Good For You

La Lancha overlooks the beautiful and unspoilt Lake Petén Itzá, near the ruins of Tikal, one of the archeological wonders of the world. Butterflies and birds flitter about as you enjoy your fresh coffee in the mornings, while howler monkeys visit in the evenings. You’ll hike in the surrounding forest, listen to the birds from the hammock strung on your deck, take a Spanish lesson in the main lodge, take a leisurely kayak on the lake, and enjoy delicious Guatemalan foods and Californian wines.

The lodge provides a level of luxury that is hard to come by in Guatemala, with each cabana beautifully decorated with Balinese antiques and Guatemalan textiles. The rooms are extra-large, and each cabana has its own deck with comfortable lounge chairs and a hammock for the afternoon siesta. The service here is excellent – with only ten cabanas in total, you won’t be wanting for attention. The hotel offers a range of tours and excursions to help you explore the area, and offers canoes and kayaks for guests’ use.

Good For Guatemala

Francis Ford Coppola’s three Central American lodges – Blancaneaux, Turtle Inn and La Lancha – are all excellent examples of sustainable luxury. From the self-ventilating cabanas and villas, to the local employment policies, to the hydro-electric technology that powers Blancaneaux, genuine efforts are being made to invest in Belize and Guatemala while leaving a relatively light footprint.

There’s no air conditioning or TVs in the rooms, offering you both a peaceful escape and a greener holiday, and plans are afoot to regenerate damaged pine forest at Blancaneaux Lodge as part of a carbon offsetting program for all three lodges.

Rooms

Food

Features & Facilities

• Main lodge with soaring thatched roof and open views, where guests dine and relax.
• Swimming pool on two levels
• Trails to the lake’s edge – the lake is safe for swimming, and there are kayaks and canoes available for guests’ use
• Gift store filed with high quality art and craft pieces, along with basic necessities you may have forgotten to pack
• Spanish lessons can be arranged
• Guided tours to the ruins of Tikal

Local Info & Activities

Tikal and other Mayan ruins

These magnificent ruins rise up in the rich green jungle and demonstrate the architectural genius of the ancient Maya civilisation. This full-day guided tour guided tourwill reveal what is known about this fascinating culture and its mysterious demise. You can also take a trip to Topoxte Island, the largest of the few remaining post-classical Maya sites, or visit the ongoing excavations at Yaxha.

Fishing

Lake Peten Itza is a lovely spot for a calm day of fishing, with lots of freshwater fish to be caught.

Hiking

Many hiking trails circle the lake, allowing you to spot the rich variety of wildlife that lives in the rainforest.

Bird Watching

Aside from the forest canopy walk, the Lancha offers a sunrise bird watching boat tour that allows for an excellent opportunity to spot the many rare birds in the area while enjoying the stunning calm of the lake at daybreak.

Ixpanpajul

This private nature reserve close by the lodge contains an environmental centre and boasts more than 400 species of bird, mammal and tree.

Lake Petén Itzá Tour

You’ll tour the lake and visit an island zoo on Petencito as well as the unique island city of Flores. This tour gives you a chance to experience Guatemala culture and way of life.

Spanish lessons

Many travelers come to Guatemala to learn Spanish, and La Lancha will happily arrange a teacher to meet you in the main lodge for private classes. Contact us if you’d like to arrange this ahead of your trip.

Sustainability

With just ten cabanas, guest numbers are kept low to make La Lancha a relatively low-impact resort. Its open-plan design encouraged interaction with the environment and careful site-planning aims to minimise the lodge’s footprint. Buildings blend into the environment and are built mostly from sustainable local materials. The gardens are landscaped with local and regional plants that do not rely on intensive irrigation.

The guest rooms have no TVs, air conditioning or sound systems, guaranteeing peace and quiet and reducing energy use. Energy-efficient design means that louvred windows, screened doors, ceiling fans and high thatched ceilings allow for excellent circulation.

Use of natural light is maximized, which also cuts down on power usage, while all lights are fitted with energy efficient bulbs. Solar energy is planned for future developments.

Local growers privde the lodge with fruit and vegetables, while local fishermen provide fresh fish and seafood and local farmers provide fresh meats. Organic wine come from Coppola’s Papa Rubicon Estate.

