Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
complex is less like a hostel and more like a large resort complex with some truly luxuri-
ous suites with all the look and feel of a Four Seasons. There are plans in the works for a
convention center and golf resort.
Beach Resorts
This category has gained relevance only in recent years as the Pacific Coast's long-neglec-
tedbeacheshavebecomethetargetoftourismdevelopment.MostofthePacificCoast'sre-
sorts are along the Iztapa-Monterrico corridor or in either of these towns, including brand-
new Cayman Suites and Dos Mundos Pacific Resort. West of Puerto San José, Chulamar
features the sprawling Villas del Pacífico, a sizable all-inclusive resort fronting black-sand
beaches. It's popular on weekends, but you may have the place all to yourself during the
week if a cruise ship isn't docked at nearby Puerto Quetzal.
On the Caribbean Coast near Puerto Barrios, Amatique Bay Resort is a sizable complex
frontinganartificialwhite-sandbeachwithitsownmarinaandthreerestaurants.Acrossthe
baynearPuertoSantoTomásdeCastillaanditsnewcruise-shipterminal,GreenBayHotel
alsofrontsanartificialbeachalongalagoonandprovideseasyaccesstonearbynaturepre-
serves. It is rumored that international hotel chains have expressed interest in developing
the remote beaches on the Punta de Manabique promontory, though it seems to contradict
itsstatusasawildliferefuge.Butthenagain,that'sneverstoppedtourismdevelopmentbe-
fore.
Ecolodges
Another recent trend is the development of ecolodges springing up seemingly everywhere.
These vary from somewhat simple community-run ecolodges to downright stylish, with
Francis Ford Coppola's La Lancha (on Lake Petén Itzá) at the forefront of the latter cat-
egory. Most ecolodges are found in Petén department and in the regions of Izabal and Las
Verapaces.
Guatemalan food may at first seem a bit odd to gringo palates, though the freshness and
pungency of local ingredients, including a bounty of tropical fruits and vegetables, soon
hasmanypeople enticed bythelocal flavors.Guatemalan dishesarebasedlargelyoncorn,
a staple crop with Guatemala's indigenous population. Corn is ground and made into a
dough, which in turn is used to make tortillas, cooked over an open fire on a
comal.
Tor-
