Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The department of Izabal is one of Guatemala's most attractive for those who enjoy
coastal environments. There are still large expanses of tropical rainforests, which receive
amplerainfall whenwarm,moistairfromtheCaribbean Searisesonmountainslopes.The
Montañas del Mico stand as silent sentinels dominating a biological corridor between the
Bahía de Amatique and the lazy Río Dulce to the north, which empties into the Caribbean.
Guatemala's Caribbean coastline lacks the aquamarine beaches of Cancún and Belize, but
the peninsula of Punta de Manabique stands out for its wild and scenic white-sand coast-
line. Farther out to sea is the tail end of the Belize Barrier Reef and some easily accessible
cayes. Inland, Lake Izabal is a huge body of water with some nice beaches of its own and
some impressive wetlands.
ThetownofRíoHondoisanoasisoffun,featuringexcellent restaurants, refreshingswim-
mingpools,andevenawater park.Manytravelers heading between Guatemala andPuerto
Barriosliketobreakuptheirjourneyhere.HeadingsouthfromtheRíoHondoJunction,the
road passes through the hot lowland towns of Zacapa and Chiquimula before climbing into
the mountains and into a bowl-shaped valley dominated by Esquipulas. There's really not
much here for international travelers, so the towns along this corridor won't be covered in
depth, aside from a few hotel and restaurant listings should you need to stop while passing
throughenroutetootherattractions.AworthysidetripistheIpalaVolcanoandcraterlake.
The hotels and restaurants lining highway CA-9 (the road to the Atlantic Coast) at Río
Hondo are popular places to stop and eat for travelers heading to or from faraway Puerto
Barrios or Esquipulas. The dry, warm climate lends itself marvelously to swimming and
other water-centered activities.
Accommodations and Food
All of the options listed here are found at Km. 126 and offer comfortable air-conditioned
rooms with private bathroom and cable TV. All have swimming pools. Among the options
is old standby
Hotel Longarone
(tel. 7934-7126, $45 d). Its large swimming pool has
diving boards and a water slide. Some of the rooms can be dark. The restaurant/bar serves
international food ($6-12) with excellent service and cleanliness. In addition to a large,
attractive palm-lined swimming pool,
Hotel El Atlantico
(tel. 7934-7160, $45 d) boasts
lovely gardens, a gym, and children's play areas. The indoor and outdoor restaurant/ bars
serveinternational cuisine.
Hotel Santa Cruz
(tel.7934-7075,$50d)hasbeautifully land-
