Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guatemala is also Central America's surfing frontier, with some excellent breaks on
many of the coast's empty beaches, particularly around the village of Sipacate and farther
west toward Mexico. Things get more primitive the farther west you head from Sipacate,
though the port of Champerico might soon become a magnet for tourism investment.
Champerico is a satellite of nearby Retalhuleu, a haunt of the Pacific Coast's farming and
ranching community and now the site of the large-scale Xocomil and Xetulul amusement
parks that are collectively Guatemala's most-visited tourist attraction. Other nearby attrac-
tions include the archaeological sites of Takalik Abaj, El Baúl and La Democracia.
While many of the Pacific Coast beaches are not particularly good for swimming be-
cause of riptides, they are noteworthy because of their dark sand, the product of nearby
volcanoes, which can be seen in the distance on a clear day. At the very least, the Pacific
Coastoffersthechancetoenjoyaholidayinwarmtropicalweather,relaxinginahammock
strung between graceful coconut palms. This can be a welcome respite from an extended
stay in the more temperate (and sometimes chilly) Guatemalan highlands.
Bordertowns,beginningwithElCarmenandthenmovingsouthandeastfromtheMex-
ican border, are generally unattractive and increasingly unsafe. There is no reason to linger
in these parts.
