Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This remote outpost in the northwest corner of Alta Verapaz was once the scene of intense
fighting during the civil war, with regular military operations in the neighboring Ixcán
jungles, where URNG rebels hid out. All that is now in the past, opening some wonderful
attractions that were once off-limits. Heading northwest from Chisec, it's a 62-mile jour-
ney down a rough dirt road to the town of Playa Grande, also known as Cantabal or Ixcán.
There is little to see or do here, but nearby is a remarkable natural attraction.
Laguna Lachuá National Park
This almost perfectly circular turquoise lagoon is its own ecological island, like a square
patchofforestfloatingonasurroundingseaofdeforestation. Toseeitfromtheairistoget
acrashcourseintropicalforestmanagementandthesignificanceofecologicalislands.The
razor-sharp park boundaries stand out from the quiltlike fields all around this giant mirror
in the middle of nowhere. You'll probably arrive by land, but this description at least gives
you some appreciation for the natural beauty of this park and the need to protect it from
those who might further encroach upon its boundaries. Already, logging operations have
unscrupulouslyharvestedsomeoftheforest'sgiantmahoganieswithrecklessdisregardfor
what is, on paper at least, a national park. But I digress.
The 14,500-hectare Laguna Lachuá National Park (tel. 4084-1706,
http://lachua.org/en
,
$6.50 admission) is still one of the most beautiful places on earth, despite its challenges.
Here you can enjoy the refreshing waters and the dense forest all around in an atmosphere
of utter tranquility. From the banks of the lagoon, you can see the forested peak of La
Sultana. There are more than 300 species of birds found here, including mealy parrots and
keel-billed toucans. Jaguars still roam the park and you can sometimes see footprints.
