Retirement in Guatemala

For several years my husband, David, and I had looked in various areas of Mexico and Central America for a place to retire.  In 2004 we decided to spend a month on Lake Atitlan to see if this would suit our needs and to get an idea of daily life.  I emailed several realtors I had found on Google and found Armand Boissy to be the most informative and helpful.  He found a perfect rental for us and was very generous with his knowledge of the area.
The first impression was awe at the beauty of the lake and landscape, the second was awe that we could afford to buy in an area so appealing in so many ways.  The lake is not covered with gated communities, nor is it constantly filled with water craft.  In Santa Cruz there are only walking paths, and travelling to other parts of the lake is done by water taxis, called lanchas here.  Panajachel, the shopping town, is merely a 10 minute ride and provides goods for whatever quality of life you are seeking.  There is an indigenous market, several shops that cater to American or European tastes, a coffee roaster, many indigenous craftsmen and many restaurants offering a large variety of menus.  Instead of a strictly American foreign population, we met permanent and part-time residents from France, New Zealand, Belgium, Norway, Australia and other countries - a truly international community.  Most impressive was the attitude of the indigenous peoples, the Kachiquel. They were welcoming, friendly, unfailingly polite and astoundingly hard-working.

We asked to see what was available and Armand showed us what was available in our price range and pointed out the pros and cons of each site.  We did make an offer that was accepted on a large piece of land with two older houses.  Armand made sure all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed on our purchase and later helped us purchase an adjoining lot.
For two years we went back and forth between our Guatemalan property and our home in Florida.  Deciding to sell the Florida house and live here full time was a delight for us, and we still delight in our tranquil home.  We have been building and remodelling, mostly with the help of Armand, and have employed indigenous labor exclusively.  We have as active a social life as we want, and travelling to other villages for visiting friends, going to restaurants or looking at and buying crafts and artwork all are available to us at any time, as are trips to other parts of Guatemala, Mexico and Central America.
Family visits are easily planned in both directions and communications are easily made with the rest of the world through cell phones and internet.  Far from having any regrets, we are very satisfied with our decision to move here and with the happy life we have here.
More information on Santa Cruz La Laguna.
And check our page on retire in Lake Atitlan