The dates are set; February 15-25, 2024. The tickets and the updated page will go online soon…
get notified when THE TICKETS GO ONLINE FOR guateflow 2024!
Vojta STOLBENKO – gustavo ollitta – lucero ponce
Guateflow gatherting
March 9-19, Guatemala 2023
>>> SOLD OUT <<<
JOIN US FOR AN AWESOME TIME IN TROPICAL PARADISE WITH AN ABSOLUTELY INSTA-WORTHY VIEW OVER THE ATITLAN LAKE! DO YOU WANT TO GO ON ADVENTURES, MEET NEW PEOPLE (OR HANG OUT WITH YOUR FLOWMIES AGAIN), AND LEARN LOADS OF NEW TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES?
COME TO GUATEFLOW TO LEARN FROM THE MOST INSPIRING SPINNERS ON THE PLANET!
11 DAYS PACKED WITH FLOW ARTS WORKSHOPS, DELICIOUS FOOD, ECSTATIC DANCE, YOGA, PARTIES, FIRE JAMS, PERFORMANCES, AND MORE…
Get ready to have your brain fried, and get inspired from;
VOJTA STOLBENKO Poi, Staff Spinning, Acrobatics
GUSTAVO OLLITTA Buugeng, Handstand, Dragon Dance
LUCERO PONCE Hoop, Silk Fans, Tribal Fusion Dance
AILEEN LAWLOR Contact Staff, Floating Wand
CESAR AMARUC Juggling, Club Manipulation and Balance
LUKE O’CONNELL Double Staff, Yoga and Conditioning practices
OLIVIA MANCINO Floorwork for Flow Artists
TOM HORA Qi Gong, Sword, Advanced Staff Spinning
The GuateFlow Gathering is suited for all levels of spinners. All the workshops will be open to all levels.
flow arts gathering
After the overwhelming success of the 1st edition of Guateflow in 2022, we’re very excited to return to the magic of Eagle’s Nest and Starry mountain! We’re super happy to have found this place, as the vibes there are something really special… We even can’t pinpoint it, but I guess it’s the mix of beautiful nature and views, so many awesome performers and people together, all the yoga, ecstatic dance, and fresh food, and it’s also our longest event so people really have time to connect 😀
This edition we’re really happy to present Aileen Lawlor & Cesar Amaruc as guest teachers!
In March, Guatamala will have its dry season. So probably there won’t be any rain, and day temperatures average between 75°F / 23°C and 83°F / 28°C. So that should be perfect as a winter escape, but not so hot we won’t be able to move. Our epic-view training space at Eagle’s Nest has a roof, so we’re out of the full sun, also the yoga shala at Starry Mountain provides shade.
– Over 7 hours of different workshops per day!
– Pick & choose based on your preferences
vibes
– Access to evening programs with many Performances and Dj’s on different locations
– Fire Jams, fuel will be provided
relax…
– Comfortable apartments with terrace, chill areas, and wonderful jungle views
– Go for a swim in the Atitlán lake
– Yoga every morning
START THE DAY WITH YOGA
Do you feel like starting the day in a conscious way for your mind and body? You can choose between Qi Gong and Yoga! Join a Yoga session with Luke overlooking the jungle, in a brand new Shala at Starry Mountain. Or wake up your body, and earth yourself with Qi Gong, guided by Tom Hora.
MORNING WORKSHOPS
After breakfast, the morning will be filled with Poi, Buugeng, and Flow Arts Workshops. These classes will be given both at Starry Mountain and Eagle’s Nest. It’s only about a 5 min walk from one location to the other!
LUNCH you can choose to reserve your lunch every day at Eagle’s Nest. Together we’ll enjoy a deliciously healthy and Vegetarian buffet.
AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
Most afternoons will have a wide variety of workshops to choose from. We’ll also explore the beautiful surroundings, with a hike up to a volcano, and a boat trip to a Party at the other side of the lake.
All afternoon workshops will be given at Eagle’s Nest, with a daily flow jam during sunset for you to enjoy the amazing scenery.
IN TOTAL, THERE ARE OVER 70 HOURS OF WORKSHOPS TO CHOOSE FROM!
poi – flow freely
Learn Poi from Vojta. We won’t only focus on tricks, but also on how to incorporate the moves you already know into your own flow, and how to beautify them. Poi isn’t only about tricks… It’s a state of mind and a liberty of expression.
