2 Best Hotels in Laguna de Ibans, La Mosquitia

A short walk out of central Belén and over a worn plank bridge leads to owner Mario Miller's three palm-thatched cabins. The small restaurant here dishes out traditional meals by request and serves Caribbean favorites like lobster and shrimp. Somewhat cramped cabins have beds for a total of 12 guests and large screened walls with views of the grounds. In the rooms, gauzy mosquito nets hang above the beds, and the communal bathroom features the same contemporary fixtures as in Raista Ecolodge. La Ruta Moskitia's guided tours out of Belén all take off from the cabins.

Eight newly remodeled cabins sit on stilts near the banks of the lagoon. Doña Elma, matriarch of the tourism-pioneering Bodden family, runs the lodge with her daughter Melissa. Upon request, they can cook up tasty and bountiful breakfasts and dinners served in the downstairs dining area, or call to arrange transportation and tours. Spacious rooms, built from wood planks and thatched palm roofs, each have a double and single bed (mosquito netting included), plus access to a wraparound porch facing the water. Candles and purified water are also provided. Communal bathrooms adjoining the lodge have cold-water showers, flushing toilets, and sinks with mirrors; these are perhaps the most modern accommodations in the area. A generator provides electricity only to the kitchen and family house, so bring a flashlight for after sunset.