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Isolated eco-jungle project on the shore of Lake Atitlan

5.0
(26 reviews)26

The experience

Experience off-grid living in the Guatemalan highlands by the shores of Lake Atitlán. Help with simple daily tasks in a peaceful, nature-immersed setting. Ideal for independent, nature-loving volunteers seeking quiet, routine, and a slower pace of life. We provide basic vegetarian ingredients for you to cook your own meals.

What you offer

20 hours of help per week

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Tent: You will sleep in a tent at a camping site.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Requirements

Intermediate English or Intermediate Spanish

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We are looking for self-sufficient and collaborative individuals to join our team of four volunteers dedicated to maintaining and guarding the property. We offer a straightforward exchange: your work in return for food. If you value independence, don't mind routine tasks, love being surrounded by nature and embrace a self-directed way of living, this could be the perfect fit for you!

Activities & Shift

Help involves 4 hours a day, Monday to Friday, from 7:30 to 9:30 and 10:00 to 12:00. A local worker, Eliseo, will be in charge of organizing the tasks each morning and working alongside you. He speaks Spanish and Tz’utujil, but no English. However, Eliseo has extensive experience working with volunteers who don’t speak Spanish and communicates effectively through gestures, examples, and a patient approach to ensure everyone understands the tasks clearly.

The work varies throughout the year depending on the seasons, and since the property is very large, tasks often require consistent focus for extended periods. For this reason, it’s very likely that you will be doing the same task for the entirety of your stay.

During the rainy season, tasks primarily involve clearing vegetation, while in the dry season, the focus shifts to building dry stone walls, moving rocks and sand, or digging trenches and holes.However, depending on the needs at the time, your tasks may vary depending on the priorities during your stay, as other types of work may also be required. Regardless of the exact nature of the work, meeting the following key physical and mental requirements will help you determine if you're well-prepared for the job. Feel free to ask us if you have any specific questions.

Physically
-Ability to lift 25 kg and walk 100 m: Ideal for those who enjoy staying active and fit.
-Work in the sun for up to 4 hours (max 26°C): Enjoy a pleasant outdoor environment.
-No allergies to bees, mosquitoes, dogs or cats: Interact with nature worry-free.
-Paddle for 1 hour in a flat-bottom canoe (applicable only if you can’t pay for a boat ride or adapt to isolation): A chance to enjoy canoeing.

Mentally
-Adapt to isolation (applicable only if you can’t paddle or pay for a boat ride): Deve

Rules

We never leave the property unattended, so we always coordinate to ensure that at least one of us stays behind.

If you need to skip a working day for any reason, we ask for a small contribution (50Q). This contribution helps maintain the balance within our volunteers by ensuring that the workload is shared fairly.

We align with nature’s rhythm by waking up early at 6:00 AM and going to bed around 8:00 PM, encouraging a lifestyle that follows the natural cycles. This is not the place for night owls, as noise from late-night activities can disturb those who are already resting. Furthermore, working very early in the morning is crucial to avoid the heat of the sun.

Currently, I spend the week working in Tzununa, another village across the lake, and only come to the project on weekends, from Saturday morning to Monday morning. On weekdays, Eliseo arrives each day to work from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM, organizing tasks and working alongside volunteers. Volunteers are expected to live independently during these days, which may involve spending some time alone or with other volunteers. Additionally, there may be periods when I’m out of the country and not present at the project at all. This independence is an integral part of the experience. Although I can provide assistance whenever I’m here and remotely when I’m not, if you need a host who’s constantly available on-site, this arrangement may not suit you.