La Blanca

About La Blanca:

La Blanca covers 101 square kilometres of coastal plain in the southwest corner of San Marcos. Coatepeque, in the department of Quetzaltenango, borders it to the north and east, Retalhuleu also meets it on the east, Ocós lies to the west and the Pacific closes it off to the south. It is one of only two San Marcos municipalities with a coastline, which it reaches at Tilapa and Almendrales. Coatepeque is the nearest city, and the one people head to for anything the town cannot supply.

The town began as a parcelamiento laid out by INTA, the state agrarian institute, and that origin still shapes it. Over the decades, sales and inheritances cut the original parcels into microparcelas, each with a corner for the house and a patch of plantain. From the 1970s to the 1990s a maize-buying station run by INDECA drew farmers from across the area and turned the aldea into a trading point. Residents started the push to leave Ocós in 2006, and opposition from the old seat stretched it to eight years. When the split finally came, most of the commerce and services ended up in La Blanca, while Ocós kept just over half of the territory.

Four-fifths of the land is farmed. Plantain takes most of it and is exported to the United States and Mexico; maize comes second and is sold to neighbouring municipalities, followed by a smaller share of vegetables. African palm, rubber, citrus and beans fill out the picture, with a little livestock. There is no slope to speak of: the town centre stands less than four metres above sea level, around ten kilometres inland, and two rivers and two esteros cross the municipality on their way to the coast.

The cabecera is the centro urbano plus thirteen colonias, among them San Carlos, La Bendición, Nuevo Amanecer, Nuevos Horizontes, La Blanquita and Santa Isabel. Beyond it lie caseríos such as Salinas I and II, Madronales, Pueblo Nuevo, Cerritos, Las Morenas and Palmar, the parcelamiento of Chiquirines, and the coastal communities of Tilapa and Almendrales. The town also gives its name to one of the largest Middle Formative settlements in Mesoamerica, occupied between 900 and 600 BC; its main mound stood 25 metres high until it was almost levelled in 1972–73, when the asphalt road to Tilapa was built. Daily life runs around the municipal market and the Estadio Florencio Barrios, and the feria titular falls on 18 December. Buyers are mostly local families building on their own plot, farmers adding a parcel, and people after a weekend place near the beach.

Houses in La Blanca:

Most houses here are block construction, built by the families who live in them, on lots in the colonias around the centro urbano. Many stand on the house portion of an old microparcela, so a home can come with a strip of plantain behind it. Paving, water and power are worth checking street by street rather than assuming a whole colonia is served. Before agreeing a price, find out how the lot drains in a heavy downpour and confirm the connections are in the seller’s name.

Land and Lots in La Blanca:

Land is the main market here. Plots are sold in preventa, and semi-serviced lots for sale in La Blanca often come as a media cuerda with water and electricity, payable in instalments. Agricultural parcels come up as well, such as plots of just over a hectare in colonia Nuevos Horizontes suited to maize, plantain or cattle. A cuerda is not the same size everywhere in Guatemala, so ask for the area in square metres and match it against the registered plan.

Commercial Premises in La Blanca:

Commerce clusters around the municipal market and the blocks near the municipal building and the sports court. Since the split from Ocós the town has held most of the area’s shops and services, and people from the outlying caseríos come in to use them. Commercial lots facing the market come up for rent, which lets you test a location before buying. Check what the property is registered for and whether the municipality has its own rules for building on the market streets.

Beach Houses and Cabins in La Blanca:

On the coast, Tilapa and Almendrales offer something the town does not. Tilapa has cabins and holiday houses a short walk from the sand, and a lancha crosses from there to El Tular, where restaurants, hospedajes and more cabins face the beach. The sea at Tilapa can run high, so weigh how far a property sits from the shoreline and from the estero. An asphalt road runs from the town centre down to Tilapa.

FAQ:

• How do I check the title on a lot cut from a microparcela?

  Many parcels in La Blanca were split through inheritance and private sale, and not every split made it into the registry. Ask for a certification from the Segundo Registro de la Propiedad in Quetzaltenango, compare the measurements and boundaries with what you see on the ground, and make sure every heir signs. Papers from before 2014 will place the land in Ocós, so confirm with the La Blanca municipality that the property is now on its books.

• Does flat land this close to sea level flood?

  With the town centre under four metres above the sea and two rivers and two esteros in the municipality, drainage is the first thing to look at on any lot. Ask neighbours how high the water came in the last heavy rains, look for marks on walls, and check with the municipality before building. Raising the floor above street level is money well spent on ground this low.

• What does agricultural land here suit?

  Plantain covers most of the farmed area and much of it is exported, so a parcel already planted with it has proven soil and water for that crop. Maize and vegetables follow, and citrus, beans, rubber and African palm are grown too. Look at where the parcel takes its water from, how far it is from a paved road that trucks can use, and whether the neighbours accept the boundary markers.

• How do I get to La Blanca?

  By road from Coatepeque, the nearest city, which borders the municipality to the north and east. Buses from Coatepeque run through to the beach at Tilapa. If the parcel you are considering is in an outlying caserío, drive the route yourself before you judge the price.

• Can I own a cabin right on the beach?

  Not always outright. The Constitution reserves to the state a three-kilometre strip along the ocean, measured from the high-tide line, and land inside it is usually held under a lease from OCRET rather than as private property. Before paying for a cabin in Tilapa or Almendrales, ask whether it comes with a title or a lease, and check that the lease is current and can be transferred to you.