Guatemala's Pacific Coast

Monterrico is hardly crowded, and is in fact one of my favorite places in Guatemala. Your goals of beach cabana and zero tourists are probably going to prove to be mutually exclusive - beach cabanas are for no one else but tourists, after all. You can stay a few yards from the beach in Monterrico at Johnny's, where dorm beds are a few dollars a night. The town is really sleepy; the kind of place where chicken wander inside the open-air restaurants, and pigs roam the unpaved streets.

The Pacific beaches in Guatemala are nothing spectacular. The sand is black, and fiercely hot during the noon hours. Currents are strong, and the waves break too close to the shore to surf.

No cabanas on the beach in Monterrico. There is budget accomodations. I liked Brisas Del Mar -- it is too new for the guidebooks. Great location. Private room with private bath. Shiny and new. loads of hammocks on a balcony overlooking the water. nice freshwater swimming pool And LOTS of great seafood in Monterrico - shrimp, fish, etc.

Another great getaway - though not Pacific and not Guatemala -- is Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. You can get a beachfront private cabin for $10/night. Fresh seafood, beautiful beach.

Photos and details of both places (and other locales in Central America) are on my travel journal if you are interested. Just scroll to the bottom for links to other places. Kay and Franks Trip to Central America

Cheers,
Kay

monterrico is very quiet thru the week but is pretty roudy on weekends. there are lots of budget accomodations and more fresh seafood places than you'll be able to get around to in one week. i've stayed at pez de oro which is (or was) the last place on the beach. liked it a lot and had cabin with nothing but a fence between me and the ocean. it's a bit pricier than dorms but if you really like your privacy, it might be worth the money.......don

Monterrico is super quiet, hardly anybody there. It is pretty much dead after 9:30 PM (after Johnny's place closes). I stayed at Brisas del Mar too and it was very cheap. I was the only person in the whole motel for 3 days.

Check out This Site. It is a very good starting place.

If you find any other good places on the Pacific coast, please let us know how you enjoyed them.

Hey--Brisas del Mar is still open! Great. Heard it was being sold and was closed, Stayed there for $6 a night 2 years ago. What are they charging now?

Shrimp--If you like Shrimp, you'll get a pile of shrimp on a plate as big as an anti-tank mine for $3! But why does every place run out of eggs every morning for breakfast?

I paid 50 quetzales per night.