Slow down and Sun Tan

Our hotel in Monterrico
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To escape the "hectic" life in Antigua, we went to Guatemala´s most laid-back location: Monterrico. This small beach town is located at the pacific coast quite close to Antigua and El Salvador. People usually come here in the weekends and stay at one of the many hotels at the beach.

It seemed like a good idea to us, and it promissed us a walk to find Sea Turtles!

Waiting for ...

We were picked up by a normal car instead of the shuttle bus, since we were the only 2 people that would be going up to Monterrico today. We knew it wasn´t high season and we just heard that bad weather was predicted, but that wouldn´t stop us from going to this paradise called Monterrico.

Our room in the hotel Atelie del Mar (we had two of these beds)
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The bus driver recommended us the hotel Atelier del Mar and we booked a 2bed-bedroom there, just next to the blue swimming pool. We were the only two guests there and were very friendly welcomed by the Finnish Manager and his Guatemalean wife, and not to forget the big Rottweiler called Neko.

There are two things you can do in Monterrico, besides swimming in the hotel pool, or tanning in the sun: Go to the beach at night to find Sea Turtles that walk up to the beach to lay their eggs OR go to the Mangrove forest with a small boat.

Great place to tan, and sun bath
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We booked for both activities on the same day, and immediately at night we walked up and down the beach of Monterrico for 2 hours. In the pitch black ocean view, we heard the waves from the Pacific crash down on the black sand of Monterrico. The sand is black because it´s mainly composed of vulcanic rocks. This also gives the sea a very black and dark colour.

Unfortunately, we just missed a turtle that already laid its eggs on the beach and walked back to the sea. We just saw the local turtle farm owner collect its eggs in order to breed new turtles which are set loose each saturday. The second night we also ventured out to the beach but again without any luck.

We liked it here!
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Meanwhile the weather got as bad as predicted, and after 2 hours of sun, we saw mostly rain and dark grey clouds till the day we left. It also meant that our morning trip to the mangrove forest at 5 AM was cancelled and postponed to the next morning. Finally on saturday morning, the rain stopped and together with two Icelandic travellers we went to the Mangroves.

We saw mostly mangrove plants an occasionally a bird or two, but nothing spectacular to report. However, the trip itself is quite relaxing and gave us a great view of 5 Vulcanos in the distance.

Together on the Black sand beach
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A bit disappointed with the weather, the turtles and the mangrove forest, we left on Saturday so we could visit Chichi on Sunday and Lago de Atitlan right after the ChiChi market. On the last morning in Monterrico, the sun came out and we finally got our tan.

All in all, we relaxed a bit, ate some sea food met nice people and did all we could do in Monterrico (and that only in 48 hours).

Here people are waiting for either:

sunny weather,

It´s not advised to swim here
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New touristis to arrive from Antigua or

Anything to happen at all.