You should know that Monterrico is for relaxing, meeting people, having a meal or some drinks, and then relaxing some more. To put it plainly, there isn't much going on in Monterrico yet. The weekends-only night-life, internet cafe 1 only as of Nov. '08 and mangrove swamp is pretty much it. At times there is a lot of litter along the main street, but as the town grows more tourist-aware, the local businesses have a campaign of cleanliness, including new garbage cans in public. The beaches are mostly clean, and the hotels between the Dulce y Salado and the Eco Beach place generally keep it the best. You can take a 2 hour boat tour of the mangrove swamp for $5. The main road leads from the beach to the mangrove swamp dock and is a pleasant little 10 minute walk. There are a few mosquitos at night and you will get bitten so bring repellent. Some hotel rooms have mosquito netting covering the bed, but not all. The waves at the beach have a short and dangerous break.
There is an internet cafe with 2 terminals on the main road along the beach, and they charge Q12 an hour.
There is a Spanish language school.
Horses are available to ride on the beach.
Baby turtle release is one of the most fun activities. There are several places along the beach that collect eggs laid by sea turtles and when hatched, they will mass release all the turtles. Ask your hotel manager or locals for more information. Generally the laying and release season runs from June through March. You can watch some video of it Here.
Affluent Guatemalans drive their ATVs up and down the beach. So do the police. Be aware.
More affluent folk fly their single or twin propeller plane in for the weekend and often fly low along the beach. There is a grassy landing strip along the main road, owned by the Aeroclub de Guatemala. Helicopters also fly along the beach once in a while, usually the affluent folk touring around before landing at their beach houses. If possible take an ATV ride along the beach, west or east for about 10 Km you will see some fascinating houses.
Proyecto Linguistico Spanish School , Calle Principal, Monterrico Taxisco, Tel 619-8200, 691-7505, [email protected]. 20 hours/week USD 60 + accommodation USD 85.