Rio Dulce means "sweet river" in Spanish and it is aptly named. The waters of the Rio Dulce are fresh, clean and clear. There is no heavy industry anywhere along the system of rivers and lakes that make up the Rio Dulce so there is very little pollution.

Rio Dulce Area Map
Lago Izabal Map
El Golfete Map

The several geographic areas of the Rio Dulce and surrounding area discussed below are:
Fronteras / El Relleno Area
Lago Izabal Area (to the west)
The Peten (to the north)
El Golfete Area (to the east)
Livingston Area (on the coast)
Morales / Bananera (to the south)

FRONTERAS / EL RELLENO AREA

The two towns of Fronteras and El Relleno are the center of activity and business on the Rio Dulce. The towns are located on opposite sides of the river at the point where the highway to the Peten crosses over the Rio Dulce via a modern 85 foot tall concrete and steel bridge. El Relleno is on the south bank of the river and Fronteras on the north bank. Many people refer to the twin towns together as "Rio Dulce".

Fronteras and El Relleno are fairly coarse, rough-and-tumble towns catering mainly to the truck drivers that pass through on their way to the Peten. Along the highway there are numerous small stores (tiendas), food stalls and diners (comedores) and a number of inexpensive hotels.

Outside of the two towns the picture changes dramatically as the banks of the Rio Dulce are lined with marinas, lodging and restaurants that offer the finest food and luxury accomodations.

The fort of San Felipe de Lara is locally referred to as El Castillo or The Castillo. The Castillo is about 1 km upstream from the bridge at Fronteras at a point where the Rio Dulce constricts just before the river ends and widens into Lake Izabal. The fort was placed there by the Spanish to prevent English pirates from raiding the villages and caravans along the shores of Lake Izabal. It is located on a rocky point that gives it a good field of fire but was only partly successful at stopping the audacious pirates.

Pirates repeatedly destroyed the The Castillo and in 1686 they captured and burned it to the ground. Each time it was rebuilt by a different engineer and made stronger than before. The version that stands today has tremendously thick walls. At one point the Spanish went so far as to string a chain across the river in an attempt to deny access to the pirates.

By the end of the 1700s there were no more pirates so the fortress was pressed into service as a prison. Today it has been nicely restored and is surrounded by a park which is perfect for picnics. A dock is provided for lanchas to unload passengers. Anchoring directly in front of the Castillo is not permitted.

Casa Guatemala is an orphanage that cares for children from the ages of 2 to 16 years. It is located in the La Bacadilla area on the south shore of the Rio Dulce. Visitors are always welcome at Casa Guatemala and you are encouraged to offer assistance or skills you might have. Click here for more information.

The Rio Cienaga joins the Rio Dulce at a point just downstream from Mario's Marina at 15º 40.606N 88° 58.014W. It's easy to navigate up the Rio Cienega to a point several miles north of the Rio Dulce even during the low water (dry) season. Just after you enter the river there is a fork at 15° 40.984N 88° 58.003W. The right fork is the river. The left fork leads a short distance to a lagoon. The channel of the Rio Cienaga is very scenic and peaceful and will carry you past several homes and then into the open pastureland north of the Rio Dulce where herds of cattle and horses can be seen grazing. The waters of the Cienaga are crystal clear and if there's sunlight its easy to see to the bottom which is 6 to 8 feet down along most of the way. Always be on the lookout for submerged logs. The fishing along the Rio Cienaga can be good.

At 590 square kilometers, Lake Izabal is the largest lake in Guatemala. In some places it is 50 feet deep. Lake Izabal is fed by many tributary rivers, the largest of which is the Rio Polochíc whose mouth is at the west end of the lake. Lake Izabal drains into the Rio Dulce at its eastern end.

El Estor gets its name from the days of the days of the English pirates who used to sail up the Rio Dulce to buy or steal supplies from "The Store". Not far from El Estor is the town of Panzós where one of the landmark events of the recently ended Guatemalan civil war occurred in 1978 when over one hundred men, women and children were gunned down by the Guatemalan Army. Today, El Estor is a little gem of a town because of the municipal improvements made by the Nickel Company of Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the nickel company constructed a nickel mine and refinery about a kilometer from El Estor. In exchange for permission to operate, the nickel company agreed to invest in improving the town of El Estor. El Estor is now paved with wide and clean streets, the electrical grid is new as is the telephone system. The nickel mine was unsuccessful and the plant is now closed. Today, El Estor is a clean and beautiful albeit quiet town where nothing much ever happens. Strolling the streets of El Estor is enjoyable. If you visit El Estor, be sure to visit the modern central park where there is a large fenced aquarium containing 3 or 4 full sized alligators.

From El Estor is is possible to catch buses up to Cobán and the Verapaces. The bus travels up the beautiful Polochíc Valley along a bumpy, unpaved road past dozens of Maya villages. A ferry headed for Mariscos leaves every morning from the municipal dock at 6:00 AM.

Mariscos is the major town in the middle of the south shore of Lake Izabal. A daily ferry runs between Mariscos and El Estor. From Mariscos it is possible to catch buses to Rio Dulce, Guatemala City or Puerto Barrios.

