What can I say – It was ‘BEAUTIFUL.’  Black sand beaches, warm ocean waters (although the waves are a bit rough), beautiful sunshine, terrific company, etc., etc. 

Monterrico is about a 2 hour drive from Guatemala City.  The majority of the trip is 4 lane highway until the last 1/2 hour or so.  At that point it is 2 lane roads that go through several small towns.  I loved seeing the people, houses, small stores and restaurants. 

Once we reached Monterrico, we turned off onto a small, bumpy dirt road that lead us to Utz Tzaba which is the resort we stayed at.  It isn’t big, but it is lovely and remote.  No t.v.’s or telephones in the rooms.  They do have wireless internet, but a connection was only available when you sat near the main office 🙂  Each room had air-conditioning, which was really nice since it was hot and muggy.  The resort has 4 bungalows that sleep up to 8 and 12 rooms that sleep up to 5.  We had a bungalow for Lili’s foster family which included a living room, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a kitchen with stove, refrigerator, sink, pots, pans, plates, and eating utensils.  Having an area to cook was really nice since there is only one restaurant on premises and isn’t necessarily the least expensive place to eat in Guatemala.  It was also nice being able to enjoy some yummy meals prepared by Lili’s foster mom and foster grandmother – homemade tortillas, Guatemala style black beans, grilled steak, chicken, guacamole, salsa – my mouth is watering just thinking about the meals we had. 

The regular rooms included 1 large room with 2 double beds and 1 twin bed.  The bathroom was nice size with a large walk-in shower, sink and toilet.  They also provided bottled water in the rooms.

We spent a lot of time at the pool during our stay there.  The pool is elevated with a great view of the beach and ocean.  It includes a large attached kiddie pool, a swim up bar and 3 hot tubs.  There are also two covered areas at the resort with hammocks for those who enjoy some real relaxation swaying in the breeze and listening to the waves. 

Another highlight was the Tortuga’s (also known at turtles) which made their home in a large tank in the middle of the resort.  The kids visited them several times a day and enjoyed feeding them grass and leaves. 

I could spend a lot more time trying to describe the resort and our time there, but I think the pictures will speak volumes.