Retalhuleu close to Guatemala’s Pacific coast is an area notable for the relative wealth of many local residents and for being the location for one of Central America’s principle theme park complexes. The linked parks of Xetulul and Xocomil are very popular with Guatemalan families and are managed by IRTRA (Instituto de Recreación de los Trabadores de la Empresa Privada). IRTRA is an agency that was created by the Guatemalan Government in 1962 to use mandatory deductions from the salaries of workers in private businesses to create and manage recreational facilities. The popularity of IRTRA’s parks in the Retalhuleu area means that some of the local hotels (in particular the impressive IRTRA managed Los Hostales complex) are quick to book up. Buses from Mazatenango pass the Xetulul and Xocomil complex (and many local hotels) - there are regular buses to Mazatenango from Guatemala. Travelers busing it from Antigua will need to change buses at Esquintla before changing buses again at Mazatenango.
Cachoira Sto Antonio, Brotas
Eco-tourism delights abound in the area around the city of Brotas in Sao Paulo State. The region is well worth the (mostly beautiful) drive of somewhere between 3½ and 6 hours duration (depending on the level of frustration and tedium served up by the traffic at the extensive borders of the Sao Paulo megalopolis) in a direction North-West from the state capital.
Horse-riding, rafting, trekking, river-rock sliding, rappelling, zip-lining, showering in waterfalls and bathing in the area’s distinctive singing sand are all fun activities located within about 30 minutes drive of the city centre.
The Pousada Do Lago is a family-friendly hotel near the centre of Brotas with facilities that include sauna, outdoor pool and tennis-courts. A few metres from the hotel is the excellent restaurant Casinho which serves some fabulous food and has a beautiful setting overlooking a lake that teems with a range of bird and other wild-life.
When staying in Brotas, it will be very helpful to have both a car and some Portugese. Brotas is a gem of a region and the Brazilians have had the good sense to largely keep it to themselves - the attractions and facilities are geared mainly to a domestic audience, so don’t expect the same ease of getting around (using English and public transport) as in other areas of Brazil.
Floating On The Singing Sand
One of the more distinctive attractions in the eco-tourism hub of Brotas in Sao Paulo state is Areia Que Canta ("The Singing Sand").
When rubbed in the hand, the eponymous sand (actually very fine quartz particles) produces a sound similar to that of a DJ scratching records - hence the musical moniker. The musical qualities of the sand are actually of limited interest, but the beautiful 10 metre wide natural pool in which the sand is located is a small slice of woodland paradise. The waters of this pool have the most amazing crystalline purity and floating in them is a true privilege.
In order to limit any potential damage from tourists transgressing into such a place of natural harmony, buoyancy vests are given to all who enter the waters so their feet do not tramp on the delicate sand at the base of the pool. However, visitors to this odd and wonderful attraction are allowed to dip their feet in the natural whirlpool of sand near the centre of the pool. The swirling of the sand feels really gentle, so women visitors may be surprised to find that their toe-nail polish has been removed after just a few moments of experiencing these sandy caresses. The whirlpool effect is apparently produced by the movement of an underground river, pumping 60,000 litres of water an hour just below the surface.
Floating above the singing sand is just one of a number of activities (including the most excellent river rock sliding experience) that one is able to do at the Areia Que Canta centre for a R$20 (about 8 Euro or $12) per person activity package (for more details visit http://www.areiaquecanta.com.br/).
The Territorio Selvagem team celebrate another great rafting experience
Amongst the many eco-activities in the Brotas area, perhaps the most exhilarating is provided by the superb rafting on the Rio Jacaré Pepira.
For about R$62 (24 Euro or $37) the excellent Territorio Selvagem operator provides pick up from your hotel (in a fantastic Mercedes former army bus), on-site training on rafting basics and an excellent (and exuberant) team that look after rafters both in the raft and along side it (through additional safety staff in Kayaks).
As is common in Brotas, tours are run mainly for the benefit of Brazilians so all commands are in Portugese - frente (row forwards), ré (reverse), parao (stop!), pisou (sit down inside the raft) and forte (paddle like bejaysus). The roughly 16km of rapids provide categories I-IV rafting with some spectacular drops and high-octane thrills interspersed with moments of great tranquility and close proximity to local wildlife (monkeys, etc) from the surrounding forest.
At the completion of the rafting course, you may be invited to enjoy some River Rock Sliding - this is an experience not to be missed.
To book or to find out more details contact Territorio Selvagem - http://www.territorioselvagem.com.br/
Horse Riding In Brotas
One of the most pleasant ways to explore some of Brazil’s extensive plains and woodlands is on horseback. Horse-riding forms one of the many eco-tourism delights in the area around Brotas in Sao Paulo state. It was in this part of Brazil that I had my first experience of horse-riding since my one solitary and un-inspiring experience as a young child.
“Chico” was the mostly good-natured though occasionally obstinate equine assigned to me. We soon established an understanding for how we were going to work together. For the most part Chico would acquiesce in the fiction that I was directing our course. In return, I would pretend that, whenever Chico wanted to abruptly stop without warning to snack on clumps of grass, I was pausing to admire the views.
The views in this area are indeed worth savoring. The trail at Recanto das Cachoeiras (15km from the centre of Brotas) has a mixture of stretching plains of grass, woodland trails, undulating hills, steep descents that require shifting in your stirrups to re-balance and shallow streams to splash across. During rest stops for our horses, my fellow riders and I dismounted to pick our way through narrow trails, cross rivers and climb some slippery ascents to view some of the many beautiful waterfalls this region is famed for.
Horse-riding is just one of the many rewarding eco-tours and activities at Recanto das Cachoeiras, which is well worth visiting. More details are available at www.RecantodasCachoeirasBrotas.com.br . An afternoon of horseriding costs about R$48 (roughly 18 Euro or $29) per person.
XML Feeds
