La Lancha

Rooms

Spread across various buildings, the casitas all share tranquil, bright interiors: white walls and floors, Indonesian furniture and comfy beds adorned with colourful Mayan textiles. Lakeview Suites are larger, with marble bathrooms and panoramic views towards the lake; the smaller Rainforest Casitas have tiled bathrooms and face the jungle, with a partial lake view. Rainforest Junior Suites are in the middle, set back from the lake, but with good watery views.

Your terrace is shared with the casita occupying the other half of your building; each has its own Indonesian coffee table and wicker chairs, and a carved parrot or banana bunch hanging from the thatched roof. Bathrooms have spacious showers, hairdryers and bathrobes; towels are embellished with a flower decoration on arrival.

Eleanor Coppola's penchant for Mayan art is evident in decorative huipile (blouses), carved masks and colourful Guatemalan rugs and cushions. Candles and fresh flowers add to the welcome. High arched wooden ceilings and fans keep the rooms cool. There's no telephone, although you can make calls (with a surcharge) at the office.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

One of the delights of staying here is dining in the high-roofed restaurant-bar, open on 3 sides to the jungle and lake.

At breakfast , choose between beautifully presented fresh fruit platters, eggs cooked to order, or the tipica breakfast of eggs, plantains and refried beans. Juices, coffee and chocolate are all plentiful. Room service can be arranged if you're departing early for your tour.

Lunch begins with soup of the day, ceviche or salsa and guacamole. Mains include enchiladas, tacos, grilled marinated vegetables, fish or pork on rice and beans, and a simple range of sandwiches (grilled chicken, ham and cheese, BLT) and salads (tuna, chicken, mixed vegetables). A packed lunch can be made up if you're on a tour all day; let the staff know the night before.

There's an excellent and daily changing menu of Guatemalan and Italian-influenced dinner dishes. Certainly, we enjoyed our tamales (traditional beef and vegetables with baked corn dough) and roasted whole fish with a sea salt crust; and, on another night, charcoal-grilled pork chops with fennel, and a delicious seafood spaghetti. Other staples include grilled chicken topped with pumpkin seed dressing, and freshwater fish with chamula sauce, all served with tortillas, rice and refried beans. Try and leave room for desserts: the tiramisu and pannacotta are as good as any in Rome, while the banana or pineapple flambé with sugar rum is as juicy as it sounds.

There's an extensive (and expensive) house wine list, as well as beers, liqueurs and cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed at your table, or in the courtyard beside the fountain.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

La Lancha can arrange all manner of tours and excursions; book the night before with Lucy or Ernesto, and be prepared for some early starts...

• Lake Peten Itzá and its lakeshore villages are best explored by boat - shop for local wood carvings and textiles. Staff organise an excellent early morning bird-watching tour, with parrots, toucans, motmots, kingfishers, hummingbirds, falcons and vultures all on the agenda
  
• Go fishing on the lake with a local fisherman or horse riding in the beautiful rainforest around the it; you can also borrow kayaks and mountain bikes to explore independently.
  
• Sites worth seeing include atmospheric Yaxha, set on a pretty forest lagoon, and nearby Topoxte, the only post-classic Maya site in Peten. Further afield is Ceibal, considered the 'Mayan Art Gallery' with its well-preserved carvings - this is a long day trip
  
• Laid-back Flores, the island city, is used mostly as a transit point, with useful internet cafes, banks, tour operators and restaurants, but it also has pretty colonial buildings and native architecture; shop here for hand-woven blankets
  
• Near Flores is Skyway, a complex network of 6 suspension bridges joined by winding forest pathways, providing vantage points into different levels of the rainforest
  
• Ten minutes' drive away is Cerro Cahui National Reserve, which has several walking trails through the jungle. One leads up to a stunning lookout over Lake Peten Itzá
  
• Spanish language courses can be arranged; there are also several good schools on the north shore of the lake in the villages of San Andres and San José
  
• Swim in the lake or the hotel's pool

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Language courses
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Trekking
• Wildlife

Kids

Although this isn't a dedicated family hotel, adventurous children will relish the wilderness setting and wealth of outdoor activities.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms can hold an extra bed or baby cot. Lakeview Suites are the most spacious, with a double bedroom, a separate lounge with sofabed (sleeps 2) and two bathrooms.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

La Lancha is located down an unpaved road on the north shore of Lake Peten Itzá, about 40 minutes from Flores and 10km from the nearest town of El Remate.

By Air
Flores (44km) is the nearest airport. It's served by some international flights and domestic links from Guatemala City La Aurora (500km), Guatemala's main international airport. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving each airport.

From the Airport
La Lancha can provide an airport transfer; local travel operators in Flores will charge a little less. Coppola Resorts can also arrange a flight from Turtle Inn and a 2-hour overland trip from Blancaneaux Lodge, both in Belize.

By Bus
Buses from all over Guatemala go to Santa Elena, beside Flores.

By Car
Driving around Guatemala is certainly possible, with relatively empty roads and friendly locals, but bear in mind it's expensive, and parking and security will be your biggest concerns. A good working knowledge of Spanish will help your cause. For car hire see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be provided after your booking is confirmed.

More on getting to Guatemala and getting around