Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MONEY
The banks listed here change US-dollar cash and traveler's checks.
Banco G&T
(1a Calle)
Has a MasterCard ATM.
Banco Industrial
(cnr 1a Calle & 7a Av, Zona 1)
Has a Visa ATM.
POST & TELEPHONE
Post Office
(cnr 2a Av & 3a Calle)
A block southeast from the plaza.
Telgua
On the plaza; has plenty of card phones outside.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Inguat
( 3176-7469; 1a Calle 3-13, Zona 1; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
has an office, hidden
away in a courtyard off the main street. If they can't help you, try the
Municipalidad
(Town
Hall; 7951-1148, 7952-1305; 1a Calle, Zona 1; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat)
, where some switched-on
young staff work in an office behind the police office. Casa D'Acuña can also give you
loads of information.
Getting There & Away
BUS
The highway connecting Cobán with Guatemala City and Hwy 9 is the most traveled
route between Cobán and the outside world. The road north through Chisec to Sayaxché
and Flores is now paved all the way, providing much easier access than before to El Petén.
The off-the-beaten-track routes west to Huehuetenango and northeast to Fray Bartolomé
de Las Casas and Poptún are mostly unpaved and still provide a bit of an adventure (al-
though this second one was being paved at the time of research). Always double-check
bus departure times, especially for less frequently served destinations.
Buses leave from a variety of points around town. Minibuses, known as microbuses, are
replacing or are additional to chicken buses (former US school buses) on many routes.
Buses leave from Cobán's
Campo Dos
(Campo Norte)
bus terminal. Please be aware that the
road to Uspantan and Nebaj is prone to landslides - get the latest before setting out.
Destinations not served by Campo Dos terminal include the following:
Cahabón
(Q30; 4½ hours) Same buses as to Lanquín.
Guatemala City
(Q50 to Q65; four to five hours)
Transportes Monja Blanca
( 7951-3571; 2a
Calle 3-77, Zona 4)
has buses leaving for Guatemala City every 30 minutes from 2am to 6am,
then hourly until 4pm.
