Been living in Guatemala for two years now and my fellow boaters down here still debate the rules. What is confusing is what people sometimes get away with and what should be done to stay 100% legal. The wrong immigration official "can" make your life miserable.
It is my understanding that the wording in the C4 treaty states you have to be OUT OF THE C4 for 72 hours when your 90 day visa expires. We can talk for hours about what people have gotten away with or what so and so does but I prefer to be legal instead of lucky in this regard.
With my wife and another friend or two it is our practice to ride our motorcycles to Mexico. Customs and immigration will tell you the town you can go to "without" importing your vehicle and as a rule that is where we have been going. Two nights in a hotel and back we come. That shows up as 72 hrs in your passport. The day you entered, the day you stay, the day you leave.
The same could be accomplished going to Belize or ANY country outside the C4.
That is how to stay 100% legal in the C4 and not get hassled as you travel around the C4 countries.
Having said that I am also aware of what people get away with. I don't really want to have that discusion.
Hope that was of some help
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