Choose your Level; Poi Beginners or Intermediate and above
Every day, there will be 2 blocks of 1,5 hours of Poi Classes. This assures the classes will be catered to your level, and you’ll benefit the most from all the workshops.
For those who don’t yet have their own Poi, it’s possible to borrow them
buugeng – key movements
Learn Buugeng from Gustavo Ollitta
In these workshops, we’ll explore the different Manipulation Techniques. Get to know all of the beautiful patterns and dynamic geometries that can be created using S Staff or Buugeng.
The name Buugeng comes from the Japanese ‘Buu’ which is ‘optical illusion’ and ‘geng’ means ‘martial arts’.
This is a great opportunity for beginners to start the journey of buugeng, or for intermediate spinners to refine their moves. We’ll go into the concepts of 1 & 2 beats, finger-spins, liquid weave, and much more!
For those who don’t yet have their own Buugeng, it’s possible to borrow Buugeng (for a small fee) or to buy a pair of Gustavo Ollitta.
hula hoop – dance & play
Learn Hoop Dance with Lucero Ponce
The Hula Hoop workshop combines the art of dance, meditation, and a full-body workout!
An inner journey to connect more with our bodies, as for being able to spin the hoop at almost every point, we need to build awareness, strength, and coordination.
Being playful, just dancing and moving without judgment. Find the joy of this active meditation and experience you can release tension through Hooping. We will explore our own style of dance with more organic ways to play.
There will be different exercises; first the warm-up, some stretching, dance moves, and we will explore the different possibilities of manipulation and movement with the Hoop spinning around the body, and holding the Hoop.
The workshops are suited for beginners and intermediate Hoopers. It’s possible to borrow a Hoop if you don’t have one.
belly dance – sensuality & coordination
Belly Dance with Lucero Ponce
This powerful ancient dance tradition combines smooth, sensual, and waving movements with precise, rhythmic, and strong movements. Learn to develop coordination in different parts of the body to perform the staple technique of dissociated movements.
Of course, there’s a great focus on the pelvic and belly zone. This zone is the gravitation Center of the body and represents our primordial energetic area. Connect with your own femininity en sensuality through soft and gracious movements. Practicing Belly Dance is a fun way to develop strength, flexibility, and coordination!
The workshops are open to beginners and intermediate dancers.
silk fans – dance & expression
Learn Silk Fans from Lucero Ponce
In these workshops, you will learn the Silk Fans Fundamentals: basic wrist movements, flourishes, frames & turns. We will also create a choreography with all the different movements learned.
Come, practice, and experience the beauty of Silk Fans! ♥
For those who don’t yet have their own Silk Fans, it’s possible to borrow a pair, (for a small fee), or to buy a pair.
The workshops are great for beginners.
staff spinning – speed & coordination
Learn Staff Spinning from Vojta Stolbenko
Staff spinning gives the basis for many other disciplines, like Double Staff, Dragon and Contact Staff.
Vojta’s style of Staff Spinning is fast and flashy with a lot of body movement, acrobatics and poses, making it ideal for performances.
You can borrow a simple Staff to follow this workshop.
double staff – manipulations
Learn Double Staff Manipulations from Luke O’Connell
If you want to get new inspiration for Double Staff, and learn many cool tricks, you’ll love these workshops!
If you’re a beginner, and you know the basics of single staff spinning, you might also want to try Double Staff Manipulations.
The Double Staff style of Luke is very flowy with a nice amount of tech, making pretty geometrical shapes.
You can borrow simple Double Staffs to follow this workshop.
SWORD – FREE YOUR INNER NINJA
Learn Sword from Tom Hora
Working with the Sword is a great way to combine Flow Arts and work on body awareness, as the prop is quite easy to manipulate. All the steps and body postures you will learn can also be used with other props. The advantage of the Sword is that everybody can follow these lessons, without any prior experience, and get into it relatively easily. The Sword lessons are based on the traditional Chinese style, which is slower, and more meditation-oriented, not a full combat style. This will be mixed with performing techniques, as our teacher, Tom Hora is a professional fire-spinning artist.
If you don’t have a Sword, you can also use, or borrow a (light, not too long) Staff to follow the workshops. Double Staffs have a great length and weight, contact staffs are for sure too heavy and long to use.
contact staff – basics and beyond
Learn Contact Staff Dance from Aileen Lawlor
This class explores contact staff from concepts that promote relationship & connection with the object. We’ll play with 8 ideas that encourage imagination, personification, and incorporation of contact principles with the staff during our dance. We’ll also integrate our human experiences of emotion to define an intention for our play, with the goal of enriching our movement flow & staying rooted in the present. This class is for all levels, and designed for people who yearn for some fresh takes in their practice.
