EL ORIENTE AND IZABAL - Guatemala - page 349

It's on the main street heading into town (11a Calle) on the right. Another good value is IV
Centenario (tel. [phone], [e-mail], www.ivcentenariohotel.com ,
$34 d), also along 11a Calle toward the park, in a colorful building painted in shades of
yellow and blue with rooms built around the swimming pool. All have cable TV and hot-
water private bathroom.
Facing the park from its southwest side is popular Hotel Payaquí (tel. [phone], $50
d), where there are two restaurants, one by the swimming pool, the other with a big-screen
TV. They serve Guatemalan and international dishes including sandwiches and steaks.
Meals are in the $5-8 range. Rooms are comfortable and spacious and include a fully
stockedminifridge,fan,andprivatebath.Nextdooristhealso-popular Hotel El Peregrino
(tel. [phone], $30 d), featuring cheerful rooms with fan, cable TV, and private bath. In-
room furniture includes a plastic table and chairs. Directly behind, on 1a Avenida, is Hotel
Vistana al Señor (tel. [phone], $40 d), in a modern colonial-style building with com-
fortable beds and an upstairs sitting area with chairs and umbrellas.
$50-100
Theattractive Porta Hotel Legendario (9aCalley3aAvenidaZona1,tel.[phone],
www.portahotels.com , $75 d) has 42 rooms, including standard and deluxe rooms as well
as suites, in a large building centered around the swimming pool. All are comfortable and
spacious. There are a restaurant and bar. Online rates are substantially higher. Try to book
by calling directly if you can. The other option in this category is Hotel El Gran Chortí
(tel. [phone], Km. 222 on the road into town, $85 d), where the rooms have all the usual
comforts you'd expect to find in this price category. There are a nice restaurant and swim-
ming pool.
FOOD
The restaurant at the Porta Hotel Legendario (9a Calle y 3a Avenida Zona 1, tel.
7943-1022, 7 A.M.-9 P.M.) serves international fare including decent breakfasts, steaks,
pasta, and salads. Some of the best light fare in town can be found at Eco Moda
Spa and Eco-Café (Calle Real 3-48, tel. [phone], ecomoda@ esquipulas.com.gt,
www.esquipulas.com.gt/ecomoda , 8 A.M.-9 P.M. Mon.-Sat.), set in a wonderful 250-year-
old home. You can enjoy delicious sandwiches, salads, coffee, and pastries in a delightful
garden courtyard. Before your meal, you can enjoy a relaxing massage in a quaint adobe
parlororoptforasaunaorhot-waterwhirlpoolbath.Theownersalsoarrangevisitstotheir
working coffee farm, Finca Las Nubes ($17 per person for accommodations), about an
hour away via a rugged dirt road into the mountains, where you can sleep in a rustic but
comfortable cabinandenjoyrappelling, walkstothenearbyRíoFríoandmountain biking,
or do nothing at all.