Fantastic Facets of Guatemala’s Las Lagunas Hotel

Quixotic, exotic, mystical: all apply to Guatemala, celebrated since antiquity as "the land of eternal spring.”

The Central American republic’s cheerful label refers to its year-around spring-like temperatures, a fitting backdrop for an amazing landscape of soaring volcanoes, lush and leafy jungles filled with exotic wildlife, charming colonial towns and fascinating Mayan architectural sites.

Where better to explore this extraordinary region than from the comfort of a luxury forest hideaway? Guests at the 19-bungalow Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, located on a private reserve in Guatemala’s Petén province are immersed in more than 300 acres of verdant jungle criss-crossed broad and gleaming rivers in the country’s northern region.

Las Lagunas is as close to glamping as the definition allows. Deluxe amenities, facilities and services are offered in an authentic jungle setting. Residents can choose from a variety of on-property excursions highlighting Las Lagunas’ picturesque lakes and diverse wildlife.

The resort lies within close proximity of the Yaxha, Tikal, Uaxctún and Yaxhá Mayan archaeological sites. In the nearby colonial town of Flores, travelers can interact with contemporary Guatemalan culture, arts and crafts.Those inspired by culturally authentic journeys offering emotional and educational fulfillment—with a touch of the good life—won’t have much to dislike at Las Lagunas.

Cool Accommodations

Las Lagunas’ over-the-water bungalow suites are positioned around large, tranquil Laguna Quexil, offering magnificent sunsets. The bungalows are linked by wooden walkways lined with lush native trees, plants and flowers.

Las Lagunas’ highest-level accommodations are its Master Suites, measuring 860 square and located at high elevation overlooking the jungle and Quexil lagoon.

The air-conditioned suites feature spacious bedrooms and enclosed decks with private Jacuzzis, satellite TVs, iPod docks, cascade showers, Egyptian cotton linen bedding with feather duvets, mini-bars and Android-enabled smartphones. There are also three Waterfront Master suites featuring single bedrooms plus comfortable living and dining rooms.

Guest facilities also include a full-service spa offering massages, body and facial treatments. The resort’s restaurant, Shultun, is located on a platform along the lagoon and offers sweeping views and locally influenced gourmet cuisine.

READ MORE: Travel to the Great Active Volcanoes of Central America

Wildlife Encounters

Guests can opt for an ATV ride across the reserve, encountering the tropical jungle’s flora and fauna while viewing ocelots, margay tigers, jaguar, danta, deer and more than 250 bird species. Resort officials work with CONAP (Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas) to provide educational information on Peten flora and fauna to travelers.

The property also features Monkey Island in Laguna Quexil, the largest of the reserve’s five lagoons. Here guests can visit the spider monkeys the resort’s naturalists help to breed and maintain, and feed them fruit and vegetables.

Small Town Charm

The quaint seaside village of Flores presents a quiet contrast to the high and rocky colonial towns found around Guatemala’s southern mountain and volcano region. Flores’ oldest section is located on an island on Lake Peten Itza.

The tiny islet is connected to the mainland by a short causeway built within the last 40 years. The small wooden ferries once instrumental to access the island still operate, albeit now as much for travelers and visitors as residents. Flores is an important site in Guatemala’s colonial history: As the last independent Maya state to resist Spain’s conquistadors, Flores withstood a 1541 siege led by Hernán Cortés.

Today, Flores is a quiet and pleasant fishing village with cobblestone streets, small hotels, restaurants, arts and crafts shops, as well as the Catedral Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios y San Pablo Itzá. The historic church sits across from a small and leafy central park—a center of activity common to nearly every Guatemala town.

Mayan Magic Las Lagunas is close enough to Yaxha—Guatemala’s third-largest archeological site (after the sites at Tikal and El Mirador—that guests can arrange a tour departing at any hour of the morning.

Yaxha is noted for its impressive number of large structures built close to each other more than 15 centuries ago. Incredibly, guests will encounter towering tree-covered mounds that sit on still-unexcavated temples and structures. The site is estimated to have covered 92 square miles with a peak population of 42,000 at its zenith.

Other highlights include the Temple of the Red Hands, ceremonial causeways, a Mayan ball court, and a pyramid of sacrifices—where travelers can arrange to participate in a blessing ceremony led by a modern-day Mayan shaman.

Las Lagunas is also within an hour of Tikal, perhaps easier to understand when one considers there are an estimated 2,000 Mayan archaeological sites in Peten. (Tikal is considered the largest archaeological site of the classical period with 4,000 structures.)

Las Lagunas guests visit the Great Plaza, four temples and the sweeping complex of astronomical observation. Other smaller buildings are included in the hiking tour, which is conducted mostly under forest shade. Guests will also partake in lunch at the "El Meson" restaurant and visit the Museum of Ceramics.