maya traditions foundation

A great break from pottery, and textiles, and something that I find fascinating. Bought herbal items as gifts, and for myself. The girls there ( help) were lovely.

Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine garden is a beautiful place to spend an hour or so during your time in Pana - it's off the beaten track and it's a great place to learn a little about the cultivation of medicinal herbs - both those from North America and traditional Mayan herbal remedies. They also have natural products for sale.

Our group of 25 had a wonderful visit to Maya Traditions Medicinal Garden! After breaking into two groups, we were led on a very educational and enjoyable tour of the garden. Each group was accompanied by a Spanish/English translator. The views of Lake Atitlan were spectacular! We had arranged for a 1/2 day full of activities, so following the tour of the garden we headed to the Maya Traditions office where we participated in a traditional Maya ceremony led by bonesetter Don Juan. We learned all about how Don Juan became a bonesetter and a few members of our group had Don Juan perform work on them. Following our time with Don Juan we enjoyed a wonderful lunch while watching some of the Maya Traditions weavers create beautiful works. Our tour would not be complete without a trip to Maya Traditions on-site shop showcasing the weavers beautiful creations. Every part of our tour was planned with thoughtfulness and tailored to meet the needs of our group of adults and children. I highly recommend not only the gardens, but for groups - a 1/2 day of activities as well!

I was lucky enough to visit Maya Traditions' garden on multiple occasions when I was staying in Panajachel this past summer. The garden is a very unique space and is absolutely beautiful. The tour was very educational. I learned so much about medicinal plants! The best part though was the staff, who are all super friendly and fun. They are also very accommodating. You can drop in to the garden or the Maya Traditions' office almost anytime during open hours. I think they are even willing to adapt tours to meet the needs of different groups. Overall, I had a great experience with Maya Traditions and I would absolutely recommend that visitors check out the garden!

The Maya traditions medicinal herb garden is immense and beautiful. It's set along a shady hillside that provides a pretty ideal atmosphere for growth, and offers the most spectacular view of Lake Atitlan. Make sure you make your way all the way to the top--you won't be disappointed. The organization does an absolutely fabulous job maintaining this wonderful space and the amount of herbs and plants that they grow is astounding. The gardener, volunteers,and other members of the organization could not be more knowledgable or friendly. From the moment you step up to the front gate of the garden you're met with warmth and kindness. They take you through each corner of the garden, introducing you to both familiar and foreign plants--the medical uses of which you likely would never have guessed. Among the myriad of plants are ones that help with stomachaches, menstrual cramps, arhtiritis, broken bones, and insomnia, to name a few. Your tour guides will let you look and listen, and will even allow you the opportunity to touch and even taste (yes, taste!) some of the plants; you can cruch the leaves in your hand and smell peppermint, lemon balm, and thyme. The tour usually provides a bit of history as well, offering information about Maya traditions, culture, and history. The gift shop back at the Maya traditions office just down the street allows you the opportunity to purchase many of the different tinctures, teas, salves, and natural shampoos that the organization makes from the plants grown here,. It truly is a great experience and a lovely opportunity to see something a little more off the beaten path., It might not be your first thought when planning tours or things to see during your time in Panajachel, but it offeres a unique opportunity to really learn a bit more about the indigidenous population that lives around the lake--and to try some natural remedies! I highly recommend :)

What a great place to spend a few hours in the afternoon. We had no problem finding our way to the herbal garden. All we did way ask at one of the tour booths in Panajachel and we were soon on a tuk tuk where the driver pulled right up to the door of the garden and we were invited in to have a private tour. We actually had 3 guides who spoke English and Spanish and were ready to answer all of our questions and showed us the whole process. We were then able to spend a few minutes in the shop and then back outside to get a tuk tuk to the main part of town.

Visited this herbal garden with a volunteer group from school and absolutely loved it! The garden has over forty types of herbs and plants and our tour guide knew the properties of each with incredible detail. The views of Lake Atitlan from the top of the garden were amazing, I would recommend a quick detour to this garden to everyone in Panajachel!

I appreciate the fact that this is a traditional garden, but the tour could have been much shorter, giving the same appreciation level.

A spectacular oasis of calm on a shady hillside. Very informative, hands-on tour and you get to crush the petals in your hands and smell the unique aromas of many different herbs. Later you can purchase tinctures, teas etc. in the nearby gift shop whose revenues support a Maya women's co-operative. The group will even take you on a spectacular boat tour to the indigenous community of San Juan to see firsthand how fabrics are dyed naturally and woven by hand.

My visit to the Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden was great! I learned so much about how the different plants can be used to treat many different symptoms and illnesses... I will definitely visit the Garden again, on my next trip to Panajachel!

I don't know that this is a 'must see' but it definitely was cool from a 'historical, medicinal, tell me about the local beliefs' perspective. There is so much that the guide had to tell us -- I went on a day when 2 others had also called ahead -- that it didn't all soak in. What I took away was that the organization is growing the herbs for continuity(?) -- to not lose the knowledge, whatever the proper term for that is -- and to promote the use of that herbal knowledge.If you're just passing through for a 1/2 day you can probably do the wander and enjoy Panajachel thing happily without a visit to the garden. If you are staying overnight I'd say this is a pretty cool cultural visit that you should consider in terms of the garden and its applications as well as the other things that Maya Traditions tells you about their organization and the organization's impact on local Mayan women. I would say you don't really need to have an interest in gardening or medicine to like the tour, but an interest in local culture or history of the locals is pretty necessary to nod your head at the end and say 'that was cool!'

The Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden is one element of the Maya Traditions Foundations, a non-profit fair trade organisation that works with the local indigenous Maya people. I had a fantastic time touring the gardens during my stay in Pana, not only did it provide fantastic views of the beautiful lake Atitlan, but it is a unique and quite refreshing way to spend the day in Pana away from the tourist strip of Santander. I would definitely recommend a visit to the herbal gardens, you will learn about the benefit and use of locally grown herbs while also supporting a cause that genuinely enables the local Maya communities.

You know about the lake views (breathtaking) and Calle Santander with the restaurants and vendors willing to give you "a good price." A visit to Maya Tradition's garden gives a new take on the community of Panajachel. You will see how traditional herbs are grown and have been used for years to cure ailments and speak to the indigenous garden experts. The staff is friendly and helpful and will make lovely teas and show the drying and other processes associated with their traditional medicines. Slightly out of the hustle and bustle of downtown Pana, take a Tuk Tuk or walk 20 minutes and into the residential neighborhood and see more of Pana in order to visit this pleasant garden with lovely houses, nice staff and a beautiful view. I'm sure going to the website or calling the organization will help you set-up an easy tour. Great for travelers, volunteers and student groups.

The Maya Traditions Herbal Medicine Garden is a wonderful place to visit while in Panajachel. The staff is well trained and very friendly. The location is also a wonderful spot to see a bird's eye view of Lake Atitlan. A wonderful break from the t-shirt shops in Pana. I will go back when I return to Pana in October.

The Medicinal Herb Garden at Maya Traditions is a great tour opportunity if you're traveling anywhere around Lake Atitlan. It's a quick tour (about an hour), that includes tea tasting, breath-taking views of the Lake (the garden is built up and into the hillside), and interesting and informative facts about the uses of medicinal herbs and the traditional ways of the Maya.