Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are special because they showcase the excellent quality and amazing potential of
the Guatemalan service sector. The theme parks and the accommodations built
to house their guests truly have nothing to envy similar attractions in developed
nations.IfyouaretravelinginthispartofGuatemala withchildren,astopatXo-
comil and/or Xetulul is almost obligatory.
Xocomil and Xetulul receive more than one million visitors annually, making
them Guatemala's top tourist draw. There are plans to build two more parks in
the lands adjacent to them. Retalhuleu itself has already begun a transformation
inspiredbytheparks'creation.Thoughithasalwaysbeenaregionalrecreational
center, the arrival of more visitors to the area has vastly improved the quality of
local hotels, though prices have likewise increased. In addition to its popularity
with Guatemalans, visitors from Southern Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras
also flock to the parks in droves. There are plans to build an airport, allowing
those visitors to arrive by plane on package tours.
All this might sound suspect, like crass consumerism or the makings of mass
tourism, brought home by the fact that the top tourism draw in a country of in-
credible natural beauty is a manufactured theme park. But you should keep in
mind that it's a far cry from Las Vegas and it really goes to show that Guatem-
ala, and her people, are entirely capable of competing with better-known tourism
destinations and creating something that is professional, high quality, and yet en-
tirely Guatemalan.
While neighboring countries such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and even El Sal-
vador have acquired relative status as Central American surf spots, Guatemala
has remained somewhat obscure in this regard. Although the country's Pacific
shores have perfectly surf-worthy breaks, the coast has always taken a back seat
tothescenicandculturalwondersofthehighlands,amongotherareas.Arelative
lack of tourism infrastructure in this region has also contributed to keeping the
Pacific Coast on the periphery of Guatemala's emerging status as a destination
for outdoor-loving, adventurous travelers.
The newfound popularity of beach destinations such as Monterrico and Iztapa
has resulted in the corresponding development of coastal areas near these beach
towns.Asmoreandmorepeoplevisit,localsandforeignersalikearediscovering
that you can, in fact, surf in Guatemala. The Guatemalan surfing community
can be found mostly in small villages along the coast and numbers only about
100 people, according to local estimates. Surfing Guatemala's breaks means you
