In the town of Machaquilá, seven kilometers north of Poptún [1], Villa de los Castellanos (Aldea Machaquilá, tel. 7927-7541, $25–40 d) is just off the road in a peaceful riverside setting overlooking the Río Machaquilá and set on 12 acres of land encompassing forest and a medicinal plant garden. Its 14 comfortable cabanas all have private bath.
There is also a good restaurant. The friendly Guatemalan owners, who live onsite, organize trips to local caves, ruins, and forest preserves. One of the owners is a beekeeper and uses traditional techniques involving hollowed-out logs to care for the surprisingly docile honeybees.
There’s also a small display of ancient Mayan artifacts (registered with the Institute of Anthropology and History) found while living on the property.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/guatemala/peten/poptun