Ecolodge El Sombrero

Overview

Description

El Sombrero is at the eastern end of the Yaxhá lagoon, which is part of an ancient Maya city in the heart of the Peten tropical forest. We are at the foot of a hill on the isthmus of Yaxha-NaKum-Naranjo National Park. El Sombrero is ideal for enjoyment and having fun learning about and interpreting cultural riches, natural diversity, and scenic beauty. It is an ideal place for your stay in the northeastern Petén, and a centrally-located starting point for your excursions in the region. We are less than an hour from Flores, Tikal, and the border with Belize.

You can take maximum advantage of your stay at El Sombrero, in the center of Guatemala’s Maya Forest, in the “soul of the earth”, that is, of course, if the howler monkeys let you get some sleep. One of our trails goes to the plaza of the El Kuch archeological site; one-third of a mile from the campground you can see structures that are 131 feet long by 40 feet wide. The Yaxha archeological site is only 5 minutes away, and the Topoxte archeological findings are on an island of the same name only 15 minutes away by boat. These archeological sites have had projects to conserve and conduct research on the monuments since 1989.

We offer tours on foot, horseback, in a boat, and in a 4-wheel drive vehicle to the numerous archeological sites in the national park and its buffer zone, where there are several private nature reserves. Some of the archeological sites that we visit are Yaxhá, Topoxte, Nakum, Naranjo, El Kuch, and Tikal. The area is a great site for watching birds that live in the high forest and the wetlands that are also Ramsar sites.

Rooms

13 rooms and bungalows

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 7

Percentage of local employees: 100%

In El Sombrero, we promote public awareness-raising through tourism activities that are respectful of natural and cultural heritage and that foster the region’s social development.

We participate and promote projects for local protection and conservation by supporting international, national, and local institutions and we provide them with information accumulated over 27 uninterrupted years of presence in the area.

We emphasize the enormous value of the natural and cultural treasures of the area and the importance of their protection and conservation for the physical and spiritual well-being of humans. At the campground, we cultivate a respect for the environment among the people who work for or visit us.

We have actively promoted the legal declaration of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park (91,390 acres or 37,000 hectares) and the El Pilar Cultural Monument (29,640 acres or 12,000 hectares), and we promote forest conservation among private landowners in the area. Two years ago, we formalized the Petén Private Nature Reserve Association and as a result of this initiative we now have more than 4,940 acres (2,000 hectares) of reserves registered in the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas (SIGAP).

The El Sombrero Campground is recognized as a pioneer in ecotourism activities in Petén. For 27 years, we have supported conservation unconditionally and now we are devoting our energy to protecting the wetland to the southwest of the lagoon, part of a Ramsar site. The biodiversity of this area and the Ixtinto River basin that feeds the lagoon are threatened by the problem of invasions. We aim to stop this threat and fund our work through our micro-business; without its direct economic support, our work would be slower and more difficult. This is our most urgent challenge, the conservation and protection of this area, and in this you are our most important, indirect partner!

Rates

$25 or less

We have rooms and bungalows. The room rates range from $10-15 per person per night. The bungalows’ rates are $45-75 per night. Price varies based on occupancy and season.

Our rate includes lodging and taxes. It does not include the cost of the daily activities at the Lodge.

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.ecolodgeelsombrero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=14&lang=en (available in English and Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Flores (FRS)

Travel time to nearest airport: 1 hour

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: 45 miles (one hour).

The border with Belize is only 26 miles away. There is regular microbus service passing every 15 minutes to the cities of Flores and Melchor de Mencos.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.guatemalaenvivo.com/peten/hotel.php?id_c=227&id_h=114 (available in English and Spanish). General description of El Sombrero and its services, available on Guatemala Tips' Web site.

Date This Information Was Provided

September 2010.

Photos courtesy of Ecolodge El Sombrero, Guatemala, for SustainableTrip.org.