Beginner Contact Staff with Aileen Lawlor
Contact Staff is the manipulation of a staff without much use of opposable thumbs, giving the compelling appearance of continuous rolling & wrapping around your body! All the foundational moves of contact staff will be taught in this workshop, such as hand, neck, body & elbow wraps, halos, and conveyor belts. These are essential explorations that will prime you for your flow training!
Grounded-Contact Staff & Floorwork with Aileen Lawlor : This class gives us the chance to get down to the ground with contact staff. After a brief warm up, we’ll work on descents, linked to a sequence on the ground, & cartwheels up from the ground. This is a somewhat physically demanding class, comfortable clothes and persistence are required! Anyone with a significant knee injury may want to just watch.
Please bring your own Contact Staff to follow these workshops
FLOATING WAND – magic & DANCE
Learn Long String Floating Wand from Aileen Lawlor
Learn to create mesmerizing magic while dancing with a levitation wand! In addition to learning a mini sequence to practice at home, we’ll explore our body’s momentum with string wraps around the fingers, hands, arms, and neck. A background in short-string floating wand is recommended (and can be taught in separate workshop if not known!).
You can borrow a Long-string Levi Wand.
get down!
Floorwork for Flow Artists with Olivia Mancino
Changing your hight is a great way to get some variaty in your performance! In this workshop, no props will be used. But the techniques can be applied to many props like contact staff, hoop and even poi. It’s recommended to have some kind of knee protection, at least covering your knees with long clothing.
jugging – the basis of juggling
Juggling for Beginners with Cesar Amaruc
Everyone can juggle! Just not everyone believes it ; ) If you’re new to juggling balls, clubs, oranges, whatever it may be, Cesar can guide you in your journey to throwing, catching, and manipulating objects around your body!
Please bring your own juggling balls.
object manipulation – the w trick
Club Manipulation with Cesar Amaruc
Deconstructing the W trick in juggling to simplify & investigate the possibilities within this manipulation. If you juggle poi or hoops, you can also take this class!
Please bring your own juggling objects.
object balance – find the equilibrium
Object Balance with Cesar Amaruc
This balance class can be taken with your static prop of choice, but it would be ideal with a juggling club. Cesar will demonstrate & teach us inventive balances with our prop on different parts of our body.
Please bring your own balance object.
improvisation games
With Aileen & Cesar
Warming up our brains and bodies with improvisation is a wonderful way to focus oneself to be fully immersed in the present. We will play games & exercises to release our mental filters, loosen ourselves up, and unfurl our creative eccentricities. Expect to laugh & let go, the epitome of Flow!
BRING OR borrow props?
Yes, you can borrow props, but not all of them…
We try to provide as many props as possible to lend for the people that don’t have their own. But, as all of the teachers and organization come from other continents, it’s getting really expensive to fly them in, especially for bigger and heavier props! There are so many different workshops, so we can’t offer to provide props for them all. Below are the lists of which props you can borrow, and which not.
PROPS YOU CAN BORROW
All the props below, you can borrow. Please indicate at the question form, after your registration which props you want to borrow, so we can prepare them for you! There will be an extra fee, as we need to fly them in.
– Hoop
– Poi
– Long String Floating Wand
– Silk Fans – Lucero will also be selling Silk Fans. You can also order your Silk Fans upfront here, to be sure
– Buugeng – Rental fee $ 15 for the full event. You can also order the Buugeng and Silk Fans upfront here, to be sure
– Dragon Dance – Gustavo will bring multiple Dragon Kites for the workshop. It’s also possible to buy them
– Double Staff – These will be simple sticks, that will do for the training
– Staff Spinning – This will be a simple stick, that will do for the training
– Yoga mat – there’s no extra fee for borrowing a yoga mat
PROPS YOU’LL NEED TO BRING YOURSELF
Please bring all these props yourself, to be able to follow the workshops.
Contact Staff – Juggling Balls – Juggling Clubs
about eagle’s nest
The famous yoga deck
This venue isn’t only famous for its stunning lake view, but also for the quality of events that it hosts. From international DJs and all kinds of instructors to unique ecstatic dance events and ceremonies. This place offers the true immersion into the heart of the Atitlán lake landscape – with a stunning view from a shaded dance floor, perfect for going deep into any kind of practice, whether it is poi, yoga, or meditation.
