Photo story: meet the creative communities of Maya potters and weavers on the shores of Guatemala's Lake Atitlán
Indigenous Maya communities of the region practise ancient crafts and traditions that have been handed down through families for generations.
Perched 5,000ft above sea level in Guatemala’s central highlands, Lake Atitlán is one of the country’s most magnificent natural wonders. It’s a region of dazzling views, where blue waters are flanked by steep hills and three towering volcanoes, their slopes thickly forested with pine trees. Dotted around the shoreline are a dozen towns, home to communities of Indigenous Maya.
The best way to get around the lake is by lancha, small motorboats that ferry locals and visitors from one dock to the next.
Each of Lake Atitlán’s colourful towns has its own character and style, but what unites them all are their richly creative communities, their skilled artisans producing a range of beautiful handicrafts.
These crafts are often highly localised, with different villages specialising in one particular skill.
San Antonio Palopó, at the eastern end of the lake, is famed for its ceramics; Diego Calabay works here as painter, decorating up to 20 objects a day.
Across Guatemala’s highland region, the most celebrated craft is the centuries-old art of backstrap loom weaving.
Practised mainly by Maya women, it involves using a loom tied around the waist to create vividly patterned fabrics, which are then stitched together to make the colourful blouses and skirts worn by many Maya women.
Each town has its own designs, making clothing a key indicator of a person’s ethnic and regional identity.
Dressed in San Antonio Palopó’s traditional colours of blue and purple, Marta Perez Dias uses a spinning wheel to wind freshly dyed cotton onto a reel, ready for weaving.
Larger pieces are woven on a foot loom, operated here by Marta’s daughter Verónica. This is a bigger machine, which uses a pedal to open and close the layers of threads and create a tighter weave in less time.
Weaving in Guatemala isn’t just a job, but also an identity. During the brutal 36-year civil war in the second half of the 20th century, many Maya women lost husbands and fathers, forcing them to find ways to support their families. They set up cooperatives like Trama Textiles, which works with weavers around the lake and helps Marta and her family sell their products and preserve their cultural traditions.
Just along the lakeshore from San Antonio Palopó is Santa Catarina Palopó.
The town was in severe economic decline until community leaders decided to paint all the local houses in vibrant colours.
The makeover has given the community a new lease of life, and today, Brenda Sajvin’s candle-making business is booming. Power cuts are extremely common around the lake, especially during the rainy season, making candles essential in the region.
Brenda, who was taught the craft by her father, now makes two types by hand: safety candles in glasses for when the power goes out, and decorative freestanding ones for celebrations and religious worship.
With such diversity concentrated in one place, Atitlán reveals different facets of the region’s rich culture.
Whether it’s partying in buzzing San Pedro La Laguna, shopping for handmade wooden souvenirs in down-to-earth Santiago Atitlán, visiting artisanal workshops in San Juan La Laguna or getting off-grid at a yoga retreat in San Marcos, the lake is a rare example of a place that’s managed to adapt to the demands of tourism while still holding onto its nuances and traditional ways of life.
Published in the December 2022 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
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