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Major city · Guatemala

Monterrico

Go for 2 nights midweek: black-sand surf beach, mangrove boat and turtle releases. Skip if you want calm swimming — the drop-off and undertow are real.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GTQ
Best months
Nov–Apr (dry season)
avoid Sep–Oct (wettest), and weekends if you want quiet
Airport
GUA
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Rules in force · 6Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) giv…
  • Central America ↗Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) give one shared entry allowance, usually 90 days in total; leaving for Belize, Costa Rica or Mexico and coming back does not always reset it — check with immigration before a long stay.
  • Central America ↗Cross land borders in daylight and early in the day; many posts close or empty of transport by late afternoon, and the approaches are where robberies happen.
  • Central America ↗Several borders charge entry, exit or municipal fees in US dollars (Belize exit, Nicaragua entry and exit, Honduras entry); carry small, clean US notes and ask for a receipt.
  • Guatemala ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Guatemala's Migration Institute or a Guatemalan consulate. Guatemala shares a Central America border agreement (CA-4) with El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, so your permitted stay may count across all four.
  • Guatemala ↗Hike volcanoes (Acatenango, Pacaya) only with registered guides and check eruption alerts; Fuego is highly active.
  • Guatemala ↗Avoid public chicken buses between cities: they are frequent targets of robbery. Use tourist shuttles or private transport.

Monterrico is Guatemala's closest Pacific beach to the capital and Antigua: one long strip of black volcanic sand, a canal-and-mangrove lagoon behind it, and a village that runs on seafood, hammocks and sunset. Two nights is the honest answer — one to arrive and settle, one full day for the mangrove boat and a turtle release, then leave. It is a relax-and-eat destination, not a sightseeing one, and the surf is strong enough that weak swimmers should stay shallow. Weekends fill with Guatemalan families and prices rise; midweek is quieter and cheaper.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Monterrico, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealStreet chicken sandwich or fried chicken with friesQ5–15
  • Beercold bottle at a beach bar / tiendaQ20–35Q10–15
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTuk-tuk across the villagecheckQ5–15
  • Budget bedHostel or budget room, a night, per personGTQ 60
  • Mid-range bedBeachfront double room, a night, per roomGTQ 400
  • High-end bedBeachfront double room, a night, per roomGTQ 900

A day, not counting the bed: Budget GTQ 250 · Mid GTQ 500 · High GTQ 1,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Black volcanic sand beachMangrove canal boat toursOlive ridley turtle releasesSunset seafood and cocktails
Airports
GUA La Aurora, Guatemala City (About 2.5–3.5 h by road via Escuintla and Taxisco; no commercial airport at Monterrico.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Monterrico: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

32°C

21°C

2 rd

Feb

32°C

21°C

2 rd

Mar

33°C

22°C

3 rd

Apr

33°C

23°C

5 rd

May

32°C

23°C

12 rd

Jun

31°C

23°C

18 rd

Jul

31°C

22°C

16 rd

Aug

31°C

22°C

16 rd

Sep

30°C

22°C

20 rd

Oct

30°C

22°C

17 rd

Nov

31°C

21°C

7 rd

Dec

32°C

21°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The village is walkable end to end in about 15 minutes. Tuk-tuks and pickups cover the rest; boats run on the canal to the mangrove and to the La Avellana / Puerto Viejo crossings. Bikes and horses can be hired on the beach strip.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

El Paredón

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h

Road via Taxisco and Sipacate, or a boat-and-road combination

Another surf village on the same coast; treat it as a separate stop, not a day return.

Puerto San José

caution

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Road via Taxisco and Escuintla

Historic port town with a pier; limited reason to go unless you are passing through.

Antigua Guatemalago

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Direct shuttle from Calle Principal, usually 13:00 and 15:00 departures

The standard onward leg; book a day ahead in high season.

Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa

skip

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Road via Escuintla

Sugar town with carved stones; only worth it if you are already driving that road.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Beachfront strip (Calle de los Hoteles)

Hotels and restaurants facing the sand; walk to everything, but surf noise all night and the sand is too hot to cross barefoot after about 10:00.

Calle Principal and village

Cheaper rooms, tiendas and street food; 5–10 min walk to the beach and the mangrove dock.

Lagoon side

Quieter, closer to the canal and birdlife; fewer places to eat, so you walk to the beach strip for dinner.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Q200–350 excl. bed
Mid
Q350–700 excl. bed
High
Q700+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Beachfront double room1 × 2 nights × GTQ 400GTQ 800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × GTQ 500GTQ 2,000
Mangrove canal boat tour2 × GTQ 50 · checkGTQ 100
Shuttle to Antigua, one way2 × GTQ 75 · checkGTQ 150
eSIM, about a week of data2 × GTQ 100GTQ 200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeGTQ 325
Trip total≈ GTQ 894 per person per day, bed includedGTQ 3,575

2026 estimate in quetzales; transport to and from Monterrico excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Fresh coconut with the water insideQ2–5
Street chicken sandwich or fried chicken with friesQ5–15
Beachfront plate of seafood or fishQ60–120
Beer: cold bottle at a beach bar / tiendaQ20–35 / Q10–15
600 ml soft drink at a tiendaQ5–8
Mangrove boat tour, about 2 hcheckQ50–100
Tuk-tuk across the villagecheckQ5–15

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The village is small and calm; the real risk is the water. The beach shelves steeply within a few metres and the undertow is strong — swim near others, stay shallow, and keep children within arm's reach.
  • The seabed drops steeply a few metres out and the undertow is strong: swim near others, never alone, and keep children shallow.
  • Lifeguards are generally on duty at weekends only — check locally.
  • There is one ATM in the village and it runs out of cash: bring quetzales for the whole stay.
  • Card payments are limited and some places add a surcharge; treat cash as the default.
  • Mosquitoes at dusk near the lagoon: bring repellent, and ask whether the room has a net.
  • ATVs and light aircraft use the beach and airstrip; keep clear of both.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
122 or 123
Tourist assistance (INGUAT)
1500

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MonterricoMonterrico

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance122 or 123
  • Tourist assistance (INGUAT)1500

Embassy

No embassies in Monterrico; most are in Guatemala City. The US embassy is in Guatemala City (check the address).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Shuttle Monterrico → Antigua: about Q75 one way, 2.5–3 h (check)
  • Mangrove canal boat tour: Q50–100 per person, about 2 h (check)
  • Tuk-tuk across the village: Q5–15 (check)

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde está la playa? — Where is the beach? (DON-de es-TA la PLA-ya)
  • Quisiera un tour en lancha — I would like a boat tour (ki-SYE-ra un tour en LAN-cha)
  • ¿Es seguro nadar aquí? — Is it safe to swim here? (es se-GU-ro na-DAR a-KI)
  • ¿Aceptan tarjeta? — Do you accept cards? (a-SEP-tan tar-HE-ta)

Cash is king here: bring quetzales for the whole stay.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Monterrico. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Apr (dry season) · avoid Sep–Oct (wettest), and weekends if you want quiet · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for GUA: shuttle departure windows, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: beach strip, Calle Principal, mangrove dock.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (mangrove tours, turtle releases) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Surf and rain fixtures so the swim-safety and season gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Guatemala

Sources