Overview

Lying to the east of Guatemala City and connecting with the Caribbean coast is the Motagua Valley, which broadens into a steamy tropical floodplain carpeted with banana plantations. This less-visited region of Guatemala provides a very different aspect: an Afro-Caribbean culture focused on the genial garifuna settlement of Livingston, the cool clear waters of the country’s biggest lake, Izabal, and the tropical river Rio Dulce, which ploughs a furrow through an unbroken wall of dense rainforest. Rising from the lake’s mouth is the castle-like fort Castillo de San Felipe which protected this major transport artery from pirates in colonial times.

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Where to go when - our guide to Caribbean coast: Rio Dulce and Livingston

Rio Dulce

The weather in Caribbean coast: Rio Dulce and Livingston is wide and varied

To the east of Guatemala City is a steamy tropical floodplain connecting it with the Caribbean coast. This less-visited region of Guatemala has an Afro-Caribbean culture focused on the Garifuna settlement of Livingston, the cool clear waters of the country’s biggest lake, Izabal, and the tropical river Rio Dulce.

View our Caribbean coast: Rio Dulce and Livingston weather guide

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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