Monterrico

Introducing Monterrico

The coastal area around Monterrico is a totally different Guatemala. Life here is steeped with a sultry, tropical flavor – it’s a place where hanging out in a hammock is both a major endeavor and goal. Among the main cash crops here is pachete (loofah), which get as big as a man’s leg. In season, you see them everywhere growing on trellises and drying in the sun. The architecture, too, is ­different, with rustic wooden slat-and-thatched roofed houses instead of the dull cinder block, corrugated-tin models common elsewhere. When the sky is clear, keep your eyes peeled for the awesome volcanoes that shimmer in the hinterland. This part of Guatemala is also treated to sensational lightning storms from around November to April.

Monterrico is a coastal village with a few small, inexpensive hotels right on the beach, a large wildlife reserve and two centers for the hatching and release of sea turtles and caimans. The beach here is dramatic, with powerful surf crashing onto black volcanic sand at odd angles. The odd-angled wave-print signals that there are rip tides; deaths have occurred at this beach, so swim with care. Strong swimmers, however, can probably handle and enjoy the waves. Behind the town is a large network of mangrove swamps and canals, part of the 190km Canal de Chiquimulilla.

Monterrico is probably the best spot for a weekend break at the beach if you’re staying in Antigua or Guatemala City. It’s fast becoming popular with foreigners. On weekdays it’s relatively quiet, but on weekends and holidays it teems with Guatemalan families, and everything seems a bit harried. Monterrico has a real problem with trash, something that local businesses are trying to sort out.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009