In a nutshell:
*Christmas, New Year and Semana Santa : 4 nights minimum*
Perfect for families and groups of friends. Two separate rooms, a queen and a twin, with private bathrooms and fans.
A big living room downstairs with open kitchen and a corner sofa where two kids could sleep.
Clean airy house with comfortable beds, bathrooms, and fully equipped kitchen.
There are three steps to go down to the house from the parking, and 70 steps to go down to the beach. No wheelchair access. The rooms are upstairs, the casita room is at parking level.
Right on the lake, for people who enjoy relaxing in nature. Party animals, bring the party with you :)
Paved road. Bus stops in front of the house.
Internet can be a bit slow as we don't have a landline nearby. Bring your movies and entertainment.
5 minute walk from stores with drinks and chips, 20 miles from supermarket, BRING ALL YOUR FOOD if you want to cook.
Sometimes, the power will go out. It's the jungle, and there is little we can do about it. I have a backup gas stove so you can still cook and we provide candles and battery to charge your phone.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to Playa Blanca! I bought this place in 2014 and have since built a cosy home with a beautiful lush garden. Being a world traveler myself, I try to offer guests the things I am happy to get during my travels: comfortable beds, comfy sheets, big enough towels, a fully equipped kitchen with sharp knives and non stick pans, and an overall clean and welcoming place. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Playa Blanca is a beautiful place where you can watch both the sunrise and sunset from your own private deck, have a meal al fresco overlooking lake Petén Itzá, and wake up to the sound of birds and hawler monkeys.
Yes, we are in the jungle, and while the house is pretty much free of critters (they’ll come around if you leave food outside, so please leave it in the fridge!), we are still surrounded by wildlife. There are monkeys, toucans, and many other animals inhabiting the jungle. You will seldom see them, and regarding insects, we take every precaution to make sure the house is free of them. There are mosquito nets on the windows and we regularly inspect the place for nests.
We take pride in offering this place to guests, and hope you will love your stay. If anything is not up to your standards, please let the staff know and they will do their very best to make you happy. I am not around all the time, but am usually just a text message or email away.
You can check in at any time after 2pm, my staff will either wait for you or give you instructions. The area is very safe and the lake is clean and safe too. This part of Lake Petén Itzá is still wild and quiet, at night you will hear hawler monkeys and frogs, you can fish, hike in the jungle, etc.
Most groups come for two or three nights, wake up early to visit Tikal the next day (one hour ride, 10 miles dirt, 20 miles asphalt), and come back to a refreshing swim in the lake and sunset. You are a five minute walk away from the village, but you should bring all your foods and drinks from Flores because it is basic. See below for details about buses and logistics, although for groups over 3 people, it really makes sense to rent a car to explore the area, whether you stay with me or not.
THE ROOMS
There are two rooms in the house, one with a queen bed, a walk-in closet and a private bathroom, one with two twin beds, a private bathroom and plenty of storage space.
The rooms have big French doors overlooking the garden and the lake.
The both are equipped with a fan, and we provide sheets and bath towels.
While the village is pretty quiet, you will hear birds and hawler monkeys in the morning.
KITCHEN
The house has a fully equipped kitchen to prepare meals for your group.
The kitchen is spacious and has a big stove oven with four burners. There is a fridge and freezer. We have enough pots, pans, plates and cutlery to accommodate groups.
The kitchen has a French press for coffee, an Oster blender that can crush ice, sharp knives and non stick pans. There is a vegetable peeler, ice trays, wine and beer opener, and most things you would need to prepare a nice meal.
You will also find 5 gallon clay water filter for drinking.
TERRACE AREA
We have a nice terrace overlooking the lake, where you will love to rest after a day exploring Mayan ruins. It is generally cool during the day thanks to big trees casting their shade over it. It is fully roofed, so you are covered if it rains.
There are hammocks and chairs as well as coffee tables.
BEACH AND DECK:
The private beach is 80 meters /250ft wide, it has a deck with a couple of hammocks, and the water is generally crystal clear, it gets a bit muddy on the rainy days. The best sunsets are from October to February. The lake is around 25C /75F degrees year round so you can swim at any time. It is safe for kids.
STAFF:
Before you arrive, the housekeeper does a deep cleaning of the house. If anything is not up to your standards please ask my staff.
I have a full time guardian who works from 7am to 4pm. He will be there to greet you if you arrive early enough, or will leave the house open for you, and meet you the next morning. Every day, he cleans up the trash and tidies the common areas. He will answer your questions and help you with anything you need. Then he generally goes away to work on my other property, but will stay around as long as you need, if there is a leak or something broke for example.
You will be alone at night, he can be reached by text or phone in case of an emergency. The area is very safe so you can leave all doors open at night and enjoy the breeze.
If you need help preparing meals or doing laundry, we can arrange that for an extra fee.
My guardian is very hard working, patient, and eager to help. He does not speak English but will understand most problems if you point, or go online for automatic translation.
GETTING THERE / AMENITIES
It is better if you have your own vehicle, but you can also come by bus. By bus, there are 6 buses a day from Flores to San Pedro, or you can take a microbus hourly from Flores to San José, 6 miles away, and hire a Q40/$5 tuktuk from there. It takes about 40 minutes by car to go to Flores and one hour to Tikal, 1 hour by bus to go to Flores. You can take a bus to Flores, then to Tikal to visit the ruins. First bus at 445am puts you in Flores around 540am so you can leave on the morning flight to Guatemala City.
For car rental look up rates on Kayak for Hertz and others.
Our village is small and you will find basic shops that sell mostly dry goods and drinks. The nearest supermarket where you will find more choice is 20 miles/30km away. We recommend you bring your food from Flores if you like to cook.
If you stay for a couple of weeks in Guatemala you can buy your own SIM card for your smartphone. It costs around $5 and from $14 for 1Gb of data valid for 30 days. Highly recommended so you can get in touch with all your Airbnb guests.