The Rio Obscuro is in the southwest corner of Lago Izabal at approximately 15° 22.5'N and 89° 20'W. The banks of the Obscuro are pristine jungle where you will find howler monkeys, more exotic birds and clear water. Enter this river by the sounthernmost mouth leaving the stakes to your left.

The Rio Zarquito flows along the southern edge of the Polochic Valley and joins the Rio Obscuro a few hundred meters up the Obscuro from the lake. The water of the Zarquito is also crystal clear and the area is undamaged jungle, diversely populated with many types of plants, animals and birds.

The Polochíc is the large river that drains the long Polochíc Valley that extends from Lake Izabal all the way up to the Verapaces in central Guatemala. During the wet season, the Rio Polochíc carries down a lot of silt and topsoil so it has developed a significant delta at the west end of Lake Izabal.The delta has many channels that can be explored by boat and the area is full of wetland wildlife, including an occasional alligator.

Up the Rio Sauce lies breathtakingly scenic Boqueron Canyon. The only problem here is that a short ways up river there's an impassable spot where you must portage your dinghy several hundred yards before continuing on. The scenery is worth the effort. Hugo in El Estor can arrange trips in his boats and you won't have to portage your own boat.

Rio Aguas Calientes is located near Finca el Paraiso at approximately 15° 34.16'N by 89° 11.64'W. This river flows underground through one of the mountains in the Sierra de Santa Cruz range before emerging at Finca el Paraiso on its way to Lago Izabal. A portion of the caves through which the river flows can be explored but it is wise to hire a guide rather than following the river on your own. Be sure to bring a bathing suit and a waterproof flashlight, a backup flashlight and a camera.

During the 16th century, the bay at El Refugio must have been the perfect hiding spot for pirates laying in ambush for the Spanish or for Spanish ships hiding from pirates. Today it provides an excellent anchorage for cruisers in a scenic setting. El Refugio is a great place to anchor for a few days and explore the several rivers and lagoons nearby to view the wildlife or do some fishing. During bad storms, El Refugio provides protection from the big swells that can develop on Lake Izabal.

This area at the western end of Lake Izabal is a beautiful place for boaters to drop anchor and explore by dinghy. There is good anchorage and the scenery is great. Many birds nest in this area and you will be serenaded by howler monkeys at sunrise and sunset. You might even catch a glimpse of a caiman (alligator). Be advised that theft can occur in this area so be extra careful to lock your boat securely or, better yet, leave someone aboard when you go exploring.

The Peten is a large, relatively unpopulated area comprising one-third of Guatemala's land area but containing only a few percent of its population. In recent years the population of the Peten has jumped from about 15,000 to over 300,000 with the influx of refugees and displaced persons resulting from the civil war. 1,200 years ago this area was teeming with the Mayan civilization. Archaeologists estimate over a million people lived in the Peten, some say several million. Over a hundred cities and towns have been discovered. Today. the most famous Mayan city is Tikal, a vast metropolis where over 3,000 buildings have been discovered and a lot more are yet to be uncovered. Even so, Tikal may not have been the largest Mayan city. To the north of Tikal, still wreathed in impenetrable jungle lies El Mirador which appears to archaeologists to be even larger!

Since the mysterious collapse of the Mayan civilization, the land of the Peten has become primary tropical rainforest, teeming with thousands of diverse life forms, many of which are unique to the area. Only a fraction of the species found in the Peten have been identified and cataloged. Nobody knows what discoveries are yet to be made in the rainforest. Wonder drugs such as steroid homones (cortisone) and the active ingredient in birth control pills were developed from rainforest plants. The anesthetic tetrodoxin is 160,000 times stronger than cocaine and is derived from a frog found in Central America. Deforestation is still taking place in parts of the Peten despite the efforts of the Guatemalan government to stop it.

The Rio Dulce is the gateway to the Peten. The best highway to the Peten travels directly through Fronteras and all heavy trucks and passenger buses (pullmans) travel this way. On a map of Guatemala this may appear to be the long way around as there is a more direct route to the Peten traveling through the Verapaces and Coban but that route is unpaved and often impassable. Indeed, much of the administration of the Peten is conducted out of Coban but almost all transportation is done by air. It is sometimes possible for a tourist to take the land-route through Coban but the trip requires at least two days of bone crunching travel over rough roads in a re-commissioned schoolbus.

All commercial traffic and a wide range of buses from luxurious pullmans to the inexpensive travel from Guatemala City to the Peten by traveling east on the Caribbean Highway, turning north at Ruidosa junction near Morales, then up the paved highway that travels through Fronteras. Traffic used to cross the Rio Dulce by ferryboat but now passes over a modern 85 foot high concrete bridge that spans the Rio Dulce between El Relleno on the south bank and Fronteras on the north.

Under the best conditions, the fastest pullman buses make the trip from Guatemala City to Flores in 12 hours. It is possible to split the trip in two halves by stopping at the Rio Dulce and refreshing yourself.

Poptun is a small town about 100 kilometers south of Flores on the road south to Rio Dulce. Poptun has regular bus service to Flores, Rio Dulce and Guatemala City. There is also a Guatel office for phone calls.