We are delighted to have this place available for all 10 days of this event.
Eagle’s Nest offers different kinds of accommodation, with up to 30 sleeping places. You can book a dorm or private studio, all with the amazing view.
There are daily yoga classes, and weekly Ecstatic Dance and sauna sessions!
The Eagle’s Nest Cafe & Restaurant
Come by any time to enjoy delicious food and drinks in the cafe or restaurant. The menu is always packed with fresh and healthy items, there is a vegetarian and a vegan menu also.
During the GuateFlow Gathering, you’ll be able to taste all these goodies! We’re offering a Lunch Package so you can have lunch every day at Eagle’s Nest during the Gathering. It’s convenient to eat at the workshop venue, and nice to eat together.
Acatenango & Fuego Volcano Hike
Optional post-retreat Acatenango & Fuego Volcano Hike
Join us for a guided overnight volcano hike to one of the most spectacular volcanoes on the planet – or in fact two, Acatenango and Fuego! The two volcanoes sit next to each other. Acatenango is a perfect observation spot to see Fuego, which erupts every few minutes and offers a real fire show. If weather permits, we can also hike on the side of Fuego and watch eruptions from even closer distance.
We will leave San Marcos in the early morning of 20th and first visit Antigua where we’ll be briefed, get additional hiking clothes (in case you need to borrow a jacket for instance) and get into our shuttle to the trailhead. We’ll spend the night in a camp near the top of Acatenango. Tents, mats, sleeping bags and food will be provided. Just before the sunrise, we will hike to the top of Acatenango and watch an incredible sunrise.
After getting down and arriving back to Antigua we will have a few hours to explore this historical city before getting on our shuttle back to San Marcos. You may also opt to use this opportunity of getting to Antigua and stay there after the hike (the Guatemala City airport is an hour away from Antigua (depends on traffic). The price of this is around150$ including the transportation from San Marcos and back. Please mind that the possibility of this climb is a subject to weather conditions (but weather is generally good in this time of a year).
Vojta is a Czech pioneer who excels at combining tech tricks with dance and acrobatics. With a style and approach all his own, he has created innovative new poi techniques that enriched the poi world.
Despite being famous for his poi spinning, Vojta also excels in spinning other props too. He’s been a professional fire performer for over 10 years now and is frequently performing with many high-level artistic companies and groups at various events worldwide. Nowadays he mainly works with his ex-Cirque du Soleil colleague Srikanta Barefoot and the company Fusion Arts, as well as the French companies Supercho, Mandalights, and Cercle de Feu. You can also often see him on stage with Phoenix Fire Dancers, or his Czech co-performers Tom Hora, and Kri stina Zebrova.
Vojta has shared his poi enthusiasm all over the globe and has taught many in his workshops and retreats worldwide. He’s filmed many popular inspirational poi videos (thanks to being a professional videographer, besides poi), including the world’s most-watched poi video “The Future Is Now”. In 2020 (with the arrival of Covid) he got fully into creating poi tutorials that also gained a lot of popularity. On his Patreon channel, you’ll find over 100 poi tutorials. Check out Vojta’s videos and personal website to learn more about this talented artist. Just click on the icons below.
bUUGENG, DRAGON KITE
Gustavo Ollitta is a Brazilian circus artist who excels with buugeng, poi, slack rope, and balance techniques.
Since 2007, he’s started his manipulation research, started to practice with poi, and straight after that discovered buugeng in 2009. In 2010 he released his first research of buugeng in a YouTube video called “Flow”. With this video, which reached more than 2.5mil viewers, he’s become one of the world’s most influential buugeng artists.
If you heard of buugeng, you probably also heard about Gustavo!
In 2011, Gustavo traveled to Italy to participate in the Contemporary Circus course of Scuola di Cirko Vertigo (2011-2013). Thanks to the knowledge gained in this school, Gustavo’s movement portfolio includes a lot of contemporary circus techniques, such as handstands, slack rope, and many performing and teaching techniques.
HOOP, SILK FANS, BELLYDANCE
Lucero Ponce is a Peruvian Flow Artist and a certified 200hr yoga teacher, specialized in Hula Hoop, bellydance, buugeng, and balance.
