Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fundaryrunsasmallbasiclodge,
El Saraguate,
inthecommunityofPuntadeManabique,
just before you round the tip of the peninsula. Accommodations are in dorm-style bed-
rooms and cost $8 per person. It also offers package deals costing $75/95/120 (double, per
person) for 1/2/3 nights' accommodations, food, and transport from Puerto Barrios. Food
is heavily centered on seafood and is prepared by local families. Nearby is a fantastic trail
with wooden bridges giving you a glimpse of the peninsula's largely flooded forest en-
vironment. A large dock goes out over the emerald-green waters fronting the lodge from
whereyoucansnorkelintheclearshallowwaters.There'snotmuchsandhereandtheloc-
ale feels very lagoonlike.
It's also possible to stay at the
Julio Obiols Biological Research Station,
run by
Fundary, on the north end of the cape at Cabo Tres Puntas, where there's also a lighthouse.
It has recently installed solar-powered electricity at the station and now hosts research
teams with greater frequency. Accommodations ($100 for two nights per person, double
occupancy,includingtransportfromPuertoBarriosandmeals)areinbasicbutcleanrooms
with 2-4 beds and mosquito netting. The ambience here is somewhat more typical of a
Caribbean seaside setting, with a nice stretch of white, sandy beach against which the
waves come crashing from the Atlantic Ocean. The months of March-May offer somewhat
calmer seas.
ThecommunityofEsteroLagartohasaverybasic,three-bedroomlodgeforaccommod-
ating guests. Santa Isabel is putting together a community-run lodging of its own and may
be in operation by the time you visit.
Getting There
ThereisnoregularlyscheduledservicetoPuntadeManabique,thoughyoumightgetlucky
and hitch a ride out with a group going out on any given day. A better option is to book a
package trip with Fundary with food, lodging, and transport included. Your money helps
support conservation efforts. If you want to explore the area on your own, you can hire
a boat to take you there from the municipal dock in Puerto Barrios. It's about an hour's
ride.
Transportes El Chato
(1a Avenida between 10a and 11a Calles, tel. 7948-5525 or
7948-8787,
www.transporteselchato.com
) charges $180 for the trip. It's also possible to
make the trip from Lívingston and it might be slightly cheaper.
A bit of an anomaly in Mayan and ladino Guatemala, Lívingston is an interesting Carib-
bean enclave of Garífuna culture and completes Guatemala's list of offerings with the au-
thentic feel of a West Indian coastal town. This characteristic is made even more poignant
