LAGUNA

Laguna is a Kekchi Maya village located about 10 miles west of Punta Gorda Town. The population is about 300 people. The village lies on flat land bordered on the east by limestone hills and on the west by Aguacaliente Lagoon.

Laguna was established by a group of villagers who left San Miguel Village in order to avoid a conflict about damaged crops. The village inherited its name from the magnificent lagoon nearby. As a result of its close proximity to Punta Gorda, Laguna is modernized compared to most villages today.

Laguna boasts one of the best entrance roads into any Maya village. The cutoff to the village is off the newly paved Southern Highway. From the cutoff, it is only a 2 minute drive to the village along a high gravel road. This makes it easily accessible to backpackers.

Entrance to Laguna Village

The town has electricity, a community phone, a central water system, two schools, a few stores, two christian churches - Pentecostal and House of Prayer - and a health post.

Three accommodations are in the village. Friends of Lu Ha Guesthouse consists of two buildings with twelve beds, two showers with warm water and flush toilets. The TEA guesthouse is on the edge of town. This thatch guesthouse is different from all the other TEA guesthouses in Toledo - it is a two story building. there is no electricity, but running water in the outdoor showers are considered a luxury. The Homestay program is also available in Laguna.

Wood Storks feeding at Aguacaliente Lagoon

Attractions near Laguna include a ceremonial cave with pictographs and another with a huge bat colony. A trip to the Aguacaliente Nature Reserve offers great hiking and birding through a lowland swamp (See photo above).