As someone who’s always been passionate about body expression, she started in 2010 taking classes of modern dance, belly dance and contemporary dance. In the same year, she got introduced to the philosophy and practice of yoga and meditation.
In 2015 she started to develop flow arts techniques, starting with Hulahoop and combining her experience of body expression with other flow arts disciplines.
In 2018, after 7 years of Yoga practice, she got certified on 200H Yoga Teacher Training in Thailand.
Gustavo and Lucero form the company Equilibra, A duo that has already performed and taught as solo and duo at TV shows, juggling and music festivals, retreats, conferences, and Galas in more than 25 countries around Europe, Asia, North America, Middle East, and South America!
Always bringing new concepts of Flowarts, circus and dance technique to the world!
contact staff & floating wand
Aileen Lawlor & Cesar Amaruc up Duo Incendio, a fire-performing pair that have performed around the world and taught Flow Arts to youth & adults in several countries.
In the world of Flow Arts, Aileen Lawlor is an artist whose name has remained synonymous with Contact Staff for over 15 years. After training as an actor in NYC, she developed a fervent curiosity to learn from the world and a love for expression of self through movement, which is how she came into the world of Flow Arts.
She was first recognized for contributing her original, mesmerizing style to contact staff dance and performance through her solo routines and videos. This made her a highly sought-after performer & teacher for events in New Zealand, Indonesia, Ukraine, Philippines, England, Malaysia, the US, and Europe.
For the last 6 years, her main focus has been sharing the joy of contact staff dance & technique with people of all ages through group classes & private lessons.
juggling & object balancing
Aileen Lawlor & Cesar Amaruc up Duo Incendio, a fire-performing pair that have performed around the world and taught Flow Arts to youth & adults in several countries. Cesar, from Nicaragua, specializes in club manipulation, juggling & double fire staves. With a stage presence that is memorable & enchanting, Cesar is self-taught after being introduced to juggling by a travelling brigade from Spain in 2012.
Ignited by the circus arts, Cesar started a social circus program “El Nido de Las Artes” in Northern Nicaragua and taught the youth in his barrio how to ride a unicycle & juggle.
He moved to the USA and quickly integrated himself into the Bay Area scene by delighting audiences in the SF Flow Show, winning the All-Prop Competition at Quasar Festival for his club manipulation skills, and representing the US in the Battle Night finals.
double staff, Yoga & Conditioning
Growing up in Australia Luke was introduced to flow arts and circus around 16 years ago and has since then taken his love for dance and movement into many different realms over the years. He is spinning with Single Staff, Double Staff, Poi, Fire Fans, and Dragon Staff and also gives performances with Fire Eating and Sword.
Within his teachings and performances he’s combining elements of dance, flexibility, strength conditioning, martial arts, and yoga. Blending all these things together has given Luke a very unique way of bringing his skills and expressions of self to the world in a very holistic way.
Completing his yoga teacher training in 2016 Luke has taken his adventure from Australia to across the world, and toured through Europe and the UK. Now based in the Netherlands he continues his path as a performer and teacher with his group ‘Luminosity’ while also collaborating with groups such as Lumino, Lights in Motion, and Super Cho.
“I really look forward to giving yoga and meditation sessions within this retreat, along with Double Staff workshops. I think with the combined knowledge I have acquired over the years, I will be able to bring a fun and beneficial experience to all. Catering towards flow artists and dancers I will explore different yoga techniques, dynamic/static stretching, flexibility, and strength and conditioning for all levels”.
FLOORWORK FOR FLOW ARTISTS
Olivia Al-Kimiya (Pyrodanza) is a traveler, researcher of truth, and explorer of the inner- and outer- world; traveling the world and exploring the soul.
Olivia dedicates her life to dance. Dance as a metaphor for life; she’s embodying and expressing her path of growth into the archetype of the warrior.
Graduating from the American Academy of dramatic arts of NY, Olivia integrates Yoga, Contemporary Dance (Floorwork) Somatics, and basic acrobatics into the art of contact staff manipulation & balancing. She’s mixing the ingredients of advanced tricks mastering, dance, and interpretation.
Her focus is to develop a unique personal flow that transcends technique and focuses on dancing as one with the prop, harmonizing with gravity and mixing strength, grace, presence, and versatility.
Follow her workshops ‘Floorwork for Flow Artists’, and learn to integrate movements on the floor in your spinning routine (applicable to many props).
