Caribbean Coast

This is a very different Guatemala – a lush and sultry landscape dotted with palm trees and inhabited by international sailors (around the yachtie haven of Río Dulce and the working port of Puerto Barrios) and one of the country's lesser-known ethnic groups, the Garifuna (around Lívingston).

A boat ride down the Río Dulce is pretty much mandatory for any visit to this region, and many visitors find a few days in Lívingston to be a worthwhile detour. Dedicated naturalists will want to check out the huge wetlands reserves at Bocas del Polochic and Punta de Manabique, which take some effort to get to.