All future construction at the property will incorporate sustainable waste water recycling, using an aerobic biological treatment unit to process all waste water, enabling the lodge to use the treated water to irrigate the garden.

Flow control shower heads will replace current shower heads in all rooms over time. Water is also saved by reducing the garden’s irrigation needs – mulching reduces transpiration from the flower beds and landscaped areas, as well as the organic garden.

All swimming and plunge pools are sanitized with non-chlorine based treatments.

The vast majority of construction used are locally or regionally sourced with sustainable hardwoods, Caribbean pine, bamboo, bay leaf thatch, regional ceramic and saltilla tiles being the main materials.

Waste is carefully separated with organic waste and grass clippings used for composting while non-organic waste is transported a short distance to a local government landfill. Solid waste is compacted prior to disposal.

Biodegradable detergents are used throughout the lodge, while the rooms all have locally produced organic soaps, shampoos and conditioners. These are ought in bulk and transferred to non-disposable wood and ceramic containers for guest’ use. All bed linens are 100% cotton.

The lodge has plans to start a pine-planting program to offset guests’ carbon emissions. Pine bark beetle has severely impacted the number of pines in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, and the bug has speared to the pine forest on Blancaneaux Lodge’s neighbouring property, so this effort will help restore the balance of the ecosystem on the property.

Blancaneaux Resorts supports Dr Marcella Kelly’s Jaguar Density Project, which is a long-term effort on the part of Virginia Tech to monitor and evaluate the jaguar, puma and ocelot populations in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

The resorts have a local hiring policy – 98% of all staff at the three lodges is made of locals, with a total of more than 250 people. All service charges are split between employees, and there is an ‘Emergency Benefit Savings’ system that offers staff members the opportunity to apply for emergency loans and housing loans.

The lodges financially support the Placencia Health Centre, sponsor a local boys’ football team and cover the cost of educating three local girls through school and college.

The offices at the lodges use recycled paper where possible and LED light bulbs. The offices recycle all paper and tries to use electronic communication whenever possible, in order to save paper waste.

Getting There

La Lancha is located 30 minutes’ drive from Flores International Airport. There are several flights a day from Guatemala City and Belize City to Flores.

For an additional fee, the hotel can arrange transport from Flores International Airport to La Lancha. Contact Good Travel if you’d like to arrange a transfer.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Continental breakfast buffet is included, as is use of the Lodge's mountain bikes & hiking trails.

Peak Season:

Christmas - December 20, 2006 - January 05, 2007 Easter - April 02 - 09, 2007 (4 Night Minimum Stay)

Winter Season:

January 06 - April 01, 2007 April 10 - May 31, 2007 December 01 - December 19, 2007 (Two Night Minimum Stay)

Summer Season:

June 01 - November 30, 2007 (No Minimum Stay)

Rainforest Casitas

Peak

$110.00 Single, $175.00 Double, $210.00 Triple

Winter

$95.00 Single, $135.00 Double, $170.00 Triple

Summer

$75.00 Single, $110.00 Double, $145.00 Triple

Lakeview Casitas

Peak

$170.00 Single, $240.00 Double, $275.00 Triple, 310.00 Quad

Winter

$135.00 Single, $210.00 Double, $245.00 Triple, $280.00 Quad

Summer

$110.00 Single, $175.00 Double, $210.00 Triple, $245.00 Quad.

booking & cancellation policy

At least 45 days prior to guest’s arrival date, all reservations must be prepaid in full.

A minimum of two nights is required for reservations within the peak season dates at La Lancha, while there is no minimum the winter season.

In the Winter and Summer seasons all payments will be refunded in full, less a $100.00 plus tax per room cancellation fee, if we receive notice in writing 45 days or more prior to guest arrival. For notices received less than 45 days, no refund will be issued. Note that a 2-Bedroom Villa is considered two rooms therefore a fee of $200.00 plus tax applies for the cancellation of a Villa.

For La Lancha’s Peak Season the cancellation fee is US$200.00 per room, US$400.00 per 2-Bedroom Villa, if we receive written cancellation notice 60 days or more prior to guest arrival. For notices received less than 60 days, no refund will be issued.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.