Guatemala is an amazing place for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers, you can find many national parks and tons of volcanoes in the country. I have been an ex-pat living in Guatemala for a long time now, and today I wanted to talk about Rio Dulce and how you can enjoy a family trip to this amazing river. It is one of the most important natural attractions of Guatemala, famous for being a stunning cruising sailboat destination. I have gathered a lot of first-hand information and things to do in Rio Dulce in Guatemala, places to visit and many more!
Table of Contents
- Rio Dulce, Guatemala
- Things to Do in Rio Dulce, Guatemala
- How to get to Rio Dulce
- Rio Dulce Hotels
- Photo Tour
Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Rio Dulce is a beautiful Guatemalan town and river located in the department of Izabal, the park has an area of 130 square kilometers and offers a variety of ecosystems that range from lowland rainforest to high mountain forest, a great place for spotting the amazing Guatemalan wildlife. The most famous attraction within the park is the Rio Dulce River, starting from Lake Izabal.
On the banks of the rivers, you can find many beautiful and colorful houses, hotels, and restaurants literally built-in on the water. The Rio Dulce is a beautiful place to take a family trip. The park has plenty of activities for all ages, and it is also very affordable.
Rio Dulce Facts
- Rio Dulce National Park is the only location in Guatemala where you can see all four of the country’s ecosystems, including rainforest, wetland, mangrove, and marine.
- The park has over 200 species of birds, making it great for birding, and over 150 species of mammals make it a great place for general wildlife watching.
- You can do a variety of activities like kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, or even visit an animal rescue center.
- In 1935 many shots for the film The New Adventures of Tarzan were taken in Rio Dulce.
- Rio Dulce National Park is Guatemala’s first nature reserve.
- The beautiful jungle canyon at the mouth of the river is famous for all the marine birds that live there and for its hundred-meter rock face known as La Cueva de la Vaca
- This is one of the last remaining habitats for the extremely endangered manatee.
Things to Do in Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Volunteer at Casa Guatemala
Casa Guatemala is a nonprofit organization, a great place that has been doing amazing work for the indigenous Guatemalan children since 1987.
It provides food, shelter, and education to those in need. Volunteers can help out at Casa Guatemala by teaching English or helping the children with their homework and tasks.
You can volunteer at Casa Guatemala by
- Teaching English
- Helping the children with their homework
- Donating clothes, toys, or other items to the shelter
- Helping in tasks
Visit a town nearby
You can find many small towns and indigenous villages around the Rio Dulce river. Also, you’ll have a chance to stay in a rustic guesthouse on the banks of the river. We can safely say that two towns stand up among the rest, on the inland part of the river you can find Fronteras (people always refer to it as Rio Dulce) and on the Caribbean side, you’ll find Livingstone. They are the place to go if you are looking to do some activities on the river.
Go to Finca El Paraiso Hot Springs
If you visit Finca El Paraiso, you will be taken past huge lands of banana plantations and get to enjoy the amazing hot springs waterfall, one of the greatest hot springs in Guatemala.
You can easily spend a morning or evening looking around in this places, exploring the different wonders this location has to offer. Like for the most part of Guatemala you’ll find a lot of nature and wildlife, It’s available for only a few bucks and makes for one of the perfect trips to do in your spare time.
Getting to the hot spring waterfalls provides a great adventure, and you’ll feel relaxed as soon as you set foot in this rural-urban location.
Visit the Mayan Ruins of Quiriguá
The Mayan Ruins of Quiriguá are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant archaeological sites in Guatemala (and probably the one most overlooked by tourist). The city was first settled by the Maya people around 400 BC.
Tikal may be the most famous Mayan site with its tall pyramids, but Quiriguá has some incredible features too, like amazing figures carved into the stone. It’s right beside the Motagua River, so it was perfectly situated for controlling the trade of jade and cacao.
Visit Castillo de San Felipe
As you pass through the narrowest point of Rio Dulce, at the entrance of Lake Izabal, you’ll come across Castillo de San Felipe. This fort once served as a protection point for the town against the pirates but has now been renovated for tourism.
As of today, the fort is on the UNESCO’s “tentative” list of World Heritage Sites, but it’s still an amazing tourist attraction that you should definitely take a look at.
