4 Best Hotels in Livingston, The Atlantic Lowlands

This string of waterfront bungalows can best be described as Guatemala's most luxurious way of roughing it. Each is furnished with bright highland furniture and a pair of beds draped with mosquito nets. Don't be scared off by the shared baths; they're clean and comfortable, and the showers have hot water. The main building houses a restaurant serving excellent meals on a pretty patio overlooking the water. The dinner menu changes daily, but always includes lobster and other favorites. Dinner, at 7 sharp, is by candlelight.

Livingston's finest hotel, the Villa Caribe has some great views of the Caribbean from its hilltop perch. The extensive grounds overflow with foliage. Spacious rooms, in a thatch-roof building, all have private balconies and ocean views. Palm trees surround the large pool, where you can relax in one of the lounge chairs or order a drink at the bar. The restaurant serves seafood dishes, such as coconut shrimp and robalo, but is almost always empty. The staff can arrange trips up the Río Dulce and to spots around the Bahía de Amatique.

A rustic bed-and-breakfast run by a friendly Argentine family, Finca Tatín is far off the beaten path, 20 minutes by boat from Livingston. The inn, which doubles as a Spanish school, rents canoes, which are a great way to see the river without the roar of a motor. A generator supplies the electricity here from 6 to 11 pm; the rest of the day, solar panels take their turn.

Run by a cordial Livingston family, Hotel Garífuna puts you in the heart of a lively neighborhood. The rooms in this two-story building open onto a porch overlooking the street or a tree-filled backyard. Expect very basic accommodation here, but the friendly owners make up for the fact that you have just a bed or two, a table, and a fan.