Pacific Guatemala · Guatemala · Santa Rosa / Escuintla · Pacific Ocean

Pacific Guatemala

Pacific Guatemala covers Monterrico Beach in Santa Rosa (Taxisco turtle-coast village beside the Multi-purpose Nature Reserve and Tortugario) and El Paredón in Escuintla (Sipacate surf town on the Parque Nacional Sipacate-Naranjo corridor). Dark volcanic sand; strong Pacific swell.

MonterricoEl ParedónTurtle coastSurf

Choose your stretch

  • Monterrico Beach — Santa Rosa / Taxisco · Visit Guatemala monterrico-beach · ~130 km / ~2.5–3 hours from Guatemala City · dark volcanic sand · mangroves · Tortugario / Multi-purpose Nature Reserve
  • El Paredón Beach — Escuintla / Sipacate · Visit Guatemala el-paredon · ~2.5–3 hours from Guatemala City / ~2–2.5 hours from Antigua · surf village · dark volcanic sand · compact walkable streets

Full stretch cards

Parking at a glance

Monterrico Beach: Santa Rosa village walk-on beside the Multi-purpose Nature Reserve / Tortugario (Visit Guatemala). Check the street, lot and reserve signs on the day for current prices in quetzales.

El Paredón Beach: Escuintla / Sipacate surf village walk-on streets (Visit Guatemala). Check the parking signs when you arrive. Private resort day fees are separate from public sand access — confirm posted prices.

Tortugario / reserve visitor fees: Check the fees at the Tortugario desk in the Monterrico reserve (Área de Uso Múltiple Monterrico). Visit Guatemala lists general booking hours Mon–Sun 7:00–17:00 — confirm before you travel.

Visit Guatemala — Monterrico Beach · Visit Guatemala — El Paredón · Visit Guatemala — Tortugario · El Paredón — how to get there

Best stretches and who they’re for

Monterrico Beach

Santa Rosa / Taxisco village beach (Visit Guatemala monterrico-beach): about 130 km / 2.5–3 hours from Guatemala City; dark volcanic sand; mangroves; Tortugario / Multi-purpose Nature Reserve turtle-coast day. Check the street, lot and reserve signs on the day.

El Paredón Beach

Escuintla / Sipacate surf village (Visit Guatemala el-paredon): about 2.5–3 hours from Guatemala City / 2–2.5 hours from Antigua; dark volcanic sand; consistent Pacific swell; compact walkable streets; Parque Nacional Sipacate-Naranjo corridor orientation. Check the parking signs when you arrive.

Notes before you pack

  • Swim / surf: Visit Guatemala notes strong waves at Monterrico and open-sea / strong swells at El Paredón. Take care entering the water; prefer Open-Meteo marine plus local advice.
  • On the day, check the signs and the operators for parking, reserve, Tortugario, taxi, bus and boat (lancha) prices.
  • Visit Guatemala lists the Tortugario’s general booking hours as Monday to Sunday, 7:00–17:00. Check before you go, since turtle releases may not happen every day.
  • Ask locally about the surf before you swim.

Beach safety — who to trust