La Ruta Maya (cont.) Living La Rute Maya Road-tripping on La Ruta Maya requires a trustworthy vehicle. But unless it's your own, chances are this tour will remain a pipe dreamintercountry Latin American car rentals are as tangled as the region's politics. But if you can afford to throw a few extra miles on your Outback, or have the patience to navigate the rental web, here's where to catch a siesta and find a car in Mayaland:
Hacienda Santa Rosa, Yucatán, Mexico
Phone: 011-52-99-44-3637
Web: www.grupoplan.com
E-mail: reservations@ghmmexico.com
Rates: Doubles, $285Ð$483 per night
Lamanai Outpost Lodge, Orange Walk, Belize
Phone: 888-733-7864; 011-501-2-33578
Web: www.lamanai.com
E-mail: reefsruins@aol.com
Rates: Doubles, $99Ð$125 per night
El Gringo Perdido, El Remate, Guatemala
Web: www.guate.net/gringo
Rates: Camping, $3 per night; open hut, $6 per night; bungalow, $14 per night
Hotel Ecológico Finca Ixobel, Poptún, Guatemala
Phone: 011-502-410-4307
Web: www.fincaixobel.conexion.com
E-mail: fincaixobel@conexion.com.gt
Rates: Tree-house doubles, $9 per night; private bungalow with hot shower, $24 per night
Müller Guest House, Panajachel, Guatemala
Phone: 011-502-762-2442
Web: www.atitlan.com/muller.htm#muller
E-mail: htmuller@amigo.net.gt
Rates: Doubles, $45 per night
Hotel Posada El Cerrillo, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico
Phone: 011-52-967-81283
Rates: Doubles, $20
Car Rental
Avis rents four-wheel-drive SUVs in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. The cost is approximately $594 a week including taxes. The hitch: Rent a car in Mexico or Belize and you can't leave the country with it. Rent a car in Guatemala and you can drive it in Belize (for an extra $20) but not in Mexico. Call 800-331-1084 or visit www.avis.com for details.