THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS - Guatemala - page 187

is more modern and is worth the extra splurge for the splendid lake views. The rooms are
comfortable and well furnished. The restaurant/bar serves excellent Guatemalan and inter-
national dishes in a pleasant dining room with views to the lake and the swimming pool
below.
The resort-style Porta Hotel del Lago ( www.portahotels.com , $220 d all-inclusive) is
anall-inclusiveaffairhousedinamodernfive-storybuildingoverlookingthepublicbeach.
Therecently renovated roomshavealltheusualamenities andtheremodeled poolareahas
a pleasant deck for lounging and enjoying your favorite cocktail. Outside of town just past
the Hotel Atitlán, San Buenaventura de Atitlán (tel. [phone], hotel sanbuenaventura.
net, $105-262) has quaint rooms housed in buildings with domed ceilings and adobe and
brick walls with an upstairs kitchen or slightly less attractive one- or two-story concrete
structures,alsowithkitchen.Youcanrentoutthewholestructurefor4-6peopleorasingle/
double room. There's plenty to keep you busy, including a beautiful private beach with
kayaks available for rent, a pool and hot tub, and bike rentals. It's a good choice for fam-
ilies. Farther along the same road, La Riviera de Atitlán ($122-342 d) is a resort-style
hotelinalargehigh-risebuildingreminiscentofAcapulco.The16-storybuildinghadstood
abandoned for decades under a previous owner, but it has now been finished. There are
82 comfortable rooms with all the usual amenities among standard rooms and suites. The
lobby has a nice terrace bar with a happy hour 7-8 P.M.
FOOD
Cafés and Cheap Eats
In a pleasant garden patio decorated with Asian-style spherical paper lamps, Deli Jas-
mín (Calle Santander, close to the lakeshore, tel. [phone], 7 A.M.-6 P.M. Wed.- Mon.)
serves delicious all-day breakfasts, including bagels and English muffins in addition to
healthy fare such as tofu and vegetarian dishes. It sells teas, jams, whole wheat bread, and
cookies for you to take away. Farther up Calle Santander and under the same management
is Deli Llama de Fuego (tel. [phone], 7 A.M.-10 P.M. Thurs.-Tues.), with much the
samemenuandsurroundings.Anothergoodplaceforbreakfastis El Patio (tel.[phone],
8 A.M.-9:30 P.M. daily), set in a sunny patio right next to the street about halfway down
Calle Santander.
El Bistro (CalleSantander,closertothelakeshore,tel.[phone],7A.M.-10P.M.daily,
$5-10)isapleasant,shadycafé/barservingsteak,pastadishes,andsandwichesinthe$5-10
range. Try the fettuccine with spicy tomato sauce. For tasty, reasonably priced Mexican
dishes and steak there's Restaurante Orale (Calle Santander, tel. [phone], lunch and
dinner daily), popular for its friendly service and lively streetside atmosphere.