The best hostels in Central America

I have been living in Guatemala for over three years now. Every now and then I find some time to take a break and go travel in Central America. At each trip I make, I get even more fascinated and astonished by the beauty and mistery of Guatemala and the Mayan world!

With this page I would like to give some of this beauty back to you guys! I have made a list of all hostels and places that I liked best in Central America. I will also add all the recommendations backpackers have given me since I opened the hostel!



So far this page contains hostels in:

Antigua
El Remate
Rio Dulce
Livingston
Las Conchas
San Pedro
San Marcos

My opinion : This is a very good popular hostel. The owners are very friendly and do everything to make your stay comfortable. The hostel has nice clean rooms with comfortable beds, a little travel agency in front and a roof terrace with nice view on the volcano.

Q 60 for a dorm with shared hot shower and free use of kitchen and internet. A delicious breakfast of choice is included in the morning.

—————————————————————

• The Black Cat
  
  6 Av. Norte, 1A, one block from park
  reservations@blackcatantigua.com
  www.blackcatantigua.com

My opinion : Honestly I haven´t been here yet because it´s a quite new hostel. I understood it´s run by two guys from the UK.

They must be doing a good job because I get a lot of good reactions from backpackers here at the hostel!

I heard these guys have loads of free dvd´s you can watch and a nice bar with good music.

Q 5o for a dorm with shared hot shower. A very good free breakfast in the morning is included.

My opinion : This is one of the cheaper places in town. This hostel is not linked to our Youth Hostel Los Amigos in Flores but the older Guatemalan owner also did a nice job!

Q 40 for a dorm with hot water and Q 35 with cold water.

• Sac Luc
  
  Erwin Bendfeldt
  km 29, Rd Tikal
  El Remate, Peten
  5494 5925
  tikalsakluk@hotmail.com

My opinion : A nice creative place with an awesome view over the lake. The hostel has a camping place, hammocks, private rooms with shared bathroom and private rooms with private rooms. The place is located at 200 meters north of the main beach in El Remate. You can recognize the place by a little coloured house in the form of a Mayan face right next to the road.

The prices at Sak Luk are affordable and vary between Q 30 p.p to Q 50 p.p.

——————————————————————

• El Gringo Perdido
  
  3 km from Casa de Don David
  Just passed ´Cerro Cahui´
  2334 2305
  gringo_perdido@hotmail.com

My opinion: I always go to this little paradise with my brother and family for a day of relaxing at the water! This green peacufull ecological hotel is located right at the lake and has two docks and some guano champas where one can chill in a hammock. They also have a restaurant. (quite expensive)

The hotel has several simple rooms next to the water for $ 15 p.p. People travelling budget can also put their hammock up at the little hut right next to the water! You can make a little fire with a bbq. For sleeping in a hammock they charge Q 40 p.p.

The owners use part of the profit from their hotel for communitarian projects.

——————————————

• El Mirador del Duende
  
  Entrance of El Remate
  7926 0269

My opinion: This place is located right at the entrance of the village El Remate. It´s up the little mountain and has a beautifull view over El Remate and the lake. The place is big, strange and funny. Unfortunately it seems a little neglected but you notice that in the price. They have a little restaurant and bar as well.

You can camp, stay in hammocks or in little funny rooms in the mountain from Q 15 to Q 45 p.p.

———————————————

Hostels in Rio Dulce

• Casa Perrico
  
  7930 5666, 5909 0721
  casa-perico@hotmail.com
  www.casa-perico.de.vu
  

My opinion : This nice hostel is in my opinion the best option if you have to stay overnight in the ugly truckers town Rio Dulce. The hostel is located at 10 minutes distance (by boat) from Rio Dulce. To get there you can either call the owners yourself when you arrive in Rio Dulce (see phone numbers above) or you can go to ´The Eco Shack´ next to the Fuente del Norte bus station in Rio Dulce. They will contact the hostel by radio and they will pick you up and drop you off at Rio Dulce for free.

The hostel is run by three swiss guys. They build the whole place on water on large docks which are in the middle of the beautifull jungle. The place has a cozy relaxing bar and a good shared meal at night for Q 40 p.p.

The dorms are Q 40 p.p and the private rooms with shared bathroom are Q 55 and a private room with private bathroom is: Q 100.

——————————————

• Hotel Backpackers
  
  Under the bridge in Rio Dulce
  7930 5480, 7930 5168 / 69
  hbackpackers@guate.net.gt
  www.casa-guatemala.org

My opinion: It´s an ok place. You can relax in a hamock on the dock right at the water with a good book or rent a kayak. The hotel is linked to a volunteer project where you can work with children. At this project are several hundred orphenages a few miles down the river in a orphenage house called ´Casa Guatemala´. If you want to volunteer here, you have to stay at least three months and they charge a fee of $ 200 (once). More information is available at the Backpackers Hotel or on the website above.

——————————————

• Finca Paraiso
  
  Direction El Estor
  1 hour from Rio Dulce
  

• Finca Tatin
  
  Carlos Simonini
  5902 0831
  fincatatin@yahoo.com
  www.fincatatin.centroamerica.com

My opinion: Highly recommended! To me this is one of the greatest places I have been to in Guatemala! This magical place is the best option to stay if you´re heading to Livingston or to the Bay islands in Honduras. It is run by a friendly Argentinian guy, Carlos and long term volunteers, who have put their heart and soul in the place. At night there is a good shared meal at the long wooden table for Q 40. Sometimes the volunteers or Carlos the owner bring you at night to the hot springs nearby at the river. It´s an amazing experience. During the day you can either make various jungle tours around, go kayaking, sunbath on the dock at the peacefull river or go bird-watching!

• Oasis Chiyu
  
  Felipe
  tierramadretours@yahoo.com
  www.naturetoursguatemala.com
  

• Yacharik
  
  Around the corner of Buddhas Bar and Munchies

• ZooLa (The Secret Garden)
  
  5534 3111
  Behind the Bethel School
  follow red sign

My opinion: This place is also called the secret garden. If I am not mistaken the place is owned by an Israeli and the rooms are located on the opposite side of the bar and restaurant which has great food. It´s a good creative place with a nice ambience!

The rooms are relatively cheap for Q 25 p.p.

• Las Piradmides (meditation center)
  
  Right next to the main dock in San Marcos

My opinion:   For those of you who are into spirituality and meditation, this is a great place. The Guatemalan spiritual teacher Chatty started this meditation center right next to the lake.

I followed a month meditation course, the so called moon course. You stay in little pyramids and start daily with two refreshing hours of hatta yoga and experiment different meditations and explore interesting themes among which lucid dreaming and other dimensions. The place has a little te mascal and is great if you need a little break. If you don´t wanna do the months course you can also just visit for a day.