THE PACIFIC COAST - Guatemala - page 297

noon Sun., $1.50 admission) featuring archaeological relics on the ground floor and a col-
lection of historical photographs from various stages of the city's past on the second floor.

GUIDE COMPANIES
Retalhuleu is home to one of Guatemala's better outfitters. Reuxtreme (4a Calle 4-23
Zona 1, tel. [phone] or 5205-1132, www.reuxtreme.com ) offers a variety of activities
for the active traveler, including mountain biking to Champerico along the old railroad
tracks passing over some very old bridges, kayaking in Manchón Guamuchal Wetland Pre-
serve, treks to Quetzaltenango's Chicabal Volcano and Lagoon, coffee tours to local farms,
and nighttime trips to Takalik Abaj. The outfit is run by Alejandro and María Mercedes
Ravanales, a friendly Guatemalan brother-and-sister team who also manage the Hostal
Casa Santa María.

SHOPPING
Retalhuleu's impressive outdoor shopping mall, Centro Comercial La Trinidad, is near
the bus depot at 1a Calle and 5a Avenida “A” Zona 5, and has a modern grocery store, cell
phone stores, banks, ATMs, and even a Radio Shack for all your technological needs while
on the road. A large condominium complex is also planned here, attesting to the town's
prosperity and its status as an enclave of the agricultural elite.

ACCOMMODATIONS
There are several motel-style places lining the main highway just outside of town where
Guatemalan families like to stop and visit while en route from chillier locales in the high-
lands. These places tend to get a bit noisy on weekends, but during the week they tend
to be quite silent. Hotel La Colonia (at Km. 178, Carretera al Pacífico, tel. [phone] or
2426-3894) is an old standby with spotless, comfortable, air-conditioned rooms. There is a
swimming pool with a pleasant restaurant and bar. Rooms in duplex bungalows go for $50
d on weekends and $32 d during the week. You can use the pool for the day at a cost of
$1.25. At the intersection where roads split off toward Champerico and Quetzaltenango is
Hotel Siboney (tel. [phone] or 7772-2176, $40 d) with pleasant rooms centered around
two swimming pools. All have air-conditioning, firm mattresses, cable TV, phone, hot wa-
ter,andadesk.Roomsareinolderandnewersections,soasktoseearoomfirst.Itcosts$2
to swim here. Also outside of town are the excellent Hostales del IRTRA (tel. [phone],
www.irtra.org.gt , $40-300).
Intheheartoftown,themostatmosphericofRetalhuleu'saccommodationscanbefound
at the family-run

Hostal Casa Santa María (4a Calle 4-23 Zona 1, tel. [phone] or