Unfortunately, the fort itself has been destroyed on a few occasions trough history, even an earthquake hit it. One of the towers of the fort has been standing since 1604, but some other towers were added in the 17th century.
Take a Rio Dulce National Park Boat Tour
If you want to experience the best of what this area has to offer, taking a boat tour is an essential option. The Rio Dulce National Park boat tour will take you on tons of activities including swimming, visiting Castillo de San Felipe, and many more things.
You would have to try the Las Fronteras to Livingston lancha boat ride for an impressive time. It will take you the entire way down the Rio Dulce.
The boat tour from Rio dulce to Livingston is around a 1.5 to 2 hours and there are plenty of interesting things to see along the way, including birds, water lilies, mangroves, and pelicans.
Boating or Kayaking on Lake Izabal
Lake Izabal is the largest in Guatemala and has a surface area of about 30 miles long by 15 miles wide. It’s at its deepest point of about 60 feet and only 3 feet deep. It’s also known as the Golfo Dulce, or sweet bay. The coastlines are dotted with thatch-roofed villages on both sides of the lake.
There are several tours to choose from. You can take it easy and explore mangroves, or visit the iconic town of Livingston and see San Felipe fort. Also, the lake offers a ton of water activities, like paddleboarding, kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing and even jet skiing! You can get the chance to see tons of wildlife too, even a manatee and howler monkeys!
There are two options available to you: Tour agencies and locals. I recommend you to go with an agency since locals tend to charge more money, but only if they think you’re not from the area.
How to get to Rio Dulce
Getting to Rio Dulce is not complicated at all, in fact, you can get to Rio Dulce, from almost ANY place in Guatemala. Since the most visited places in the country are Guatemala City, and Antigua, you’ll probably go to Rio Dulce from one of those two places, but the best place to start your adventure in Rio Dulce is Guatemala City.
It will take about five hours to go all the way to Rio Dulce from Guatemala City, the best option will be to pay for private transportation, it’s comfortable, fast, and enjoyable. Another good option would be shared transportation, if you go with this option you’ll be taken to the bus station where you’ll take a bus to Rio Dulce. There are many companies offering private and shared transportation, it’s easy to find!
If you decide to go on your own using a rented car, you need to take the Carretera al Atlantico (CA-9) outside of Guatemala City to La Ruidosa crossroad at 245 km. Once you reach La Ruidosa, you’ll need to drive another 34km north on highway CA-13 to Rio Dulce. This same highway connects Rio Dulce to Tikal, Flores and Peten.
Rio Dulce Hotels
There are many hotels in Rio Dulce, Guatemala and many of them are located on the actual banks of the river. The hotels have different amenities and prices, but most of them are affordable and family friendly.
Some of the most popular hotels in Rio Dulce include:
El Hotelito Perdido (Most Affordable)
Located in the middle of Rio Dulce National Park, on a popular route among tourist between Livingstone and the town of Rio Dulce, making it accessible by boat. The hotel has all the amenities you need to spend a joyful time for an affordable price. Every room is packed with a double bedroom upstairs and a beautiful, sitting area downstairs on the banks of the rivers or with an amazing view to the garden. Private or shared bathrooms and you can enjoy free WiFi, restaurants, and a communal house with a bar. Also, El Hotelito Perdido is pet friendly!
Tortugal Boutique River Lodge (Mid Range)
This hotel is packed with all the amenities a family and traveler needs, from many types of bedrooms with garden/jungle or river views to fiber-optic wifi, and a free parking lot. You can enjoy a diving platform that leads you to a floating sun deck, also, you can use kayaks or enjoy reading in the library. The restaurant will delight you with homemade cooking and delicious drinks.
Banana Palms Hotel (Most Luxury)
The most luxurious experience you can get in Rio Dulce is Banana Palms Hotel, the hotel is packed with a restaurant, and an outdoor swimming pool suitable for the hot Guatemalan days, and you can also find a bar and a gym. Many places to spend time, like a shared lounge, a terrace, and a garden. Also, you can find many other amenities like airport transportation from La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, free wifi, and room service.
The hotel has a playground for those families traveling with kids or single parents traveling with children’s.
Photo Tour
Rio Dulce Boat Dock
The Famous Rio Dulce Bridge
Marina For the Sailing Community on Rio Dulce
Daily Living – River House
River Store for Locals
More River Kids of Rio Dulce
