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Santa Cruz La Laguna, Guatemala vacation, travel and tourist information by reviewer Janette Higgins.
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Guatemala
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Casa del Mundo Hotel Cafe
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Bill Fogarty and Rose Valenzuela
Caserio El Jaibalito
Santa Cruz La Laguna,
Guatemala,
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| Phone: 502-5218-5332 |
| Toll Free:502-5204-5558 (second phone-not toll free) |
| Shangri-La in Guatemala |
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Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
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All but invisible, a small gem of a hotel blends into the cliff that rises steeply from the shore of Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan. Casa del Mundo (literally house of the world) is the enchanting brainchild of Alaskan Bill Fogarty and his Guatemalan wife Rosy Valenzuela. Not surprisingly, many tourists find their way to the traditional villages dotting the volcanic shores of Lake Atitlan, After all, it is the country’s crown jewel. But only a few are lucky enough to land at Casa del Mundo’s dock. Those who do would like nothing better than to keep this Shangri La a secret.
So with apologies to those in-the-know, I’m about to let the cat out of the bag. But first, a couple of provisos. You’ll need to be agile to climb out of the lancha and up several rungs on the side of the dock before hoisting yourself up. And make sure you’ve done your cardio workouts. You’ll need a good ticker for climbing all those stone steps.
The thirteen attractive rooms, surrounded by beautiful gardens, are on different levels stretching ever upwards. All are decorated with handwoven bedcovers and uniquely crafted wall décor. Many think Room 12 is best; it is pretty nifty with terrific views, small balcony, wood-burning fireplace, and a large hammock strung in front of the wall of windows. Only thing is it’s at the very top so you’re in for some hiking back and forth to the mid-level dining room and back down to the dock.
Rooms 1 and 2 are one level above the dining room and both would be a great choice. But my favourite has to be number 13. It’s slated for renovation because the entrance is a bit inauspicious and its private bathroom is a flight below, but it’s the largest and has the best views. All these rooms and a few others have private bath. Several more share a couple of bathrooms. For all of these except one, though, it means climbing up and down stairs to use the bathroom.
Your fellow guests are an eclectic mix of travellers, backpackers, and Peace Corps and other volunteers who’ve slipped away for some R&R. We even met a young Guatemalan couple now living in California back for a visit. You’ll meet them because every night the tables are pushed together and guests dine en masse. Since the public lanchas don’t ply their routes at night you don’t have much choice about where you have dinner. Doesn’t matter one whit. Even if you have dinner there every night for six nights as we did, you’ll have a memorable time.
During the day, however, you do have many choices of places to go and things to do because the public lanchas are frequent and cheap. They stop off at all the villages on the lake including the town of Panajachel which is the starting point for any trip to Lake Atitlan. But it’s not so bad just sticking around Casa del Mundo. There’s access to the lake for swimming, hiking over to the nearest town for lunch and, my favourite, lots of opportunity to while away the hours in a hamaca. Heaven! Or should I say, Shangri La?
Note to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the owners know you read my review of their hotel on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Canadian Travel Writer
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Casa del Mundo Hotel Cafe , Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
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| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| E-mail: |
Click Here |
| Website: |
http://www.lacasadelmundo.com |
| Best to call: |
anytime |
| Languages: |
Spanish English |
| Season: |
all year |
| Rates: |
S or D USD $55-60 for rooms with private bath
$27 for rooms with shared bath |
Currency converter
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| Cards: |
US Dollars, Quetzales (cash) |
| Facilities: |
13 rooms, 7 with private bath, 6 with 2 shared baths |
| Breakfast: |
available but not included in price |
| In Residence: |
Tigresa the cat |
| Location: |
On Lake Atitlan, near Santa Cruz, Jaibalito, San Pedro, Santiago,Solola and Panajachel |
| Directions: |
Take a public lancha (boat) from the west dock in Panajachel |
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