Trip to Rio Dulce and Cruise to the City of Livingston in Guatemala

Destinations and Attractions on a Cruise Along the Rio Dulce River

Rio Dulce (meaning: "The Sweet River") is a small town at the mouth of a river of the same name on the northeastern edge of Lake Izabal. The town is also close to the city of Livingston on the Caribbean coast, which can only be accessed via the Caribbean Sea or by boats from the town of Rio Dulce along the Rio Dulce river.
Over the Rio Dulce river is a large bridge, with the boat dock located underneath it.

 

From this dock, boats depart for a cruise on the river toward Livingston, but first, it is recommended to sail in the opposite direction, south toward the mouth of the river where an ancient fortress named San Felipe is located, which guarded the passage toward the city of Livingston. The fortress was built by the colonial governments of Spain to prevent Caribbean pirates from entering Lake Izabal.

We return north and pass under the large bridge near the town of Rio Dulce, turning northeast toward Livingston. We sail on the river in the heart of the forests for about seven kilometers until we reach a place where the river widens significantly and becomes Lake Golfete. Close to where the river flows into the lake, there is a small, uninhabited, fully forested island covered with many birds, mainly black cormorants.

 

We sail slowly close to the shore and enter small coves where we see many beautiful water lilies, mostly white ones called spider lilies, as well as purple water lilies.

 

 

In the forest among the trees, you can occasionally spot residents' houses on the lake shore and merchant boats selling handicrafts to tourists. While sailing among the humble houses (more shacks than houses), you see children playing in the river water and women doing laundry in the river.

 

 

At the end of the cruise on the lake, we enter the Rio Dulce river again toward Livingston. After about a kilometer of sailing, we reach a small restaurant next to which is a hot spring where it is worth swimming; you can smell the sulfur from the spring in the area. The water coming out of the spring is very hot but cools down upon contact with the cool river water. Bathing in the hot springs is free.

 

Further down the river, after about 1.5 km, it is recommended to have lunch at a successful restaurant on the riverbank called El Viajero, where you can sit outside in a pleasant breeze on the riverbank. This restaurant can also only be reached by boat, which is the only means of transportation along the river.
You can also take a tour of a nearby school located up one of the river's tributaries. The school belongs to an association called Ak' Tenamit, which aims to help educate the Maya residents of the Q'eqchi' tribe in the area. At the school, Maya teenagers are taught high school vocational subjects in a boarding school setting, such as tourism, cooking, fish farming, agriculture, and art, so they can continue to live in the area and work. The place also has a restaurant, simple guest cabins, and a rather expensive shop featuring students' crafts.

 

Short video about the trip to Rio Dulce:

The City of Livingston

From the town of Rio Dulce, you reach the city of Livingston by cruising down the current of the Rio Dulce river to its outlet into the Caribbean Sea, where the city of Livingston is located.
As mentioned, this city has no land access road, only via the Rio Dulce river and the Caribbean Sea. The city also has a boat service several times a day to the nearby city of Puerto Barrios and a less frequent service to the city of Punta Gorda in neighboring Belize.

Livingston formerly served as Guatemala's main port on the Caribbean Sea until a port was developed and built in the nearby city of Puerto Barrios and an even newer port in the adjacent city of Santo Tomás de Castilla, which is also visited by cruise ships sailing the Caribbean waters.

Upon arriving in the city of Livingston by boat, you are greeted by many pelicans as well as white and gray herons that decorate the local fishing boats and piers.

 

About 15,000 residents live in this city. It is a completely different city from all the cities and towns I have visited so far in Guatemala, as I described in my other articles. This city has a Caribbean atmosphere and its residents are mixed: there are Maya descendants, Ladinos, Afro-Caribeans, and also people of mixed race called Garifuna, who are a mixture of Africans, Caribbeans, and Europeans who speak a language of the same name that is a combination of English, French, and Spanish. Additional languages spoken in the city are Spanish, Maya, and English. The Garifuna people preserve their unique language, and when walking around the small center of the town, you will feel as if you have arrived in Jamaica.

 

 

Recommended Accommodation

A recommended hotel in Livingston is Villa Caribe Villa Caribe in an excellent location on the Caribbean coast with its own private pier. The hotel is also just a few meters from the city center. The hotel has a swimming pool, beach, restaurant, and free internet.
The hotel features lovely rooms and cabins, most with a beautiful view of the water, some right on the water. In the cabins, everything is decorated with giant seashells. The lamps are made of seashells, and even the soap dish is. A wonderful place to watch the sunset over the sea.

 

 

Short video about a trip in the city of Livingston:

Walking Tour in the City of Livingston

On the main street, there is an abundance of shops, stalls, and restaurants.

Further north down the main street, you reach the seaside promenade. There are no nice beaches for swimming here. The sand is brown and everything is quite neglected and dirty.

The area of pubs and clubs is located near the sea. In the south of the city along the riverbank are the fishing piers.

From the main street, you walk down toward the piers on a steep street.

You can walk around there and see the many fishermen, and the large surfaces where they salt and dry the fish. There are also shops and stalls in this area.

You can also visit the city's cemetery located further down the main street heading northwest. Residents traditionally paint the graves in colorful hues ahead of the Day of the Dead holiday on November 2.

The means of transportation in the city are mainly tuk-tuks and motorcycles:

 

Guatemala Map

 

 

Articles about Guatemala on our site: Trip to Antigua  |   Trip to Pacaya Volcano and Hot Springs  |  Trip to Lake Atitlan and its surroundings |  Semuc Champey Waterfalls and Stalactite Caves |  Trip to the Ixil Triangle |  Trip to Rio Dulce and Cruise to the City of Livingston  |  Trip to Quirigua Ruins