EL ORIENTE AND IZABAL - Guatemala - page 408

the mine has been revived and there was debate on whether or not to allow minerals and
heavy equipment to be transported up the Río Dulce between Lake Izabal and the port of
SantoTomásdeCastilla.It'sallratherreminiscentofasimilarpushsomeyearsbacktolog
the Río Dulce and float the wood downstream on large boats. The loggers failed in their
attempt to gain approval for their plans, and at last check the Ministry of Agriculture and
NaturalResources(MARN)hadnotdecidedwhatapproachtotakeinthislatestcasebased
on the National Protected Areas Council's (CONAP) assessment of the activities as not in
compliancewiththepark'smanagementplan.Itremainstobeseenwhateffecttherenewal
of strip mining will have on the environment in the region surrounding El Estor. The mine
was expected to resume production in 2008.
In any case, locals have spent some time working to make El Estor a viable ecotourism
destination. A website ( www.senderonatural.com/elestor ) showcases the nearby natural at-
tractions, which include an impressive canyon, the Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge,
andtheeasternendofthe Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve. Thereisalsoatourism
information office (tel. [phone] or 5818-0843) right on the main plaza.
Accommodations
El Estor has a variety of comfortable accommodations, all in the budget category. Hotel
Vista al Lago (6a Avenida 1-13, tel. [phone], [e-mail], $20 d) is an at-
tractive, clean lodging overlooking the lake. Housed in an old wooden building dating to
1815 and originally owned by an English-Dutch business partnership, it is supposedly the
original “store” that gives El Estor its name. All rooms have fan and private bath, but the
bestonesarethoseonthesecondfloorfrontingthelake. Cabañas Chaabil (westendof3a
Calle, tel. [phone] or 5544-1066, $20 d) has four attractive wooden rooms with private
bathroom, mosquito netting, and fan.
Under the same ownership as Hugo's Restaurant, Hotel Ecológico Cabañas del
Lago (tel.[phone],$30d)ispeacefullysetasideonitsownlakesideoasisonekilometer
east of town in Barrio La Corroza. Its seven rooms housed in large, attractive bungalows
have ceiling fan and private bath. There's a private beach and a dock for swimming and
sunbathing. A small restaurant serves local food and cocktails, which you can enjoy in its
pleasant lakeside setting. The owners can bring you here from Restaurante Hugo's in the
center of town.
Right on the town's central park, Posada de Don Juan (5a Avenida 3-08, tel.
7949-7296) has simple, clean rooms housed in a cheerfully painted concrete building built
around a parking lot courtyard. Rooms with private bath cost $9 d and rooms with shared
bath cost $7 d. All rooms have fan. From the central park 1.5 blocks toward the lake is the
motel-style Hotel La Playa (2a Calle 4-23, tel. [phone]), housed in a neocolonial con-
crete building (or a pink and green wooden annex) with simple, clean rooms with shared
bath ($5) or private bath ($8) and fan.