If you’re looking for a quiet spot to spend a few relaxing few days in Guatemala, then Rio Dulce may be the spot for you. Ruggedly tranquil is the best descriptor of Rio Dulce. Located on a strip of Guatemala between Honduras and Belize, life along Rio Dulce has slow pace making it a popular spot for those looking for a few days rest.
Rio Dulce begins in Lake Isabel, the largest lake in Guatemala. The 43 km river parallels the Honduran border as it flows from the lake to the Amatique Bay in Caribbean Sea. Its edges are lined by quiet inlets, mangrove forests, manatee habitats and a mix of rustic Mayan villages, modest lodges and luxury cottages.
We stayed in a basic, boat-access lodge not far from the border city of Rio Dulce. We were a little worried when we arrived because the city is hectic and unappealing. Once we reached our hotel though, we found ourselves to be worlds away from the busy city. The peaceful spot leant itself to reading in a hammock and enjoying a drink along the river. Our morning alarm was the chirping of birds and rustling of trees as the jungle began to wake.
From our front door the meandering river cut small channels through the mangroves. Kayaking through them was a great way to explore these calm water ways.
Not far from Rio Dulce city, is the 17th century Spanish-built El Castillo de San Felipe. The fort is small, but very picturesque, perched on a small point that juts out into the river. The Spanish built it to protect the important trading route from the British as well as pirates. The castle is located along the side of the main part of the river. It is a little busy with taxi boats, small tour boats, as well as jet skis and water-skiers, but it’s still not too busy to reach by kayak.
Although it was peaceful around our lodge, we wanted to see other parts of the river. One of the best ways to experience this area is to take a boat trip. We hopped aboard a small, covered motorboat and as we travelled its length, we could see the wide range of communities that live along the river.
Near the city of Rio Dulce the river banks are dotted with luxury homes and vacation rentals. Docked beside them are large, private yachts. They are apparently owned by wealthy Guatemalans and ex-pats. In the same area the marinas were filled with sailboats. Some are private and others are available for charter.
Further down river, the water spreads out to form Golfete Lake. Here, we were treated to lovely views of the surrounding mountains. The small lake had big waves that rocked our little boat though, so we were glad when the boat started moving toward the other side of the lake.
As you can imagine, with so much water there are a lot of water birds. A group of trees in a shallow section of the lake was a favourite spot for egrets, cormorants and herons.
Our favourite part of the boat trip though, was boating on the channels that run between the mangroves and many small islands. These channels were made even prettier by carpets of lily pads with red and white flowers. A wave from our boat caused an interesting design in the water lilies.
Hidden in these mangrove forests were a few remote, boat-access only Mayan communities. One of the villages looked very small with only a few houses, but apparently is home to 100 residents. We were told that many Mayans fled to this area during the country’s civil war (1960-1996) to escape persecution. Some established communities along the river and didn’t leave.
Laguna Blanca is one of the poorest Mayan villages that we saw. Describing these homes as basic or rustic is an understatement. Some of the homes seemed to be built entirely on the mangroves with no land underneath at all. Their stilt homes are not very high above the water making us think that the river must not get too high, even during Guatemala’s long rainy season.
Life here is much different than it would be in the luxury homes we passed up river.
Some of the small, quiet river inlets house boat-access only resorts. Most are very basic, but they have quiet settings and would be a great place to spend a few relaxing days. We were glad that we stayed closer to town, but if we ever go again we’d stay in one of these hotels further down river.
From these lodges you can kayak through the mangroves or to the trail heads of waterfall hikes. There’s not a lot to do in these remote lodges, but that is truly the charm of Rio Dulce.
The name Rio Dulce translates in English to Sweet River. It comes from the clean water that once ran though it. That may have been true once, but today there are so many communities whose sinks, laundry and showers dump directly in the river that it is no longer clean and clear. We saw a few people swimming in the river but, the water didn’t entice us.
As we travelled along river we saw many fishermen. Most were setting nets to catch shrimp from their small, wooden dug-outs.
Beyond the villages and the mangroves, the river enters the narrow Rio Dulce Canyon. Its white limestone walls give it much different look than the jungle covered mountains in the rest of the landscape.
