The Caribbean Corridor

2 days

Day 1: Livingston and Siete Altares

Livingston, on the Caribbean coast, is the quintessential port city, more reminiscent of faraway Jamaica than of the rest of Guatemala. Here's the catch: no roads lead here. You'll need to take land transportation to nearby Puerto Barrios and connect with a ferry or water taxi across Amatique Bay. Near Livingston lie the beautiful waterfalls of Siete Altares.

Day 2: Río Dulce

The canyoned, forested river connecting Livingston with inland Lake Izabal is one of Guatemala's spectacular nature excursions, including a stop at the San Felipe fortress, constructed by the Spanish to thwart upriver attacks by pirates.

Tips and Transportation

You can reach Puerto Barrios on the Atlantic coast easily by public transportation from Guatemala City or from Cobán, making the Caribbean a reasonable add-on following a visit to Las Verapaces. Only two public ferries per day connect Puerto Barrios with Livingston, but frequent water-taxi service fills in the gaps. You can also rearrange these days by starting your Río Dulce trip inland at the town of Fronteras, where the river meets Lake Izabal, then heading out to Livingston. The logistics of navigating Río Dulce make a tour worthwhile. Enough robberies have targeted people going to Siete Altares on their own that we recommend the security of a group tour.