town with good shopping, restaurants and bars
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