La Danza

La Danza is surrounded by lakes and volcanoes, the farms are located at high altitudes and are often covered with fine layers of volcanic ash, swept there by warm all-year-round winds. Legend has it that many years ago, the Cakchiquels – the locals who inhabited the Lake Atitlan area, experienced these intense winds, and called them the “Xocomil” phenomenon. Xocomil means “strong wind that blows on the water”. In the communities surrounding Lake Atitlan, Xocomil is recognized as the five o’clock wind that does not allow navigation on the lake. The locals also believe that the wind picks up the sins of the inhabitants in the local communities, cleansing them. These winds however are also feared because of the great waves they create, across the lake. This natural phenomenon is the result of the combination of cold and warm weather coming in from the Pacific Ocean. These pressure changes move extremely fast and generate strong turbulence over the lake.

The coffee grown in Atitlán is known internally for its notes of yellow fruits, sugar cane, honey and chocolate, with a round to full body, with pronounced citric acidity, unique in the country!