Rio Dulce & Livingston Tours & Holidays
Rio Dulce & Livingston Small Group Tours & Tailor-Made Holidays
When the Spanish colonised Central America, the Guatemalan city of Antigua was the capital of the whole continent. Shipping, communication and travel all reached Antigua via the Rio Dulce River, which was also traditionally highly significant to the Mayan civilisations. Winding to the coast from the jungle, giving life to Mayan settlements and rainforest wildlife along the way, the Rio Dulce is now used by travellers for sailing, water skiing and exploring the mangrove forests and lily pads. ...
When the Spanish colonised Central America, the Guatemalan city of Antigua was the capital of the whole continent. Shipping, communication and travel all reached Antigua via the Rio Dulce River, which was also traditionally highly significant to the Mayan civilisations. Winding to the coast from the jungle, giving life to Mayan settlements and rainforest wildlife along the way, the Rio Dulce is now used by travellers for sailing, water skiing and exploring the mangrove forests and lily pads. It is certainly one of Guatemala’s most beautiful natural wonders. At the river’s mouth, where eventually joins up with the Caribbean Sea, sits the gem of Livingston town, only accessible by boat. This laid-back fishing town has an ambiance that feels more Caribbean than Central American: the pace is slow, and the cocktail of choice is real coconut with rum. The town is home to the Garifuna community, whose ancestors settled in this this part of Guatemala in 1635.
Best experiences
Take a Rio Dulce boat tour
Tour along the Rio Dulce (Sweet River) to Livingston with great nature viewing and cultural stops en route. The transfer ends at Livingston, the only town in Guatemala where the Garifuna settled in the 1800s with a unique ambiance not found anywhere else.
Go kayaking in Rio Dulce
Head out and explore the blue-green Rio Dulce River via a private kayaking tour. Passing Maya villages and towering cliffs draped in rainforest on both sides of the river, the area’s great bird life, flora and fauna will also become apparent.OUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO STAY
Hacienda Tijax, Rio Dulce
Get back in touch with nature with a stay at the Hacienda Tijax, set within 400 acres of nature reserve and tucked into the rainforest. Previously a cattle farm, the reserve is now one of the best…