Green Postcards

Uxlabil Atitlan: Guatemalan eco-hotel built of local stone, Part 2

See yesterday’s post for more on Uxlabil Atitlán’s environmental efforts,

Uxlabil Atitlán Eco-Hotel
Barrio Xacal, San Juan La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala
Phone: (502) 2366-9555
E-mail: atitlan AT uxlabil.com

Rates below include breakfast. Additional people are $12 per person, per night. The hotel has a restaurant on-site, run by local families and stocked with local, organic food, some of it grown in the hotel’s own organic gardens. Lunches and dinners are $6.

Regular Room Rates: Rooms have bathrooms and balconies. $35 for one person per night; $48 for two; $60 for three.

High Season Room Rates: (Christmas & New Year’s week; Holy Week in the Spring) $45 for one person per night; $62 for two; $78 for three.

Bugalows: Bungalows can sleep up to five and have kitchenettes and balconies. $73 per night.

Pick up a travel guide and an Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Guatemala before you go! Uxlabil Atitlán’s manager, Francisco Sandoval, says you definitely shouldn’t miss bird watching (and listening!) while visiting the eco-hotel.

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Uxlabil Atitlan: Guatemalan eco-hotel built of local stone, Part 1

Uxlabil Atitlán Eco-Hotel offers guests affordable, Guatemalan hospitality on the shores of Lake Atitlán.  Francisco Sandoval, manager since 2002, says, “We encourage guests to be like us: to be conscious and limit the use of water, to reuse towels, to dry clothes in the sun.”

Uxlabil Atitlán is carved out of native stone quarried on-site. It was designed to mimic traditional architectural styles found in the surrounding villages of the San Juan La Laguna region. Currently, Francisco says the eco-hotel is working on installing solar water heating; in the future, they’d like to use sun-power for their lighting as well.

Francisco shares how Uxlabil Atitlán keeps it green: The hotel uses non-toxic cleaning supplies, and its guests sleep on organic linens. They have an organic garden, growing bananas, coffee, vegetables, macadamias, avocados, and twenty-five different medicinal herbs. The food helps stock the hotel’s restaurant with chemical-free food. The restaurant is run by local families who keep 85 percent of the business’s profits.

The eco-hotel’s commitment to the community extends to its support of local artisans. “The community tour is one of our specialties,” Francisco says. “It is guided by local people and includes visits to weavers, painters, and other craftsmen.” Uxlabil Atitlán also works with the community to keep Lake Atitlán clean. “We protect the reeds of the lake, where several species live,” Francisco explains. 

Protecting the surrounding environment and supporting the community also protects the reasons visitors come to Uxabil Atitlán. Francisco says guests should make sure to bird watch (his favorite Uxabil Atitlán activity), swim and kayak in the lake, and visit local weavers and painters.

Come back tomorrow to see what all that Guatemalan eco-tourism is going to cost you (hint: it’s not much!).

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Chal Tun Ha Lodge offers buget cabins on the shores of Lake Peten Itza, Part 2

For more details on Chal Tun Ha Lodge and its lakeside activities, see yesterday’s post.

Chal Tun Ha Lodge
Lake Petén Itzå, Petén, Guatemala
Phone: 00 (502) 7867-5499
     00-502-4195-2377 or
     00 (502) 5429-5789
Contact Form

Chal Tun Ha Lodge is a true budget option for exploring the Lake Petén Itzå area. It has six cabins, some with private baths, some shared (hot water, regardless). The lodge has a pool and hammocks for enjoying the rainforest surroundings. Chal Tun Ha’s managers can help you make arrangements for visiting the local Mayan ruins and other attractions. They also offer transportation to the lodge: just meet the managers at Uka – the internet café they own in neighboring Flores (ask for directions when you make your reservations).

Low season is April 1 through September 30. High season is October 1 through March 30.

Single room, shared bathroom: $8, low season. $12, high season.
Single room, private bathroom: $10, low. $15, high.

Double room, shared bathroom: $18, low. $25, high.
Double room, private bathroom: $20, low. $30, high.

Triple room, shared bathroom: $25, low. $25, high.
Triple room, private bathroom: $30, low. $40, high.

Chal Tun Hal Lodge owners Neil Simmons and Beatriz de Simmons say the music of Costa Rican artist Manuel Obregon reminds them of Chal Tun Ha Lodge, especially “Belizean Medley” from Manuel Obregon y la Orquesta de la Papaya. Load it into your ipod before you go!

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Chal Tun Ha Lodge offers buget cabins on the shores of Lake Peten Itza, Part 1

If you want to explore Guatemala on the cheap, this Green Postcards feature is for you! Chal Tun Ha Lodge sits on the shores of Lake Petén Itzå and has six cabins that rent for $15 per person per night or less. Visitors can use the cabins as a base when visiting the impressive Mayan ruins at Tikal, bird watching at Tikal National Park, or hiking to the popular La Playita for some lakeside beach time.

Owners Neil Simmons and Beatriz de Simmons are working toward getting the lodge eco-certified and have made some great progress so far. They use efficient appliances and light bulbs. The cabins are built from eco-friendly wood with thatched roofs, and they serve organic and local food. The lodge has been working to educate others about how to preserve and clean Lake Petén Itzå. Their biggest current challenge is working with the community to improve garbage disposal. Currently, the lodge helps transport garbage away from the lake for free. In the future, the Simmons say they want to” implement and manage conservation procedures for Lake Petén Itzå” and keep on working toward eco-certification!

Come back tomorrow for details on Chal Tun Ha Lodge’s low, low rates!

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