Beach
Playa BlancaThe best beach in the area is Playa Blanca, around 12km from Lívingston, a strip of white sand with chaise longues and umbrellas, restrooms and coconut…
Image by Danièle Schneider / Getty Images
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.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Caribbean Coast.
Cultural Center
Rasta MesaThis is a friendly, informal, enthusiastic cultural center where you can drop in for classes in Garifuna cooking (Q125 per person, fish stew Q150),…
Ranch
Turicentro El ParaísoOn the north side of the lake, between Río Dulce and El Estor, this tourist spot is in an incredibly beautiful jungle setting. Here, a wide, hot waterfall…
Waterfall
Los Siete AltaresAbout 5km (1½ hour walk) northwest of Lívingston along the shore of Bahía de Amatique is Los Siete Altares, a series of freshwater falls and pools. It's a…
Canyon
El BoquerónThis beautiful, lushly vegetated canyon abutting the tiny Maya settlement of the same name is about 6km east of El Estor. Pay your Q10 entry fee, and for…
Fort
El Castillo de San FelipeThe fortress and castle of San Felipe de Lara, El Castillo de San Felipe, about 3km west of Río Dulce town, was built in 1652 to keep pirates from looting…
Cathedral
Catedral de La Inmaculada ConcepcionPuerto Barrios' cathedral is probably one of the least-visited in the country.