Decoding Lonely Planet Guides
The first thing you need to know when you read a Lonely Planet Guide, is that the writers can never actually call a place a dump - otherwise who would bother buying the guide? Case in point - Belgrade in Serbia, the only place where we have ever been robbed - is described as having "a certain Gritty Charm" - a description that is only 50% true.
I have not had the heart to read what Lonely Planet has to say about Monterrico on Guatemala's Pacific Coast. I am guessing that the guide ascribes "an Appealing Funky Vibe" to the place. Well it certainly is "Funky". Appealing? Let's see.... you cannot swim in the water, half the town is derelict, you could fry an egg on the sand...but yes, in a funny way, the place does have its charms. Not so much that you want to come back, but not so little that you regret even coming.
Our "hellish" accommodation
For somebody who works as hard as I do, trying to live up to the "Whinging Pom" label, it can be a bit of a trial travelling with such a relentlessly cheerful, resilient companion. So my miserable little whining heart skipped a beat, when she finally had to concede that our hotel room was "hellish".
This is what it looked like in the middle of the day:
The decor is still giving me nightmares:
The best thing about the place was that they did not charge us a penalty for moving down the road, and leaving three days early.
Not your typical beach destination
"Gallo" (rooster in Spanish) is the country's best selling beer brand.
But that's no reason for this guy to put on his own impromptu screen test.
Even though you cannot safely swim in the water, the beach has a pleasant, unpretentious family atmosphere.
Magic sunrise among the Mangroves
It was worth getting up before five, to share the dawn with the birds among the mangrove trees.
This guy was our outboard motor:
We have toured mangroves before, but never with volcanoes in the background:
This has to be one of the prettiest commutes in the world.
As so often happens, I had to wait until we got back to the dock, for the action shot of the day.
Black sand beaches have their own beauty
Bottom line
If you are a regular visitor to Guatemala (btw, not an oxymoron) why not give Monterrico a try?
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