Make An Impact

Kula Maya was created to provide our guests the opportunity to find solace and healing in the stunning beauty of our home while making a positive ongoing impact on the ecosystem that we rely upon. To facilitate this, we partner closely with outstanding NGOs who provide important and essential services to our local habitat and community. To support their work, we invite our guests to participate meaningfully through our ‘Impact Experiences’ program.

Kula Maya is deeply invested in the Lake Atitlan watershed we call home. Adventure seekers and lovers of leisure alike travel the world to experience the extreme extreme natural beauty and profound cultural significance of this volcanic lake. But beyond the stunning vistas and vibrant cultures, there are significant environmental, economic and cultural issues to be addressed. While this influx of travelers represents a significant portion of local income, the region’s deep reliance on tourism can in many ways exacerbate those issues. To ensure tourism is a net positive for our region, we deeply support Impact Tourism participation, and created the Impact Experiences program.

“Impact Tourism makes strategic contributions of time, talent, and treasure to social and environmental projects in destinations. This includes tourism businesses, travellers, and organizations in partnerships with host communities.”

Impact Experiences

We created Impact Experiences to connect guests to the people working for a better watershed, through curated volunteer experiences delivered by our local partners. The intent is to enable you to support the Lake Atitlan community and environment during your stay through attending a meaningful and memorable half-day opportunity. Participating in these experiences directly benefits these local organizations, while building transparent relationships that could lead to further opportunities to support their important work. To make it easy to participate:

  • Transportation usually begins and ends at Kula Maya

  • Registration happens through our website

  • At check-in, Kula Maya will confirm your Experience details and answer any questions

  • A direct payment link to the Partner is available when you register.

Click below for the list of upcoming opportunities, including the specific details and expectations of each Experience. Please Register if you feel called to participate!  

Our Partners

Our NGO Partners have intentionally designed their Impact Experiences to provide you an opportunity for a memorable and meaningful activity to support delivery of powerful services—showcasing both the work they do and the challenges facing the Atitlán watershed. Your participation helps to support them directly. They hope to provide you with great memories, and further opportunities to financially support the specific initiatives you resonate with.

If you do feel a deep connection to their work and are interested in continuing a nourishing Partner relationship, you can support them and Lake Atitlan more significantly by setting up recurring donations designated directly to their specific initiatives.

    •  Access to clean drinking water is a primary health issue and an essential requirement for indigenous communities.

    • Participate in a water filter delivery to a local Atitlan indigenous community

    • Find out more about W4LG

    • Participate in delivering and supporting educational services to indigenous families as part of the Healthy Babies program

    • Find out more about Konojel

    • Supporting educational quality at Central America’s first Waldorf School with a majority indigenous student body

Kula Maya Support

Kula Maya supports the Impact Experiences program by managing the logistics, the technology, the marketing, and coordinating ongoing guest communications. For us, it seems a remarkable opportunity to provide important value to both our guests and to the communities and habitat of the lake we call home.

Kula Maya also delivers additional Social Impact programs to benefit our Atitlan Watershed: 

  • Academy for Social Innovation providing a curriculum that supports local indigenous youth leaders to create programs that will help their communities

  • Ixchel Institute Fellowship supports a group of worldwide experts and thought leaders to connect twice yearly to help identify issues and potential programs beneficial to the lake.

  • Contact us to provide direct financial support or to learn more about these important programs.