Just south of Poptun is Finca Ixobel, a popular tourist spot set in a peaceful pine forest with accomodations and great food. Numerous Mayan sites and limestone caves are in the vicinity. It is possible to hike to these sites although some are farther than a one-day hike, or you can arrange trips on horseback.

Flores is the official capital of the Peten, although most of the administration of the Peten is conducted out of the city of Coban in Alta Verapaz. Flores is located on the island of San Andres in Lake Peten Itza. Flores and the surrounding area have a long history as the capital of the Itza Mayans, Tayasal. After the Spanish conquered the Itza in 1697, the town of Flores was founded on the same spot by the Spanish in the year 1700. Flores was originally used as a penal colony. The island is connected to the mainland by a road stretching across the water. On the shore are the more recent towns of San Benito and Santa Elena. Today people refer to all three towns together as "Flores".

For the tourist, Flores is just a stopover on the way to Tikal or Belize. Flores has good bus connections, communications and a few hotels.

Tikal is located at the southern extreme of the Tikal Biosphere Reserve in the northern Peten. The reserve is a 370 square kilometer area designed to protect the ruins and the life forms in the surrounding jungle.

Whole volumes have been written about Tikal which contains the most impressive Mayan ruins unearthed thus far with thousands of buildings and many more still buried in the jungle. Tikal contains 5 magnificent granite temples that tower above the floor of the Peten and reach over 200 feet into the air, high enough to see over the top of the forest canopy.

It is possible to visit Tikal as a day trip it is best to spend at least one night in Tikal. The beauty of Tikal at sunrise or sunset is unforgettable and the eruption of activity in the jungle at sunrise and sunset are equally memorable. Tikal is so vast one could easily spend a week walking and exploring.

El Golfete is a widening of the Rio Dulce that occurs about six miles upriver from Livingston. The widening forms a shallow lake approximately ten miles long and three miles wide at its widest point. El Golfete is six to twelve feet deep over most of its area.

Many cayes (islands) dot the surface of El Golfete. Some cayes have dry land and others are just clumps of mangrove. Many are surrounded by stands of tall reeds. The shores of El Golfete hide many quiet bays and lagoons and numerous rivers and streams empty into El Golfete. Its shores are largely uninhabited but there are a few dozen small Indian settlements and private homes.

El Golfete is a wonderland for people interested in wetland ecology. The water is clean and clear and teeming with life. The mangrove roots and stands of reeds provide ideal conditions for many wetland species. At night the trees fill with snowy white egrets and long-necked white herons.

On the north shore roughly in the middle of El Golfete is El Biotópo de Chocón Machacas (the Manatee Reserve). The reserve has been set aside to protect the severely endangered manatee or "sea cow". Manatees are mammals and grow to weigh up to 2000 pounds. They were once found in large herds in many places throughout the Caribbean but over the past 200 years were hunted almost to extinction for their meat.

Manatees were originally unafraid of man but have since learned to be extremely shy and elusive. It is possible to spot them on El Golfete but you must be willing to sit quietly for hours in a dinghy or canoe. The slightest noise will frighten the manatee away.

For more information about the manatee, read this fascinating article by the man who spearheaded the creation of El Biotopo Chocon Machacas: The Manatee.

In 1976 a man named Thor Janson performed a detailed field study of the manatee in the Rio Dulce area. He discovered that El Golfete along the Rio Dulce was the best location for observing manatees. After performing the study Mr. Janson impressed on the Guatemalan government the need to protect the severely endangered manatee in El Golfete. Thanks in large part to Mr. Janson's efforts, the government of Guatemala included the creation of a manatee reserve as part of an overall plan to develop the Rio Dulce area.

El Biotopo Chocon Machacas is located on the north shore of El Golfete and is there to protect the manatee and other wildlife and trees on either side of the mouth of the Rio Chocon Machacas. The reserve has hiking trails and it is possible to spot tapir and jaguar if you are very patient. There is a dock for small boats. Camping is permitted but there are no services or supplies so bring your own.

To spot a manatee requires patience and quiet. The manatee has learned to be afraid of man and the slightest boat noise, even a tap or footstep can frighten them off. Of course the manatee know nothing about the boundaries of the reserve and they can be spotted almost anywhere around the Golfete so keep your eyes open for them at all times.

Cayo Grande is a large caye (island) at the far east end of El Golfete. Cayo Grande is a protected area and completely uninhabited. There are no trails on the island. For this reason, Cayo Grande is full of wildlife. The whole place is alive. At sunrise and sunset, the island erupts with the calls of birds. At night the island throbs with the sounds of tree frogs and insects. Cayo Grande is one place along the Rio Dulce where you have a good chance of seeing toucans.

It's easy to hear the wildlife on Cayo Grande but in order to see anything you will need to take a cayuco, plow through the reeds, beach the boat on the mangrove roots and walk in a short distance. There are no trails but you don't need to go in very far. Keep an eye out for snakes.

Behind Cayo Grande, between the island and the shore of El Golfete is one of the finest and most picturesque anchorages on the Rio Dulce. The family operated, Los Palafitos is located right there on the shore where you will find food, lodging and information.