Spanish
English 
San Juan La Laguna
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
San Juan La Laguna
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
¡¡¡Land of the Tz'utujiles!!!
Holy Week in San Juan La Laguna is a unique experience that combines religious traditions with the rich local culture. Below are some activities you can enjoy during this celebration:
On this day, the entry of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem is commemorated with the palm procession of the crowds who acclaim him as the Son of God. For this purpose, the palm leaf is used by the faithful as the inauguration of Holy Week, and is presented to the people during the religious ceremony after being blessed.
This day is used to wash the curtains, bandages, and other ornaments used for the crucifixion ceremony. Various activities take place, such as the making of the floats, which are made by the Santo Domingo brotherhood. People also prepare the materials for making the carpets for Friday.
Day on which members of the brotherhoods travel to the coast to bring back fruit that will be used for the Holy Week Monument. It is also a day used to make preparations for the following days.
A day on which a Chrism Mass and the blessing of Holy Oils are held. Also on this day, people adorn every corner of the main streets with chests. The chests are decorated with fruit and flowers, which give the town a beautiful and fragrant view. These are then removed from the streets until Easter Sunday. Through a procession, fruit is brought to two different locations: first to the San Juan municipality and then to the Santo Domingo brotherhood. Participants include the different brotherhoods of the town, prominent people from the town, and religious and municipal authorities. This event is known as the "Traída de Frutas" (Fruit Bringing). The fruit collected at the municipality and the brotherhood is placed in several baskets, carried by women, and taken to the Catholic Church in a procession. At night, the children's Stations of the Cross procession takes place.
A day on which the faithful commemorate the Last Supper in the Catholic Church during the celebration of Holy Mass, the institution of the Eucharist, and the washing of the feet of Jesus Christ by his apostles. A small ceremony is held during the Mass. A Stations of the Cross procession takes place on the main streets, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place in the Catholic Church.
A day when the entire town is filled with activities, both in the streets and at the Catholic Church, attended by the faithful. Beginning in the morning with a Stations of the Cross procession, at noon the crucifixion takes place in the church, followed by the celebration of the Seven Words, the celebration of the Lord's Passion, and the act of descent. Meanwhile, from noon onward, the main streets are blocked off, as people get to work making carpets from sawdust. All the main streets are adorned with carpets of different styles, shapes, and colors. People dedicate themselves with their art and techniques to create an incredible work of beautifying the streets. At 9:00 p.m., the procession of the Holy Burial of Jesus begins, making its way through the main streets adorned with carpets.
During Holy Week, the streets of San Juan La Laguna are filled with fervor with processions depicting the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In addition to the processions, the community participates in the creation of sawdust and flower carpets depicting religious scenes and traditional motifs. It is also common to reenact biblical passages and organize cultural activities that enrich the celebration, a tradition that reflects the community's devotion and creativity.
San Juan La Laguna has the Kaqasiwaan Viewpoint and one of the things you can do is visit this beautiful place, you can walk to the viewpoint at dawn to appreciate the sunrise and enjoy the dawn or in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset, from the viewpoint you can see the volcanic cones that surround the majestic Lake Atitlán that form unique landscapes. To venture into the nature of San Juan, you can go up to the Kaqasiiwaan Viewpoint and from there you can get different photographic scenes of the landscapes, the walk to the place lasts approximately 25 minutes.
In the town you can take tours through the different colorful, illuminated and emblematic streets of San Juan La Laguna
Located on the shores of Lake Atitlán, this colorful street, filled with artifacts representative of Guatemalan culture, features art galleries, handicrafts, ice cream, and slushies. It ends at a dock where you can take boats to other towns.
A picturesque spot ideal for learning more about Guatemalan coffee. A tourist attraction for those looking to enjoy a walk in the fresh air.
Located in the heart of San Juan La Laguna, this street features a variety of artworks, from hand-painted murals by local artists to hats hanging all over the street. It's an ideal spot for taking some great photos and learning about history.
Participate in traditional medicine workshops: San Juan La Laguna is known for preserving ancestral knowledge about the use of medicinal plants. During Holy Week, workshops are held by local midwives and healers, where you can learn more about these practices and their importance in Mayan culture.
Enjoy the local cuisine: Holy Week is a perfect opportunity to sample traditional dishes from the region. Don't miss the chance to try white fish from the lake, tamales, and other typical delicacies that are part of the celebration.
Explore local arts and crafts: The town has several galleries and workshops where local artists exhibit and sell their work. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase unique crafts and support the artistic community of San Juan La Laguna.
In San Juan, besides enjoying the cups of coffee prepared in the different coffee shops, there are also coffee tour activities, where you can learn about the different phases that coffee goes through, from the seed to the end in a cup of coffee. Enjoy the Tour at Cooperativa La Voz and at Café San Juan.
In addition to enjoying a cup of chocolate, you can learn more about the chocolate process, as well as purchase various chocolate products.
There are several textile cooperatives in the municipality where you can learn from local women how they process textiles, from cotton, its transformation into yarn, its coloring with natural dyes, to weaving. There are several cooperatives you can visit, such as Batz' Asociación, Mayab' B'atz'ib'al, and Rukux Keem, among others.
The creativity of the Juaneros in many branches of art is reflected in sculpture and painting. They are tireless, enterprising and hard-working people who passionately talk about each work of art captured on a canvas and where each work of art has its own story. These young people paint beautiful pictures, admired, requested and acquired by national and international tourists.
You can visit Xunah Kaab or Maya Bees, a place where you can discover the world of native bees, a tourist place where Native Bees are conserved and preserved.
There are several cultural activities that have been held in San Juan La Laguna since ancient times, many of which are linked to the Catholic religion, as well as four brotherhoods that celebrate their saint's day every year, the most important of which are: San Juan Bautista, patron saint of the municipality, which is celebrated on June 24th, the others are those of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, that of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and that of the Holy Family. In addition, another brotherhood not recognized by the church and which celebrates its festival in honor of San Simón or Maximón, a legendary character of the town.
The mountain forms the face of a person upside down, looking towards the sky. You can camp on Cerro K'istalin or start the climb at dawn to enjoy the sunrise over Lake Atitlán. From the top of the Mayan face you can see Lake Atitlán, the San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes, and you can see the peaks of the Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes. It is 2,200 meters above sea level. Come and enjoy the beautiful view that this tourist site offers!
