Río Hondo

About Río Hondo:

Río Hondo covers 422 square kilometres, which makes it the third largest municipality in Zacapa. It runs from the Motagua River in the south up to the ridge of the Sierra de las Minas, and across that ridge lie El Estor in Izabal and Panzós in Alta Verapaz. Teculután is the neighbour to the west, Gualán to the east, and Zacapa and Estanzuela sit on the far bank of the river. The town stands at kilometre 137 of the CA-9, 185 metres above sea level, with Estanzuela 6 kilometres away and Teculután 18. The highway crosses the municipality for 28 kilometres, from the Teculután boundary to the hamlet of El Tempisque, and the CA-10, built in the late 1960s, starts here and runs 97 kilometres to Honduras. Buses heading for Esquipulas, Chiquimula, Izabal and Petén all pass through.

Farming still brings in most of the money. The alluvial soil of the valley floor grows tobacco, tomato, melon, watermelon, sweet pepper and okra, maize and beans feed local households, and the higher slopes add coffee. Sugarcane goes to small trapiches that still press it into panela, sold across the region and beyond. Out at Santa Rosalía Mármol, at the end of a dirt road, stone is cut from the San Lorenzo quarries. The rest comes from the road: hotels, roadside trade and water parks such as Longarone at kilometre 126.5 in Santa Cruz and Valle Dorado at kilometre 149, one of the largest in the country. The town itself grew on the colonial trade route up the Motagua, and the barrio of La Barca is where its small river port once stood.

The valley is hot for most of the year. The mean temperature is 27 °C, April highs average close to 36 °C, and nearly all of the 940 millimetres of yearly rain falls between June and October, with December to March close to dry. Climb into the sierra and the air cools, forest takes over, and 22 rivers run down towards the Motagua. The Pasabién river forms cold, reddish pools and small falls, and the aldea of Jones has its own waterfall. In Jumuzna and Jesús María, huge boulders brought down from the mountains by some disaster long ago still sit on the ground, and people have built their homes among them.

The municipality has 33 aldeas and 13 caseríos, and most people live in them rather than in the town. Monte Grande, Santa Cruz, Pasabién, Panaluya, La Pepesca, Mal Paso and Llano Verde have paved access, while places further from the highway are reached on dirt roads. In town, Colonia Municipal, El Tamarindo and Brisas del Río sit beside the older barrios, and Colonia BANVI climbs Cerro Colorado, where a procession goes up to the cross every 3 May. The fair for the Virgen de Candelaria runs from 24 to 28 February, with cattle shows, dances and a procession that carries the image from La Palma through Chan Chán into town. Buyers are mostly local families, people who work in Zacapa or along the highway, and businesses that want a place at the junction.

Houses in Río Hondo:

Most homes are single-family houses, either in the town’s colonias or in the aldeas strung along the CA-9. Plots can be generous, and some houses sit on lots of 25 by 25 metres with parking for two cars. Living near the highway keeps buses and shops close, but the junction carries a lot of heavy traffic, so visit at different times of day before you decide. When you compare houses for sale in Río Hondo, ask for the registered deed, find out where the water comes from, and spend an April afternoon inside if you can.

Rentals in Río Hondo:

Long-term rentals are mostly apartments and houses for people who work in the area, such as two-bedroom units with a living room, kitchen and covered corridor. A few small furnished apartments serve travellers breaking the trip to the Caribbean or to Esquipulas. Commercial space is rented too, including warehouses with large yards for trucks near the highway. Before you sign, ask about the water supply and cooling, and whether the street floods in a September downpour.

New Developments in Río Hondo:

New building here comes mainly as lotificaciones, subdivisions that sell serviced lots for you to build on. Residenciales La Sierra, at kilometre 132.2, offers residential lots from 8 by 15 metres and commercial lots from 10 by 20, with the developer’s own financing. Other projects sell 10 by 20 metre lots with their own water supply, electricity, drainage and cobbled streets. Before you commit, ask to see the municipal approval for the subdivision, confirm that each lot will be registered as a separate property, and find out who looks after the streets and water system once the lots are sold.

Land and Lots in Río Hondo:

Land comes in three broad kinds. Along the CA-9 and near the junction, parcels with highway frontage suit shops, warehouses and service businesses, and some have access from two roads. On the valley floor, flat alluvial land works for short-cycle crops and pasture, and farms around Jumuzna, a few kilometres from Zacapa, are sold by the manzana with vehicle access. Towards the Sierra de las Minas the soil turns rocky and steep, and parts of the mountain are protected as a biosphere reserve, so confirm land-use restrictions before buying up there. On any parcel, check the water source, walk the boundaries and look up the record at the property registry.

FAQ:

• How far is Río Hondo from Guatemala City?

  The town is at kilometre 137 of the CA-9, the Atlantic highway, so the drive is a little over 135 kilometres. Zacapa is 12 kilometres away, and the CA-10 to Chiquimula, Esquipulas and the Honduran border starts at the junction just outside town.

• What is the weather like in Río Hondo?

  Hot. The valley averages 27 °C, April highs run close to 36 °C, and the rains come between June and October. December to March is nearly dry. Aldeas higher up towards the sierra are noticeably cooler.

• Which aldeas have paved roads?

  Monte Grande, Santa Cruz, Pasabién, Panaluya, La Pepesca, Mal Paso and Llano Verde all have paved access, and many other communities sit right beside the CA-9. More remote places, such as Santa Rosalía Mármol, are reached on dirt roads.

• Is the ground in Río Hondo hard to build on?

  It depends where. The valley floor is flat alluvial soil, but in Jumuzna and Jesús María large boulders sit on the surface, and the sierra slopes are rocky and steep. Plots close to the Motagua or to rivers coming off the mountain need a look in the rainy season. Have the site surveyed and confirm the title at the property registry before you pay.

• What is there to do around Río Hondo?

  The Pasabién pools, the Jones waterfall and the Las Joyas ruins are all inside the municipality, along with the water parks on the highway. In late February the Candelaria fair fills the town with cattle shows, dances and processions.