See the video in the middle, below here, for an example of her workshops!
sword, staff spinning, qi gong
Tom started with the Fire-Art in 2000 and he is fire-performer since 2002, he has founded the fireshow group PALITCHI in Prague with friends.
In 2005 he started to study traditional Indian fire art Banethi with his teacher in Varanasi (after this first visit he came every winter to study Banethi & Yoga and to perform in India for 6 years). Tom has been working as the Fire-Art teacher (long staff techniques and acrobacy) in Prague New Cirque Centre for 4 years (2012-2016). His artistic way was also influenced by Dance, Taiko Drumming, Capoeira and of course Chinese martial arts…:
your accommodation
– Book your accommodation + workshop ticket through our website, super easy!
– Prices vary from $ 30 to $ 69 p.p.p.n. for accommodation
– Free breakfast included
– There will be 7 hours of workshops per day, given at Starry Mountain
– Cool Eco-conscious Jungle Resort with friendly prices
– Book your accommodation at Eagle’s Nest including access to all workshops at Eagle’s Nest, 4,5 hours per day.
– Prices vary from $ 90 to $ 146 p.p.p.n. for accommodation
– Three healthy, Vegetarian meals per day are included in the price
– Book your Workshop Ticket for the workshops at Starry Mountain for $ 350 (optional)
– Reserve your Workshop-Only ticket here
– Choose any other accommodation that suits you!
your food
– With any workshop ticket, you can also reserve your lunches at Eagle’s Nest and get a discount of 10q per lunch!
– Convenient and nice to eat together
– The lunch will be healthy and Vegetarian, it’s 60q, $7,8 per lunch (normal price 70q)
– You can also order separate food and drinks in the Eagle’s Nest Cafe
– People that have their accommodation at Eagle’s Nest have 3 meals per day included
– Most workshops will be given at Eagle’s Nest
– People that stay at Starry Mountain can also use the shared kitchen to prepare food there
– There are many Restaurants and Bars in the village of San Marcos within a 5 to 15-minute walk
– Picture from Samsara’s Garden
this is what our guateflow
attendees say
From Vojta: Since I explored Guatemala in 2017, I always dreamt of organizing a retreat at the Atitlán lake. The combination of numerous active volcanoes, tropical nature and mountainous landscape gives this place a truly unique feeling. This video is partially shot in Guatemala and Costa Rica (majority of beach shots are from Costa Rica and all the volcano shots, waterfalls, and Mayan ruins are from Guatemala)
I’m happy to share my experience from this beautiful country – from the volcanoes of Atitlán to the beautiful colonial architecture of Antigua, millenniums-old Mayan ruins or incredible waterfalls and cascades of Semuc Champey.
Atitlán lake
is the deepest lake in Central America, with water that is clean and perfectly suitable for swimming. The culture of the towns and villages surrounding Lake Atitlán is influenced by the Maya people. Lake Atitlán is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and is one of Guatemala’s most important national and international tourist attractions. In literature, it is often called “the most beautiful lake in the world”. It won’t look so far-fetched once you see it! The area around San Marcos (where the retreat takes place) has particularly tall cliffs abutting the lake and in recent years has become renowned for cliff diving. Despite that, there are many small beaches offering comfortable access to the water.
Surrounding the lake caldera, there are three volcanoes. Volcán Atitlán lies on the southern rim of the caldera, while Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Tolimán lie within the caldera. San Pedro is the oldest of the three and seems to have stopped erupting about 40,000 years ago. Tolimán began growing after San Pedro stopped erupting and probably remains active, although it has not erupted in historic times. Atitlán has developed almost entirely in the last 10,000 years and remains active, its most recent eruption having occurred in 1853.
If you wish to observe an active volcano doing its things, then we recommend visiting volcan Fuego or Pacaya, that are nearby.
Pacaya is an active volcano, which rises to an elevation of 2,552 meters (8,373 ft). After being dormant for over 70 years, it began erupting vigorously in 1961 and has been erupting frequently since then. Much of its activity is Strombolian – which is a rare type of frequent activity, perhaps the most interesting one, as it almost guarantees you to see lava. It’s not a coincidence that we organize a retreat in Stromboli and Guatemala 😉
Have you ever seen lava? If not, you might be really interested to see it. If you have seen it, you are probably interested even more.
