He is located in Sipacate, Escuintla and for about 13 years he began to attract visitors and investors and for five years he has been experiencing a boom as a destination to visit.
According to data from the Department of Market Research and Analysis of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT), the annual total of non -resident or foreigners to El Paredón in 2022 was 35 thousand 300, by 2023 around 39 thousand were reported and in 2024 there were 42 thousand 116 with an average stay of 4 and 5 days.
The economic spill in 2022 and 2024 is around US $ 21 million annually, although in 2023, US $ 16.7 million was reported.
According to Inguat, the wall has had considerable growth over the years due to the hotel activity. “In the beginning through foreign investors who arrived in the village and saw the potential of the destination they built their hotels, their highest demand and occupation than that of nationals.” The area is having little by little economic development since its greatest workforce are people in the community, he adds.
Rolando Schweikert, president of the Chamber of Tourism of Guatemala (Camtur) says that in the place there is still no subsidiary of that organization, but that fate, although it has been growing and the visitor profile that is attracting are young people who like surfing, and other activities.
Not only has grown up in establishments such as hotels but in holiday houses.
“It has grown with the issue of surfing and has gradually increased its number of rooms in different categories to provide tourist options, has grown a lot in very good quality gastronomic offer, also complements very well with visits to Antigua Guatemala and Surf City of El Salvador,” Schweikert.
An radiography of the place
Diego Calvo and Walid Nasser, entrepreneurs on the wall, announce that the place has a wide range of lodging proposals, culinary offers and recreational and entertainment events, and comment on the beginnings as a destination that began to attract the attention of tourists.
They say that 15 years ago it was a fishing village with less than a thousand inhabitants, access to the place was only for water, and they consider that it is now an insigne beach destination in the country and that in the recent five years there is an exponential growth with several foreign investments which attract tourism in their country.
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After the restriction of activities, which included closures of tourist destinations derived from the Covid-19 pandemic, The wall was selected as the fastest growth of the country and the Central American region by Hostelworld, In other words, it is the tourist place that has added the most beds to the tourist offer of the region, the businessmen explained.
Regarding national visitors there are still no data, according to the entity.
Entrepreneurs offer a kind of radiography of the place, taking into account their offer of service to the visitor, but also the challenges to be resolved:
- Currently the main access is on the old road to the port of San José, on the way to Juan Gaviota Marina del Sur, and secondary access is aquatic. The original access of the area is from democracy and gomera, Escuintla, entering through Sipacate via Ferry.
- Host offer in 2024. More than 30 hotels, hostels and vacation establishments. With approximate lodging capacity for more than 700 people
- There are also lodging platforms. For example there are more than 50 business units on Airbnbs that has capacity for more than 300 people
- And, about 25 restaurants and services for food.
- 70% of tourists are foreign and 30% is local tourism.
- They consider that, with the current lodging capacity, the wall can receive more than 700 thousand tourists a year.
- A traveler can find lodging and food services for various budgets: for example, lodging from US $ 15 a night for a bed in shared bedroom; a traditional US $ 150 to US $ 200; or even full houses with budgets that vary from US $ 500 to US $ 1000 a night.
- For food there are restaurants with accessible prices, as well as restaurants with more elaborate and special meals.
- Regarding growth with vacation houses, they report that a new business on the wall is inaugurated every month.
“The construction of local businesses, restaurants and hotels has grown exponentially. Proof of this is that the wall is the Guatemala beach with more growth in real estate prices throughout the country ”, with investments of people from various nationalities which helps to become a place every day better known by people from various countries.
The community has been growing. In Sipacate there are about 18 thousand inhabitants and of them about three thousand are on the wall. While they estimate that tourism generates around one thousand jobs in the area “that has evolved from being a small fishing village to a mangroves and surf reserve where tourism is the most important thing.”
International exhibition and new tourist route
According to the entrepreneurs interviewed, the wall has established itself as the beach of choice by tourists who visit Guatemala, which can be seen in the narrative in the blogs that describe the new tourist route that represents the Atitlán Route – El Paredón – La Antigua Guatemala.
This route represents a “with a bit of everything” tour for the tourist who comes for less than a week to Guatemala.
The place was also host of the penultimate date of the surf tour of the Americas. “The Pro Tour wings was held in November 2024 and in 2025 we will have this championship again in this destination.”
Community advances, challenges and lack of services in the place
- The Community of El Paredón is well organized, and by the private initiative has managed to invest in schools, absorb wages to have the necessary teachers, build the lifeguards and also absorb their salaries, expose business executives.
However, there are challenges to resolve and services to install as:
- Fire station, decent health center to attend emergencies from the community and tourists, ambulance, and the sewer project, as well as the piped water distribution system.
Other data
Inguat identifies some services in the village the wall. At present, a Disetur station in Sipacate was installed who will be in charge of tourism security in the municipality.
The entity mentions that there are four companies of general lodging establishments, with 42 rooms and 152 beds beds, and two apartments for tourist activity.
He adds that a travel agency is registered, and a land tourist transport company with three units. There are four community tourist guides with current card and there are still no Spanish academies for tourists.
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However, the Inguat says that investors are currently coming with the interest of building hotels derived from the high visitation and development of tourism and the activities that can be carried out in that destination, as well as other types of services and businesses that are growing this destination quickly.
Edna Vásquez, fourth councilor of the Municipality of Sipacate, coinde that around 13 years ago to date in the place the private investment for hotels, and hostel establishments, as well as holiday houses, has been growing. However, he says that public investment is very scarce or almost nil.
The community, and the tourist area has lighting this presents bad conditions, drainage drainage and piped water system, as well as some relief bodies station.
Now, after the fire of March 8, the people of the community, private tourist services and diverse public and private entities, joined to support the community.
There are several damages damaged in the tourist area that still cannot provide their services or partially provide them. However, the rest of the blocks where the fire did not reach, they are operating and are open to receive tourists.