Revue – September 2002

Paradise found

French couple select Guatemala’s coast after global search for ideal spot
By Matt Bokor

They knew they wanted out of their corporate jobs in Paris and into the tourism business in a tropical setting, so in 1997 Laetitia and Frederic Scicluna started looking for sites. Asia was too much of a cultural challenge, Africa was too daunting, The United States was too expensive. They methodically narrowed their search to Latin America, with El Salvador and Mexico at the top of the list. Next came an invitation from a French business association to attend a conference about Guatemala. “They presented a lot of information about the country and after the conference we spoke with the Guatemalan diplomatic representative in Paris, so we began to think about Guatemala”, recalled Laetitia.

And that’s how the Sciclunas chose Guatemala’s Pacific coast near the Salvadoran border to build a tropical paradise nestled among the palms and mangroves, a quiet escape that they named Hotel Isleta de Gaia, after the grandmother of Zeus – Mother Earth.

With 12 brightly colored and tastefully decorated bungalows sandwiched between the rolling Pacific surf and the forest shrouded Chiquimulilla river, Hotel Isleta de Gaia has an  oversized swimming pool and breezy restaurant pavilion where Laetitia herself prepares fresh French cuisine daily. Pelicans glide en masse over the empty beach, and a five-story observation tower provides a vista of peace and beauty.

For a change of pace from the sedentary pleasure of swaying in a hammock or lounging by the pool or private back-sand beach, sport fishing, kayaks and boogey boards are available on-site.

Stress-relief begins prior to arrival because the 2 1/2-hour drive from Guatemala or El Salvador takes visitors through scenic rolling countryside to the rural river port town of Las Lisas. From there, it’s a idyllic, 45-minute boat ride down the broad, mangrove-lined river. Fishermen skillfully cast their bulky nets into the river while pelicans, egrets, herons and occasional flamingo explore the shore.

Carving the paradise in a remote setting far from hardware stores and markets was a challenge for the Sciclunas. For starters, there was neither fresh water nor electricity. Materials had to hauled in by shallow-draft boat. “We learned to be patient” Laetitia said.