NEW YORK -- The visitor welcome to the world of the Maya gets
warmer by the year, and increased hotel comforts are a major factor
in expanded travel along La Ruta Maya.
This Maya world is shared by five countries -- Belize; El
Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras, and the southeastern Mexico states
of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatan.
In addition to Maya archaeological sites, the Mundo Maya region
also offers Spanish colonial architecture on a grand scale;
pristine beaches; snorkeling and scuba diving sites; nature
reserves that harbor 10% of the world's plant and animal species;
Maya traditions preserved in colorful Indian markets, and annual
festivals.
Travel Weekly asked a group of U.S. tour operators to make picks
of some of their favorite smaller lodgings in the region, choices,
of course, that can be booked in their travel programs to Mundo
Maya countries.
Annie Berk, vice president of Ladatco Tours in Miami, said she
enjoys discovering new corners of Central America that are opening
to visitors.
Her picks included:
Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua, Guatemala (one hour from Guatemala
City). Antigua's most deluxe hotel occupies a sprawling 15th
century monastery. The property features 26 colonial-style rooms
with fireplaces, televisions and air conditioning.Some rooms have private terraces and whirlpools. Additional
amenities include a restaurant, a pool, a health club and a
conference center.
La Posada de Suchitlan, El Salvador (one hour north of San
Salvador). Overlooking Lake Suchitlan, this inn has 10 rooms
decorated with colorful crafts and appointed with private baths,
televisions and room service. Amenities include a restaurant, a
bar, a pool and boat trips to villages around the lake.Michael Steinberger, president of Latour in New York, said, "The
great variety and excellence of high-quality inns makes it easy for
us to match the needs of agents' better-informed travelers."
His lodging pick was:
Marina Copan Hotel, Honduras (100 miles from San Pedro Sula).
Located off the main square of Copan Ruinas town and not far from
the Copan archaeological site, this property has 40 air-conditioned
rooms divided between a colonial-style hotel and a new section
built in traditional ranch-style.Amenities include a restaurant, a bar, a sauna, a cafe and
meetings facilities.
According to Jose Luis Cabara, product development manager of
Sunny Land Tours in Hackensack, N.J., the mix of ecolodges and
luxury inns in Central America now offers travelers excellent
options for enjoying nature, cultural and sporting activities. (One
of his choices was Casa Santo Domingo in Guatemala, see above.)
Another choice was:
Fantasy Island Beach Resort, Honduras (a 20-minute fight from
the mainland; also accessible by direct weekend flights on TACA
from Miami and on American from Houston).Set on a 15-acre private caye on Roatan in the Bay Islands, this
resort offers rooms in two-storied, ski-lodge-style units with
balconies, televisions and minirefrigerators.
Amenities include a large dining area, a full-service dive
facility, canoeing, windsurfing, a marina and tennis courts.
Dan Conaway, president of Elegant Adventures picked Copan in
Honduras as his favorite Maya city, but for his clients, overall he
likes Belize, saying that "visitors are offered a trio of
attractions: Maya ruins, nature reserves and diving and snorkeling
along the world's second-largest barrier reef."
His choices were:
The Palms, Ambergris Cay, Belize (a short flight from Belize
City). Located beachfront within walking distance of San Pedro,
this condominium property features one- and two-bedroom suites with
fully equipped kitchens, private oceanview verandas and
televisions. On site is a free-form pool plus a center for booking
diving, snorkeling and fishing.Chaa Creek, Cayo District, Belize (accessible by car from
Belize City). Set in landscaped gardens on the banks of the Macal
River, Chaa Creek accommodations are in 20 thatched-roof cottages
with large mahogany beds, private bathrooms with hot showers, and
ceiling fans. An ecotourism award winner, the property has the
Morpho Butterfly Breeding Center and the Chaa Creek Natural History
Museum on site, and activities include canoeing, bird-watching and
horseback riding.Debbie Sturdivant, director of marketing for Holbrook Travel in
Gainesville, Fla., pointed out how much easier it is to lodge
clients near the nature reserves and archaeological sites. "It is
important that they be on site for the sunrise," she said.
Her favorite was:
Jungle Lodge, Tikal, Guatemala (accessible by air from
Guatemala City to Flores airport). The property is located at the
Tikal ruins and was originally built to house archaeological teams
working at the site.The lodge, recently remodeled, has 32 cabanas with ceiling fans
and private baths in most rooms. Amenities include a screened
dining room and tours of the ruins.
Daniel Taramona, president of Tara Tours in Miami, said he finds
that travelers are amazed at the luxury available in the middle of
rain forests and near Maya cities.
His choices were:
Westin Camino Real, Tikal, Guatemala (accessible by air from
Guatemala City). Located lakeshore and about half way between
Flores and Tikal, this hotel has 72 rooms with televisions, radios,
air conditioning, telephones, private baths and minibars. Amenities
include three restaurants, a bar and room service as well as
bird-watching tours, canoeing, windsurfing and yacht
excursions.Maruba Resort Jungle Spa, Belize (a 45-minute drive from Belize
City airport). This is a back-to-nature resort and the only spa in
Belize, not far from the Altun Ha ruins.Accommodations are offered in air-conditioned bungalows in a
jungle setting. Amenities include a restaurant serving "nouveau
jungle" cuisine, a spa program, a Japanese mineral bath, horseback
riding and excursions to ruins and nature areas.
Kurt Kutay, president of Wildland Adventures in Seattle, offers
programs that often feature demanding treks, but he said he enjoys
comforts, too.
His picks were:
Green Parrot Beach Houses, Placencia, Belize (access: by air
from Belize City, or overland, 30 miles from Dangriga). Just
outside Placencia on Maya Beach off the southern coast, this
property has six elevated beach houses, all with sea views and
kitchens. Amenities include an open-air restaurant and bar.Villas at San Buenaventura de Atitlan, Atitlan, Guatemala (two
hours from Guatemala City, one hour from Antigua). Located at the
nature preserve of San Buenaventura de Atitlan, these villas
overlook Lake Panajachel.There are 10 furnished units with private baths as well as a
restaurant. Guests can follow the reserve's self-guided nature
trails, using a 12-page guide. There is also a butterfly reserve, a
bird refuge, an orchid garden and a howler monkey rehabilitation
center.
Patricia Kilpatrick, manager of Solsierra Destinations in
Bellevue, Wash., offers a specialty travel package in Mexico and
finds that "hacienda hopping in the Yucatan is a fly/drive vacation
product well suited to these times of the sophisticated travelers
marketplace."
Her favorite was:
Hacienda Katanchel, Yucatan, Mexico (a half-hour drive from
Merida). Located east of Merida, this deluxe hacienda complex, once
a 19th century henequen plantation, has been restored to offer
guests 39 bungalow suites. Amenities include a pool, a chapel,
lounges and tours of the 740-acre estate that has its own Maya
ruins.