Lakefront Off-Grid Retreat with Established Airbnb & Permaculture Centre — Santiago Atitlán

The main residence was completed in 2023. It is a three-level building set above the lake, designed to operate as a single three-bedroom home or as up to three separate rental units. Floor-to-ceiling windows on every level draw the lake and the gardens directly into the interior.

THE MAIN HOUSE The ground floor is a self-contained studio apartment with kitchenette, private bathroom, and balcony — easily rented on its own. The middle floor is open-plan living and kitchen, with a laundry room and a second balcony. The top floor holds two en-suite bedrooms sharing a balcony, the second bedroom accessible either through the master or via its own exterior entrance — so it can be rented independently when needed.

THE PERMACULTURE & RETREAT CENTRE Between the lake and the main house, the land has been developed into productive permaculture gardens with raised stone beds, seasonal vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. Behind the house, the property opens into a coffee forest of more than 200 trees, interplanted with avocado, banana, and other fruit. Within this zone there are two simple bedrooms (16 m² and 24 m²), two composting toilets, a cold-water outdoor shower, covered and open-air dining/workshop spaces, a basic kitchen, and a screened-in veranda. All of these structures are built using true bioconstruction — natural adobe and bamboo.

ACCESS & PRACTICALITIES Boat access is via a private dock on the beachfront. By land, a public footpath connects to an unpaved road leading into the aldea of San Antonio Chacaya, where a two-car parking space is rented from a neighbour; a more economical parking option exists about ten minutes further on foot. The climb from the lake up to the main house is steep, so the property is not suited to anyone with mobility limitations.

OFF-GRID SYSTEMS The property operates entirely on solar — six 500W panels, twelve gel batteries on a 48V system, and a Growatt inverter. Lake water is pumped to an elevated storage tank and passed through carbon and UV filtration, providing drinking water throughout the main house. Wastewater is handled by an ecological underground grey/blackwater treatment system.

THE BUSINESS The property currently operates under the name Dreamland Sanctuary, with fixtures, fittings, furniture, linens, and the existing website all included in the sale. Two established income streams — the Airbnb and the permaculture programming — can be handed over in operation from day one if the buyer wishes to continue them. A small number of personal items are excluded.

For an investor who has been looking for a lakefront foothold on Atitlán with cash flow already in place, this is one of the more truly turnkey opportunities I have seen come to market in this corner of the lake. There is also clear room to extend or further develop within the existing footprint.

PROPERTY BREAKDOWN

Land: 5,292 m² / 1.3 acres (approx. 12.6 m × 420 m) Lakefront: 12.6 m / 41.34 ft Total construction: ~242 m² / ~2,605 ft²

Main House — 131.2 m² / 1,411.15 ft²

• Ground floor — self-contained studio apartment: 29.2 m² / 314.31 ft²
• Middle floor — living, kitchen, laundry: 51.3 m² / 552.19 ft²
• Top floor — 2 en-suite bedrooms: 50.7 m² / 545.73 ft²

Permaculture Centre — ~111 m² / ~1,195 ft² (approximate)

• Bedroom 1 (sunroom): 16 m² / 172 ft²
• Bedroom 2 (dorm room): 24 m² / 258 ft²
• Outdoor covered dining + workshop: 36 m² / 388 ft²
• Screened veranda: 9 m² / 97 ft²
• Kitchen / sink area: 18 m² / 194 ft²
• 2 composting toilets: 4 m² / 43 ft² each
• Outdoor cold-water shower
• All structures: natural adobe + bamboo bioconstruction

Systems

• Electricity: 100% solar — 6 × 500W panels, 12 gel batteries, 48V system, Growatt inverter
• Water: lake-pumped via solar to elevated storage tank
• Filtration: carbon + UV — potable throughout main house
• Sewage: underground ecological grey/blackwater treatment system
• No national grid connection