Sometimes, you find specialty coffee in the most unexpected of places. Or maybe it was all meant to be. During a recent visit to Guatemala, I spent a few nights at the gorgeous Lago Atitlan. One day, I decided to head to one of the towns on its shores called San Marcos La Laguna, which was described to me as a real hippy paradise.
The place sits on the northern shore of the lake and is easily accessible by boat. After getting off the water taxi, I walked up the main street and immediately stumbled upon Arati Specialty Coffee. Truth be told, I wasn’t completely unaware of its existence. It was actually a friend from Amsterdam who told me I should visit but I was still very positively suprised when I did come across this little coffee bar.
Selvin, the owner, has been passionate about specialty coffee for several years and his café is a favourite stop for coffee lovers or people just looking for a welcoming place to check some emails or do some work. On the day of my visit, Selvin was working at his other space, The Hidden Garden, which is a bit further away from the shore. Instead, I was looked after by his brother who confessed that his skill levels were not quite up to par yet.
In any case, I was happy to order a Flat White and take a seat at one of the tables to do some people-watching. All Tea No Shade, it was a very interesting mix of people. From gurus and wanna be healers to backpackers and old hippies. It seemed this town had something for everyone.
The café also offers some limited food and non-coffee options so if specialty coffee is not your thing, you have alternatives. What I also learned from my conversations there was that Selvin was building a new outlet right on the shores of the lake that would be much bigger and hopefully finished somewhere in 2025.
Their beans come from farms that are dotted around the lake and in the near vicinity so you know that you’re getting really local and fresh coffee. After downing my cup, I continued exploring the little back alleys of the town and found a place where I could do a really wonderful 2 hour yoga session. After that, I felt truly reborn.
