EL ORIENTE AND IZABAL - Guatemala - page 403

tionaldishes,atenniscourt,andapoolsidebarwithahappyhour4-7P.M.Therearesports
on its DirecTV-equipped units. There's also a marina here.
A fine choice for budget travelers is Casa Perico (tel. [phone] or 7909-0721, VHF
channel 68), another few kilometers farther east. Situated beside the Río Bravo, a small
tributary of the Río Dulce, the lodge offers rooms in a dormitory above the restaurant/ bar
for $5 per person or wooden cabins with private bath for $15 d. It's a bit out of the way,
which is precisely what brings most guests here. The Swiss owners cook good meals (din-
ner is about $5-6) and will pick you up from Río Dulce for free and drop you off at the end
of your stay.
Back near the bridge, on its south side, is Hotel Backpackers (tel. [phone],
www.hotelbackpackers.com ) . Another budget travelers' hideout, it has rooms in shared-
bath dorms for $3 per person, double rooms with shared bath for $8, or doubles with
privatebathfor$16-20.It'srunbyCasaGuatemala,anonprofitthatmanagesacenteronEl
Golfete forabandoned andmalnourished children. There'sarestaurant/barhere serving in-
expensiveinternationaldishes,beers,sodas,andcocktails.Servicesincludelaundry,phone,
fax,andemail.YoucaninquirehereaboutvolunteeropportunitieswithCasaGuatemala.If
arriving on the bus from Guatemala City, get off before crossing the bridge so as to avoid
a long walk back from its other end. Also on this end of the bridge is Hotel Ensenada
Planeta Río (tel. [phone], www.planeta-rio.com , $61d). It has spacious modern rooms,
air-conditioning, private bath, and some decor as well as a large restaurant that is open for
three meals a day next to a substantial swimming pool. This is the kind of place that seems
to be most popular with Guatemalans on holiday.
On the right side southwest about one kilometer from the bridge toward the Castillo
de San Felipe is Tortugal (tel. [phone] or 7742-8847, VHF channel 68,
www.tortugal.com , $10 p/p to $50 d), where a splendid setting, beautiful accommodations,
and attention to details make this one of the best places to stay in Río Dulce. You'll fall
in love with this place as soon as you step off the boat and onto its private dock. Jefe, the
friendlyresidentwatchdogandanadorabledalmatian/boxer/bullterriermix,willgreetyou.
Enjoystayinginrusticallycomfortable,tastefullydecorated,thatched-roofcabins(withad-
joiningsundeckoronraisedplatforms).Somecabinscomewithtablesandchairs,acouch,
and hammocks. There are also two dormitories with beds for $10 per person, one of which
is directly over the water on a raised platform over a dock. All beds have reading lamps.
The filtered tap water here is drinkable. There's an excellent restaurant serving vegetarian
fare and Guatemalan takes on international dishes in a lovely soaring thatched-roof struc-
ture built on a platform over the water. Above the restaurant is a clubhouse where there's
a big-screen TV with satellite connection, pool table, and computers with Internet access.
Activities include catching some rays on the docks, kayaking (free for guests), sailing, and
Rover tours to the jungle hot springs of nearby Finca El Paraíso.