Green Bay Hotel

Farther along this same road is the 50-room Green Bay Hotel (tel. 7948-2361, $60 d room-only or $130 d all-inclusive), which was built way ahead of its time in the early 1990s but now seems perfectly situated to cater to cruise-ship day trippers. The comfortable thatched-roof duplex bungalows are built into the side of a beautifully forested hillside near the water’s edge and have all the comforts, including air-conditioning, TV, private hot-water bathroom, and bay windows that look out to the jungle.

Although the exteriors are thatched-roof, it’s really only for show, as the room interiors pretty much look like any standard modern hotel room. There is an airy, thatched-roof restaurant and bar overlooking the swimming pool and Bahía de Amatique. In addition to seafood, the restaurant serves international dishes including pasta, sandwiches, and grilled steaks. It’s a bit overpriced at about $8 for pasta.

Out front is a dock from where you can book a tour of the bay or a motorboat transfer to Punta de Palma Beach [1], Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge [2], Lívingston [3], or Río Dulce [4]. Call 7948-1067 and ask for Bobi or inquire at the hotel’s boat dock. Otherwise, you can catch some rays on the lagoon-front beach or explore the waters in a kayak. Two small mangrove islets, known as the Cayos del Diablo, lie just off the coast.

Mountain bikes are also available for rent and there’s a sandy beach volleyball court. As at most of Guatemala’s Caribbean beaches, the water here is not clear like that along the Yucatán Peninsula [5], but more emerald in color. It’s what the tourism promoters have called, “A different Caribbean.”