At the mouth of the river is the scrappy town of Livingstone. Before travelling to Rio Dulce we had read on other travel blogs that it is an idyllic, carefree coastal town. As we approached the town, we could already see that these descriptions were a bit misleading. Instead of a tranquil town, it looked to be quite busy. Boats of all sizes were coming and going from its many docks.
Even though it is a boat-access only town, there are a lot of cars, motorcycles and tuk tuks on its roads. With no sidewalks, it isn’t very pedestrian friendly.
What makes this town interesting though, is that the people are Garifuna. Their ancestors are Afro-Indigenous and come from the island of St. Vincent. In the 1700s, a human cargo ship carrying African slaves sunk near the island of St. Vincent. Survivors from the shipwreck were able to get to St. Vincent where they integrated with the local indigenous population. The mix of these two cultures made strong fighters who together, were able to keep colonialists from their invading their island. Eventually though, the British conquered the island and many of the Garifuna population were sent to the island of Roatan, Honduras. From there they spread to Belize and Guatemala. (You can read about Hopkins in our post Belize’s Southern Beaches)
There are two beaches close to Livingstone. Playa La Capitania and Playa Bariqueis are a short walk from town, but but neither are idyllic, Caribbean beaches. They’re quite small, with little sand.
Between the two are a few local beach bars with plastic chairs set along the water. If you didn’t already know that a different culture lives in Livingstone, you would quickly realize it when you hear the music coming from these bars. Instead of typical Guatemalan folksongs, the bars played reggae, reminiscent of their Caribbean roots. The beach bars are not luxurious, but are a nice spot to enjoy the ocean view.
How to travel around Rio Dulce
There is regular ferry service from Rio Dulce to the town of Livingstone, but taking a boat tour is a much better option. We booked our tour through our hotel and it was the same price as the ferry (200 Q/$26 USD). There are also many boats available for private shuttles to travel between the various remote lodges. There are at least two public docks in Rio Dulce town so be sure you know the name and location of the dock if you have arranged transportation.
Where to stay on Rio Dulce
There are numerous hotels, luxury homes, eco-lodges and rustic resorts up and down the river with a wide range of services and prices. They either have their own boat to pick you up in Rio Dulce town or have an agreement with boatmen at one of the docks in town. Once you book your hotel they’ll explain how to reach them. Typically you will buy all of your meals from your hotel so don’t forget to read the food reviews before you book.
We stayed in Kangaroo Hotelea y Restaurante. It’s not too far from town but is set in a small, quiet inlet. The meals are very good and reasonably priced. Another option would be to stay in the more remote Hotelita Perdida. We thought it would be too far and difficult to reach, but it actually wouldn’t have been difficult at all. Do not stay in Rio Dulce town or Livingstone. Both are very busy and run down. No matter where you stay, expect irregular electricity and poor wifi.
How to get to Rio Dulce
There are a few options to reach Rio Dulce depending on where you are in Guatemala. Shuttles travel between Flores and Rio Dulce once a day (4 hrs). You can book tickets from Green Monkey Hostel in Flores. There are also tourist shuttles between Antigua and Rio Dulce twice a day (6 ½ hrs). You can buy tickets from Tropicana Hostel in Antigua. There may be shuttles to Sumac Champey but from what we could find out you would travel on the back of a pickup truck. Buses run between Rio Dulce and Guatemala City a few times a day (5 hrs). You can also take a water taxi from Punta Gorda, Belize.
Safety in Rio Dulce
Staying in a remote, boat-access resort near an international border may not sound like the safest places to visit in Guatemala. The river lodges though, are very safe, with very little crime reported. But, you do need to be cautious. The river is apparently used by drug traffickers, so going out on the river at night is not recommended. As well, the towns of Rio Dulce and Livingstone are known to have problems with petty crimes.
To read more of our adventures in Guatemala, click here.
Coming Next – Turquoise Pools Of Semuc Champey
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
If you like what you read, please comment or share (with credit) using the links below.
We'd love to hear from you, please leave a comment.