Jinava: ¡Que maravilla!

This hotel is special. I found it in no unusual fashion; it jumped out at me when I saw the words “heaven on a hillside” in one of my guidebooks, however it is not easy to actually get there. It is located in the tranquil oasis of San Marcos La Laguna, a tiny cluster of hotels serving the alternative traveller with all manner of therapies, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of perfectly conical volcanoes looming over Lake Atitlan.
The first time I went to the lake, I had Jinava in my mind, but it is not listed in the directory and I believe that the owners, Jean and Elizabeth, would rather keep their hotel and their lives less busy than rake the money in. There time has no meaning; we asked Jean how long it takes to get there by car from the other side of the lake and he responded with an emphatic “¡No lo sé!”, explaining that he doesn`t use a watch or clock and never needs to know the time! I managed to obtain the telephone number from a friend of theirs who owns another hotel, which happened to be full that night; otherwise I doubt we would have ever discovered the delights awaiting us…

So this past weekend, it being my birthday weekend, we booked the campanita, our favourite room, a detached mini edifice with a bell suspended over the roof. (So they can summon us for cocktail hour!) This hotel really is like a tropical paradise; the garden is astonishingly beautiful, laid in terraces stretching from the top of the hill right down to the lapping shores of the lake and has been planted with luxuriant species form all over Central America. Like every hotel or luxury home there (of which there are many! Apparently Lake Atitlan is home, or rather second or third or fourth home to some rather exclusive residents), there is a sauna, shaped like a geodesic dome, equipped with wood burning stove, right on the lakeshore, nice for a roasting followed by jumping in the lake…mmm.
So I had an incredibly gorgeous romantic birthday treat and am already checking out when I can possibly get back to la lindisima Jinava!