El Retiro Lodge | Informal Campsite

April 13th, 2024 by lamasstephany

Nice stop in Lanquin. 120 qtz for two people with electricity. Parked next to the reception office. They have a nice restaurant which we ate there almost everyday. The food is okay, rating it 7/10 but decent price. friendly staff. Dog friendly. Our dogs got to play on the river below their dock and that was nice. They have a swing rope too. Showers and toilet available.

June 24th, 2023 by Doreen

Amazing place to camp in front of the office. They charge you only Q35 without electricity and if you need you pay Q50 what is absolutely fair. There is a nice garden, an amazing restaurant and a wonderful chill out area on the river. And they are great hosts. Glad I made it to here for my last night in Lanquin.

June 9th, 2023 by scm173

We came to Lanquin with our dog, knowing we would not be able to take her in to Semuc Champey. At El Retiro Lodge, they were really nice and helpful to find us a solution. They offered to look after the dog while we take the tour, or we could leave her in the room.
Their dogs are really friendly, too.
However, we decided not to go to Semuc Champey but instead book their tubing-tour where we could bring the dog. It was a lot of fun and we definitely recommend this place if you have a dog.

December 17th, 2022 by aurelien.sibellas

Paid Q50 per person to park on their nice flat spot and sleep in our car. We could use their toilets and showers. Cheap beers during happy hours (5pm-9pm) at the bar. We also arrived right in time to go in one of their Tour to Semuc Champey. Excellent time there.

June 27th, 2022 by gusigb

Solid overnight spot :) Nice location, amenities are cared for, restaurant is good and staff are friendly (and speak English).

It's not really an overlanding spot though - there's one long parking spot (think two pickup campers end to end) that is definitely not suitable to big rigs or towed campers. No hookups etc.

February 22nd, 2022 by Lucas_Meets_World

Perhaps not the quietest place since right next to the road but we've done worse. The amenities make up for it though. The restaurant down by the river is just perfect to hang out! Clean bathrooms and you can book a tour here to Semuc. Great stay!

January 10th, 2022 by palms.and.pinetrees

You can park at a small flat grassy spot (pictures). It costs 35 pP. Wifi is only available at the Restaurant (not really fast but ok). Bathrooms are clean. Electricity costs extra 15 quetzal.

Nice place to stay while visiting languin or semuc champey.

May 12th, 2019 by bradyanddanica

Not a campground but they will let you park in their parking space, which is not very big and I don't think would accommodate bigger rigs. The place is cool. 35Q per person/night to camp. Toilets, showers, WiFi at the restaurant, pool table, ping pong table, board games, volleyball court, and a bar. Close to town as well. Would recommend!

March 14th, 2019 by dgrolfe

Camped in the driveway for two nights. Prices listed below. Awesome place and restaurant. But noisy all night with truck traffic since parking is right next to street.

Still recommended...

January 13th, 2019 by Einmalrundum

Parking/camping on the small parking lot of the Lodge, next to the street.
- Price for camping 35Q pppn
- Ride to Semuc Champey 25Q pp each way
- Restaurant: between 50-65Q pp all you can eat buffet, depending on the day they have Thai / Mexican / etc night
PRO: nice restaurant at the river with pool table, wifi and good food. Luke warm showers and toilets (ok clean, flush, TP available). Good place to meet other travelers (mostly backpackers)
CON: the street is super noisy starting 5:30 in the morning with trucks and buses passing by

October 17th, 2018 by lulu.la.patate

Beautiful place by the river, the camp spot is nice (we don't sleep in our car but they do have a small carpark) the rooms are basic lodge style, hammocks everywhere, great team, excellent food. They charge Q35 per person for camping, Q60 in a dorm, Q200 for a double room and Q250 with private bathroom.

March 15th, 2018 by seymourdelmundo.com

Camped between upper building and fiarly quiet road on a decent level spot with electricity (need a long cord). Great facilities, felt welcome, great food. We enjoyed pizza night and italian buffet. Nice spot to hang out down by the river.