Climbing Pacaya is relatively easy and suitable for almost everyone. The full hike can be easily done in half a day. The reward isn’t only seeing lava and the top of Pacaya, but also an amazing view of all the other surrounding volcanoes, as shown in the picture of the dude with poi (Vojta)
Antigua is an ancient city (originating in 1524) in the central highlands of Guatemala known for its preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is surrounded by three majestic volcanoes – Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Acatenango, and the most impressive one, Volcan de Fuego.
A volcano worth seeing – even from a distance – that is Volcan de Fuego. As the name tells, this is a furious one – it is famous for being almost constantly active, with small gas and ash eruptions occur every 15 to 20 minutes.
The best view is available from Volcan de Acatenang – a neighboring volcano with a similar height to that of Fuego. If you are into volcanoes and hikes, this is the right choice for you. However, this quite a challenging one, requiring certain equipment, and time to hike.
If you are interested, let us know, as we are probably going to climb this volcano before or after the retreat too 😉
Tikal, perhaps the most amazing Mayan ruins
A bit further from the Atitlán lake, there lays the ancient Mayan city of Tikal. It can be easily reached by an overnight bus to “Flores” – a city on a little island on a beautiful lake, which is the starting point of all Tikal expeditions. This Mayan city is definitely worth visiting. I’ve been to many Mayan sights in Guatemala and Mexico, but this is perhaps the most amazing one. I recommend going there early and spending a whole day. It’s not a bad idea to pay for a tour guide (which isn’t expensive) as the stories that come with each of the numerous pyramids or ruin in the city add another dimension to your experience.
The Cascades of Semuc Champey
Located in the middle of a tropical national park, surrounded by traditional villages and steep mountains of mid-land Guatemala, Semuc Champey offers perhaps to most tropical experience I can imagine in this country.
It’s not only this tropical paradise by a wild river but also the whole experience of getting there and seeing the local life. I remember walking in a random village near this place, observing some local religious ceremonies, eating in a small restaurant that perhaps wasn’t even a restaurant and staying in a little cabin just next to the river with a lot of fireflies all around!
It does take some time to get there, but it is worth it! It’s good to combine this trip with visiting Tikal – perhaps on your way back from Tikal to Guatemala city.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my little story about all the amazing spots to visit in Guatemala. I look forward meeting you soon, so we can climb a volcano together!
details guateflow gathering
The retreat is from 9/03/2023 to 19/03/2023
Click here to see more detailed info about how to get to San Marcos la Laguna
The location of Starry Mountain is; Barrio 2 San marcos la laguna, 07010, Guatemala
Most of the attendants will stay here. It’s about a 5-minute walk to Eagles Nest, where most workshops will be given.
The location of Eagle’s Nest Atitlán is; Lake Atitlán, San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala
Most of the workshops will be given here. It’s about a 5-minute walk to Starry Mountain, where some workshops will be given, and many attendants will stay.
– Beginners classes from 9:00 to 11:00
– Classes for Intermediate and above from 11:00 to 13:00We won’t only focus on tricks, so even if you aren’t familiar with some poi moves yet, you will still benefit from the body movement workshops. And you will be taught the moves you miss.
Prices range for the full event from $ 470 p.p. for a Workshop-Only ticket to $ 1170 with accommodation and breakfast included at Starry Mountain.
GUATEMALA
The entry requirements are in effect since August 13; (Updated end of Oct, 2022)
Flying from Europe;
No tests or vaccination certificate are required to enter Guatemala
Flying from the USA;
No tests or vaccination certificate are required to enter Guatemala
Check the entry requirements for your home country at one of these websites;
SHERPA
FLYING/ TRANSIT MEXICO
No restrictions; there is no need to provide a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival.
FLYING/TRANSIT COSTA RICA
No restrictions; the Government of Costa Rica does not require tourists entering to present a negative COVID-19 test, nor quarantine upon arrival.
We will closely monitor the situation and provide you the newest up to date info.
We will refund the Deposit paid on Workshop-Only tickets, and full tickets including accommodation at Starry Mountain if government regulations prevent you from travelling. If Guatemala will go into lock-down, we will refund your deposit up to 1 month before the start of the event, minus an administration fee of € 25. After one month before the start of the event, we can’t make any refunds.
These rules only apply if travelling will be forbidden, and the official government website(s) confirm this.
We advise you to take personal travel insurance, that covers;
– Reimbursement of any pre-booked events or excursions
– Coronavirus cancellation cover
See an example here https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/quote
You can see this event on Facebook here; GuateFlow – The Atitlan Flow Arts Gathering
don’t miss out, book your TICKET!