Glass House ~ Lakefront House

Wake up in your king-sized bed to one of the most amazing views in the world. Enjoy a swim “beneath” the volcanoes and hang out on the dock. Relax and enjoy the tranquility or get out and explore. Take a walk to one of the neighboring villages or explore the lake by boat. At the end of the day settle back with a glass of wine as you watch the sunset. The space The house, newly completed in July 2019, is an open-plan, modern-minimalist lakefront home. The polished concrete floors and cedar ceiling, together with the floor-to-ceiling windows make the most of the magnificent views of the lake and all three volcanoes. This is the philosophy behind the design of the house--to keep its elements simple and minimal--a palate of glass, steel, wood, and concrete--in order to diminish the presence of the house and maximize the presence of nature so that you feel like you are living outside in the elements. The Entry-foyer: has a cedar desk, perfect for when you need to work, and views of the Toliman and Atitlan volcanoes. A small bathroom (a dry eco-toilet + a hand sink) is found off of the foyer. Bedroom: the bedroom features floor-to-ceiling windows, a king-size bed, and floor-to-ceiling dark blinds for privacy. You also access the glass-encased shower via the bedroom. It has solar-heated hot water, and a teak shower floor. Open-plan kitchen-dining-and living area: perfect for the serious chef, the kitchen features a gas stove and electric oven as well as drawers of pots, pans, bowls, and other instruments for cooking. Also in this space is the teak dining table, the two twin sofas, and a teak coffee table. The perfect space to cook and enjoy your meals, surrounded by nature and the Lake Atitlan volcanoes. At the lakeshore there is a private dock that is ideal for swimming and hanging out. ***Note before you book, please review the information provided below that describes the ecological toilet, spiders/scorpions in the Atitlan area, and accessibility/isolation of the Airbnb. Also this is a lived-in home, so expect to see some of our personal items in the house.*** Location We are located between the villages of Jaibalito and Tzununá, on one of the most remote and quiet shorelines of Lake Atitlan. The property is accessible via boat or the public footpath (there is no road access). It is a 5-minute boat ride to these two neighboring villages, or a 30-minute walk to Jaibalito, and a 60-minute walk to Tzununá, but we don't recommend guests walk in this direction.. During daylight hours, public boats pass our dock every 20 minutes. These boats can be flagged down as they pass our dock and they stop at all the villages along the northern shore of Lake Atitlan. If traveling by public boat is not your style, private boats are available to take you anywhere on the lake. We are happy to provide you with the contact information of private boat and shuttle drivers, so you can organize getting to our property and around the lake once at the property. Guest access The interior of the house is your private space and you can also access the roof of the house. The dock and the shoreline are shared with us and any other guests on the property. You also have access to the path/stairs that go up through our property to the property's gate and the walking trail beyond. Other things to note This section provides information you should consider before booking, including: - food - scorpions and spiders - the Airbnb is our home, so expect to see some of our personal items - accessibility (including steps up from the lake) - travel to the property - the dry composting toilet - pets - smoking restrictions - partying/fireworks (which aren’t allowed) Food: There are no stores or restaurants nearby, so please bring food with you or make plans to travel to the restaurants in the neighboring villages or arrange for a private chef to come and cook for you. Drinking water is provided. Insects and Spiders: Our property is located in a rural area and along with the beautiful birds and lizards, there are some insects and spiders. The Atitlan area is home to a harmless flat spider and a non-lethal scorpion. We do our best to keep these out of the airbnb, but it is not uncommon to see one or both of these. Again, this isn't unique to our property. These animals are common to the Atitlan area and are part of life here. If you have a problem with insects or spiders, do not book with us and reconsider your visit to the Atitlan area. The Airbnb is also our home: Because we live in the house, expect to find our personal items in some drawers, closets, and the fridge/freezer. Don't worry, our items will be arranged neatly and boxed/bagged if possible. We point this out simply so you won't be surprised to see our personal items in storage areas in the house. Quiet hours: Our quiet hours are from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am, during this time we like to keep noise to a minimum. Please no parties or fireworks. Accessibility/Travel: The house is located about 45 feet (15 meters) above lake level. The climb is not particularly steep, but if you have any mobility issues, please take this into consideration or ask for further information. There is no road access to the property. If you are planning to arrive by car you should park in Panajachel and take a boat to the house. We will provide you with information on paid parking locations in Panajachel. Travel to the property is a two-part process: first getting to Panajachel by car/shuttle and then traveling by boat to the property. We provide guests with a detailed House Manual that provides information on how to get to the property. Toilet: the Airbnb has a new ecological dry toilet (imported from Australia) to reduce contamination of the Lake. Waste is stored in a chamber that will be removed and thoroughly cleaned before you arrive and after you leave. The toilet is connected directly to an extractor fan, located outside the Airbnb, to ensure that there is no odor. Shared spaces: As there are 2 houses located on the property and they sit adjacent to one another, expect to see us, or perhaps one or two other airbnb guests renting the other house, out and about on the property, walking the stairs and using the dock. The path up to the top gate passes behind the Airbnb and this is used by our gardener, us, and any other airbnb guests (if any of us are on the property). Smoking: There is no smoking inside the house, if you smoke, please smoke outside and very far away from the house, so the smoke will not drift inside the house. Pets: no pets allowed.