Eco-retreat heals body, spirit and land

ZUNIL, Quetzaltenango department, Guatemala – I’m looking out my window at a place where volcanic vapor rises in plumes to meet the descending clouds, a place where the lush green hillsides are a patchwork of small, carefully tended vegetable farms, watered by these mists and fed by the century-old ash of Santa Maria.

In the distance, tucked in the folds of those green hillsides, lies Zunil, a picturesque colonial town that glistens white in the misty morning sun. It’s that mist, escaping in moist clouds from vents in the ground, that makes Las Cumbres the ideal site for an eco-sauna.

Colorful Maya textiles woven in the nearby villages dress the bed, the pillows and the table – a ladies’ huipil, complete with lushly embroidered flowers around the neckline, makes up the tablecloth. A rustic chic permeates the place, from the polished pine vigas or beams overhead to the volcanic stone used to pave the floors and walkways. A museum-like collection of antiques, clay pots and indigenous sculptures compliment the patios and form the heart of the lush gardens.

Everything about the place says “Guatemala,” from the bright marimba music playing in the restaurant to the delectable chocolate-coffee blend I’m drinking, glistening from the oil of the fresh organic beans grown nearby.

Just below me is the Sibal Ulew (Earth Vapor in Quiche) sauna-spa, emanating a tantalizing aroma of not-quite-definable herbs. Last night before dinner I surrendered to the skillful hands of Mirna, the masseuse-in-chief, who treated me to an unforgettable herbal massage. The herbs are grown organically in the onsite garden and collected from the surrounding forests, some of them native herbs used by the Maya for centuries.

(Delfina del Castillo photo)

All the aches and pains of my recent volcanic trek, all the work-related stress of the past months, all the noise and smoke from the city blended away into a dreamy herb-scented mist. This weekend’s adventure was the ideal counterpoint to last weekend’s – exactly what my mind and body needed.

Delfina Castillo de Pérez is hospitality incarnate, exuding a warm friendliness and a down-to-earth charm. She never set out to be the owner of a hotel, however. It was her husband, Florentín Pérez, an agronomist, who decided to buy the land here in order to cultivate mushrooms. He went to France in search of the best seeds, set up his operation here in the mountain mists. But soon Delfina realized the land was being underutilized.

That’s when Delfina got the idea to use part of the land to channel the vapors and use them to create a sauna. “Go ahead – just don’t expect me to be a part of it,” said her husband. “I’m a producer, not a server. My mission is to feed people.”

Delfina started with the largest cleaning job in her life, as the valley was deforested and filled with trash. It’s hard to imagine now, looking around at the immaculate grounds.

The sauna was a hit with people from the local community, and soon word began to spread and people came from Xela and from the language schools. Soon people wanted to eat, and then the restaurant was born – but not just any restaurant. A renowned French chef, Daniel Rafanel, came and helped her design the restaurant and the menu.

“You’re not going to serve hamburgers and pizza and carbonated beverages here,” he instructed. “People come here to detoxify, so let’s give them something healthy and pure.”

Following his lead, the restaurant offers vegetarian, low-fat, integral and inasmuch as possible, organic options. Instead of Coca-Cola and Fanta, guests can choose from a variety of fresh fruit drinks and herbal teas.

After the restaurant was staffed, the guests wanted rooms to stay in, and the hotel was born, each room with spectacular views and its own sauna, or a steam-heated Jacuzzi, or both. And soon the guests wanted to exercise, so the gym and squash court and billiards room were installed. Now there’s a conference room for gatherings, as well.

From the beginning, Delfina wanted the operation to contribute to healing – not just of her clients, but of the land. She and her staff took advantage of the geothermal energy to heat the water for the tubs, and constructed a gravity-powered drinking water system from the surrounding hills. They’ve implemented a waste separation program and had her staff drive the recyclables into town.

They’ve outfitted the place with energy-efficient lighting and water-efficient appliances and use only biodegradable cleaning agents. They’ve begun a reforestation project on the adjacent hillside, planting 5,000 trees and building a terraced staircase using discarded tires. And the entire staff, including Delfina, goes out on a roadside cleaning binge each month, collecting the trash thrown along the highway by passersby.

(Delfina del Castillo photo)

They planted a huge organic garden, which produces an estimated 40 percent of the restaurant’s vegetables, plus the herbs for the spa.This is no small accomplishment in a region known for its abundant vegetable production, but far from organic, with sprays and powders being applied everywhere.

Now the staff is in the final phase of certification for Guatemala’s new Great Green Deal program. It’s been five months of intensive staff training before opening time, from 6 to 8 in the morning; consultation with experts of all kinds; reviewing and improving all the procedures.

“It’s been our Everest,” says Delfina with a laugh.

Las Cumbres is ideally situated for an immersion in the best the highlands has to offer, and Delfina works with local outfitters Adrenalina Tours, a Xela-based company also working toward Great Green Deal certification. Tour options run the gamut from volcano-climbing to culture tours, but one of the best is right down the road from Las Cumbres.

The picturesque Zunil is a charmer, with its colorfully dressed women and busy produce market and the stunning white colonial-era church at its heart. Surrounded by lush green slopes of the surrounding volcanoes, the village is a feast for the eyes, especially on Sunday mornings when the locals overflow the church and gather all around the front to hear the bilingual Mass delivered in Spanish and Quiche.

Further on up into the hills, the road takes you through the clouds and past agricultural workers harvesting onions and carrots, cabbage and beets. Soon the fields give way to sheer rock faces, dripping with people-sized ferns and other prehistoric-looking plants.

The mists are rising now, filling the valleys, as we make our way to Fuentes Georginas, a series of hot springs set amongst those ferns and cliffs where you can bathe with the locals or rent a rustic spa house with your own hot tub and beds and spend the night.

That is, if you haven’t already reserved one of the elegantly appointed rooms at Las Cumbres, which I have. My sauna awaits.

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