Best Secluded Hotels in Guatemala
This tropical Central American country is a diverse land of volcanoes and rainforests, ancient Mayan sites and Spanish colonial architecture. It’s a place where centuries-old culture is still preserved, in rural communities and sites such as the pyramids of Tikal, Guatemala’s most famous attraction. And with more than 98% of the country’s land made up of countryside and villages, it offers an impressive array of natural wonders. Beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, also make its coastline a marvellous sun holiday, conducive to scuba diving, kayaking and swimming in the balmy waters.
Peten, Flores
Las Lagunas Hotel Guatemala
(5 stars)Stay in your own private jungle bungalow with vaulted beamed ceilings, a patio, hot tub, minibar and an indoor-outdoor seating area. This eco-friendly boutique hotel is set on a nature reserve right beside (and over) the Quexil Lagoon, with its own dock, from which you can take sightseeing boat rides and jeeps, to give guests a ride along the walkways back to their bungalows. In addition to a spa, and the Shultún Restaurant (which specialises in fish from the waters on the doorstep), the hotel has its very own museum where you can learn more about this northern region of Guatemala and its rich Mayan heritage.
Solola, Santa Catarina Palopó
Casa Palopó, Lake Atitlan
Soak in the mesmerising lake and volcano views while cooling off in the infinity pool at Casa Palopo. Bedrooms and a villa sleeping up to nine guests have accents of traditional Guatemalan design, many with rustic timber beamed ceilings, open fires, stucco walls and four-poster beds. Each has its own area of outdoor space, providing further opportunities to admire the elevated vistas. 6.8 Palopó is the Casa’s award-winning restaurant, serving food prepared using ingredients from neighbouring farms; partly covered, part fully alfresco, the candlelit dining space at this Relais and Chateaux hotel is particularly romantic after dark.