Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beautifully landscaped grounds. The rooms are cheerful and bright with beautiful Guatem-
alan furnishings. There are a very nice swimming pool, a private dock, and kayaks avail-
ableforrentat$5anhour.TherestaurantservestastyinternationalandSpanishcuisine.Be
sure to take a taxi or
tuk-tuk
if you decide to go into town at night, as robberies have been
reported on the isolated paths from the hotel into town after dark.
Adecentbudgetchoiceis
Hotel Chi-Nim-Ya
(turnleftatthefirstintersectionaftercom-
ing up from the dock, tel. 7721-7131, $10-13 d) with 22 simple and clean concrete-floored
rooms built around a central courtyard with shared or private bathroom. Another budget
choice is
Hotel Tzutuhil
(four blocks up the hill from the dock, then left, tel. 7721-7174,
$8-11 d) with basic, clean rooms housed in a five-story building.
For lake fish, snacks, sandwiches, and light fare, a good choice is
Restaurante El Pes-
cador
(two blocks up the street from the dock, tel. 7721-7147, 7 A.M.-9 P.M. Mon.-Sat., 7
A.M.-4 P.M. Sun.).
Services
There's a Banrural right on the plaza where you can exchange dollars and travelers checks.
Getting There
Ferry service ($2.50) departs Santiago for Panajachel at 6, 7, and 11:45 A.M., 12:30, 1:30,
2, and 4:30 P.M. The ferry crossing takes about an hour and there is also faster
lancha
ser-
vice. There are also frequent boats to San Pedro from here. There are seven daily buses
leaving from the central plaza for Cocales and Guatemala City between 3 A.M. and 3 P.M.
in addition to pickups for San Lucas Tolimán. Frequent pickups to San Pedro leave from
Hotel Chi-Nim-Ya.
San Lucas is probably the least attractive of the lakeside villages, though the adjacent area
is as gorgeous as the rest of the lake. It makes a good place to get away from it all. If
you're looking for comfortable accommodations to host your escape, you might want to
checkout
Hotel Tolimán
(6aAvenida1-26,tel.7722-0033,
www.atitlanhotel.com
,
$46-82
d) on a sprawling lakeside ranch run by a wonderful Guatemalan couple. The 22 comfort-
able rooms, including some splendid suites, all have private bathroom and a 17th-century
hacienda ambience enhanced by numerous decorative touches that include delightful fur-
niture and antiques. Rates include a delicious Guatemalan breakfast of eggs, beans, coffee,
and fried plantains.
Just a few kilometers along Ruta Nacional 11, leading from San Lucas to the coastal
town of Cocales, this is a gem of a place to stay.
Los Tarrales
(Km. 164.2 RN-11,
tel. 2478-4867 or 5208-0940,
www.tarrales.com
, from $6 camping to $30 per person in
