Brief History of Don David

In 1974, after several visits to Guatemala, David Kuhn, an American from Kissimmee, Florida decided to move here and build a small cabin on the lake, just 3kms from the village of El Remate.  Local people called him Don David, “el gringo perdido” (the lost gringo). David liked the lake, the jungle, the animals, and the friendly people and soon decided this was the place to build small bungalows and a camping area for tourists. On Dec 29, 1975, he opened Gringo Perdido, the first jungle lodge on Lake Petén Itzá.

The first five years of business were good; Don David had married a local girl and with Gringo Perdido growing quickly as it became well known.  However, as the 1980’s dawned Guatemala became engaged in an active civil war, and tourists felt it too dangerous to visit the country, especially the jungle areas. By 1984, after three years of almost no visitors, Don David and his native wife Rosita sold the lodge to a Guatemalan who still owns it today. David had briefly contemplated growing corn with Rosita’s brothers, but instead him, his wife and 1-year old daughter moved back to the US where he worked in construction.  For the next 4 years, they traveled between their home in Florida and Guatemala for visits lasting from 4 to 8 months at a time.

In 1989 political changes started to take place, the civil war slowed, and Save the Rainforest movements began. Soon the Maya Biosphere Reserve was established and tourism improved. Don David and family decided to try again and in 1990 opened their first bed and breakfast room in their partly finished home in El Remate. Adding a room or two each year, they officially opened “La Casa De Don David” in 1996, which today has 15 air conditioned rooms and bungalows centered around a botanical garden, and a nice restaurant overlooking the lake. (posted Dec 2006)