El Remate (Guatemala)

I stayed a couple of times at El Remate, a particularly calm spot, which represents for me, as I prefer relaxing and being close to nature, the perfect alternative to Flores, which is more lively and a bit artificial. El Remate is simple: one road, hotels with bungalows and restaurants on the right; on the left there are fields and then the Petén Itzá lake, whose quite warm temperature makes it a very nice swimming spot.

My personal advice is, but one which doesn't negatively judge the other hotels in the village: the Posada del Cerro, because of its closeness to the Cerro Cahuí (meaning Cahuí hill). It's in a protected zone where, if you get up early enough to be the first person there, you can see spider monkeys, howler monkeys and other species.

During my first stay in Guatemala (August 2013), I was able to watch the hurler monkeys which come to play in the trees in the area of my hotel, in particular above the carpentry area. From my last stay (August 2014), I have a strong memory of a family of hurler monkeys passing between the bungalows in the middle of the night, whose strange growls woke us up, whilst I was staying there with my friends and my wife, on our way back from Tikal. Impressive. And in my opinion ideal, for those going to Tikal and other nearby Mayan temples during their archaeological trip along the Mayan route.