January 10th, 2018 by fleurdupays.oz

30Q/p/nuit, WC/ Douches chaudes/ Wifi correcte au restaurant.

Nous avons pris le transport pour Semuc Champey 25Q/p/trajet, la 2eme nuit était gratuite.

Personnel sympathique ! Lavanderia juste à côté !

Julien & Julie

December 2nd, 2017 by Ohlavan

Great place to stay while visiting Semuc Champey. It took us 2h from Cobán to get here, road was OK. The parking is not very big, big rigs maybe would not fit (we got in with our truck camper). We paid 100Q per night for the two of us (with electricity), the third night was free. The place you park is right next to the road, so expect a little bit of noise early in the morning.

November 18th, 2017 by morofamilytour.com

Nous nous sommes garer sur le parking de l'hôtel (RV de 7,10m) en bord de route, un peu dans la gadoue et un peu serré mais ça passe. Assez bruyant le soir et le matin. Le cadre est splendide. Jolie Restaurant en contre-bas avec wifi (faible débit). Possibilité de faire un tour avec un guide pour (185Q ) avec visite des grottes situé à 1km avant champey + saut dans la rivière sur une balançoire (optionnelle) + rando pour aller jusqu'au mirador (difficile car très glissant à cause de la pluie) mais très belle vue. Puis baignade dans les superbes piscines naturelles eaux émeraudes. D'autres excursions sont possibles où simplement le transport jusqu'à champey (25Q /pers).

December 3rd, 2016 by lilobatodi.canalblog.com/

Nous avons pu nous garer avec notre camping car de 24 pieds. Possibilité de se brancher à l'électricité et pas de eau chaude.

September 14th, 2016 by travis.downs

They have one nice flat spot to park a rig, and a couple more not super flat but decent spots too. They are close to the road, but it's pretty low traffic. 20Q/night to leave your vehicle, eg if you go to Samuc Champey. Or 30Q per person to camp, use the facilities, etc. Internet turns on at 4 PM, only at the restaurant down at the river.

March 14th, 2016 by mark

2 nights, park right at the gate once you get in (turn off the hotel sign once you are ready to sleep, switch is on the post, hint hint). 30Q and one can use the facilities. Heard from backpackers that the restaurant was $$. I ate at the town square which to me has the culture I am looking for while here. there is room for two rigs, grass for tents. Buses/trucks show up in the morning to bring you to Semuc.

December 6th, 2015 by Both Roads

Didn't stay overnight but we came for the dinner buffet for 50Q. It was 'Thai night' but much of the food wasn't Thai and it was just alright. Nice place though, with a good amount of young people around.
Note: the Franja Traversal del Norte is now paved and a nice drive but highway #5 is a rocky mess. They are only beginning to pave it.

May 20th, 2015 by jenngraceholland

Camping spot nothing to write home about. But the place is awesome. We stayed free the second night. If you want to go to Semuc (you do) drive there.

December 12th, 2014 by jfdioverland.com

Tranquil location, excellent food. Parking is secure lot 30Q pp. tours can easily be arranged from here.

January 29th, 2014 by Neli's Big Adventure

They don’t actually have a spot for overlanders to camp, but let us park in their driveway. – PROS: Beautiful campground/hostel right on the river, friendly owners and staff, delicious food and huge portions (55 GTQ for veg dinner, 65 GTQ for meat-eaters), easy access to tours to caves and Semuc Champey, clean bathrooms, warm showers, free wifi in the restaurant, quick walk into town if you need supplies, you can set up a tab at the restaurant and pay for everything at the end on a credit card (10% credit card fee) – CONS: As mentioned before, not a great camping spot with your rig (driveway location means you hear every tour bus and passenger bus that pulls into the driveway starting at around 7 am), no kitchen sink area, no hookups – 30 GTQ/person/night – NOTE: We took Franja Transveral del Norte to Route 5 from Ixobel which is currently being paved but is essentially a gravel/rock path through the mountains. The drive took us about 7 hours. There is a longer (distance) route that is mostly paved for those of you not wanting to off-road for 7 hours.