Guatemala · Izabal department

Izabal
& Río Dulce.

Río Dulce, San Felipe fort, Siete Altares, Quiriguá and Finca El Paraíso.

7 places
7 unconfirmed
checked Oct 2026
13 sources

Before you go,
understand the place.

In Río Dulce, CONAP runs the national park, INGUAT runs San Felipe fort and CECON runs the Chocón Machacas biotope, on the Golfete, reached only by boat.

Best time to go: According to the United Kingdom, the rainy season normally runs from May to November, with frequent flooding and landslides; poorly maintained roads and bridges have been known to collapse.
Getting there: This guide does not calculate road routes or travel times. According to CONAP, Fronteras (Río Dulce) is 276 km from the capital by the CA-9, turning off at km 245, with docks at Fronteras, El Relleno, San Felipe de Lara and Livingston. No road reaches Livingston: according to Living in Guatemala (September 2026), the public boat from Puerto Barrios costs Q50 and takes about 30 minutes, with timetables that vary between its sources, and the one from Río Dulce costs Q125, takes over an hour and leaves at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., according to two lodges it cites. The Ministry of Culture puts Quiriguá four hours from the capital, at km 204 of the CA-9.

Get your bearings before you set out

Destination map

7 places with their status. Open a pin for details and sources, or use the list.

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Status unconfirmed

Groups: the number in the middle is the total of places; the ring shows their statuses. Open a group to see the breakdown.

The “Open and seasonal” filter covers open (0) and seasonal (0) places. Check dates and conditions on each place.

Map: © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

Three ways to explore

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

3 places
Río Dulce and the Golfete
Río Dulce National Park, San Felipe fort and the Chocón Machacas biotope, reached only by boat; all three have unconfirmed status.
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2 places
Livingston and Cerro San Gil
The Siete Altares waterfalls, near Livingston, and the Cerro San Gil reserve, run by FUNDAECO.
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2 places
Quiriguá and El Estor
The Quiriguá archaeological park, in Los Amates, and the hot-spring waterfall at Finca El Paraíso, in El Estor; their details come from an undated directory.
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The place, in context

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

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Showing 7 of 7 · 7 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 4

NatureStatus unconfirmed
Siete Altares
Near Livingston, Izabal. The pin is the waterfall in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.38.1 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not confirmed
Hours
Not stated
Booking
Not stated
A series of waterfalls and pools about 3 km from the centre of Livingston, in a protected area where hunting is forbidden, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory; local tradition remembers it as a former Garifuna ceremonial site.
Status not confirmed: the operator could not be identified and the fee comes only from the Ministry of Culture's directory, with no visible date.
Source: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Siete Altares · 2026
Practical details and sources
Entry
Q20 per person, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Nearby: Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope (14.9 km)
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Siete Altares
WildlifeStatus unconfirmed
Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope
Golfete of the Río Dulce, Livingston. According to CONAP, it is reached only by boat from Fronteras/Río Dulce (~45 min) or Livingston (~1 h). The pin is the centre of the protected area in OpenStreetMap; it is not the dock.24.6 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not stated
Hours
Sources disagree
Booking
Not stated
A protected area on the Golfete of the Río Dulce run by the University of San Carlos' CECON, with dugout-canoe and walking routes, according to CECON.
Status not confirmed: CONAP and CECON give different hours and neither gives a fee on the pages consulted. CONAP asks you to contact the administration before going.
Source: CECON (USAC) – Biotopo Chocón Machacas · 2026 · +1
Practical details and sources
Hours
CONAP gives 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; CECON, which runs it, gives Monday to Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Nearby: Río Dulce National Park (5.3 km) · Siete Altares (14.9 km)
Sources: CECON (USAC) – Biotopo Chocón Machacas · CONAP – Biotopo Protegido Chocón Machacas
NatureStatus unconfirmed
Río Dulce National Park
Fronteras (Río Dulce), Izabal; according to CONAP, the turn-off is at km 245 of the CA-9 (La Ruidosa). The pin is the centre of the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not a dock.19.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not stated
Hours
Not confirmed
Booking
Not stated
A national park run by CONAP, with docks at Fronteras, El Relleno, San Felipe de Lara and Livingston; according to CONAP, the boat trip between Río Dulce and Livingston takes about 2 hours.
Status not confirmed with CONAP: the hours come from its listing, with no visible date, and the sources consulted give no fee.
Source: CONAP – Parque Nacional Río Dulce · 2026
Practical details and sources
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to CONAP.
Nearby: Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope (5.3 km) · Castillo de San Felipe de Lara (13.8 km)
Sources: CONAP – Parque Nacional Río Dulce
NatureStatus unconfirmed
Cerro San Gil Spring Protection Reserve
Izabal. According to CONAP, Las Escobas is 15 minutes of dirt road from Santo Tomás de Castilla and the eco-lodge needs a 4x4 from km 265 of the CA-13. The pin is the centre of the reserve in OpenStreetMap; it is not an entrance.27.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not stated
Hours
Not confirmed
Booking
Not stated
A reserve run by FUNDAECO, with more than 450 bird species, according to CONAP; it is entered at Las Escobas or through the eco-lodge in the village of Carboneras.
Status not confirmed with FUNDAECO: the hours come from CONAP's listing, with no visible date, and the sources consulted give no fee.
Source: CONAP – Reserva Protectora de Manantiales Cerro San Gil · 2026
Practical details and sources
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to CONAP.
Sources: CONAP – Reserva Protectora de Manantiales Cerro San Gil

Volcano and mountain · 1

WellnessStatus unconfirmed
Finca El Paraíso
El Estor, Izabal. The pin is the estate in OpenStreetMap; the waterfall has no pin of its own.24 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not confirmed
Hours
Not confirmed
Booking
Not stated
An estate in El Estor with a hot-spring waterfall about 8 m high that forms pools you can swim in, with a restaurant, lodging and camping, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Hours and fee not confirmed with the estate: they come from the Ministry of Culture's directory, with no visible date, which gives the fee as approximate.
Source: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Finca El Paraíso · 2026
Practical details and sources
Entry
About Q20 per person, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., according to the same directory.
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Finca El Paraíso

Living culture · 2

CultureStatus unconfirmed
Castillo de San Felipe de Lara
Río Dulce, Izabal. The pin is the fort in OpenStreetMap, linked to Wikidata; it is not the entrance.8.6 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Foreign visitor Q75
Hours
Sources disagree
Booking
Not stated
A fort in Río Dulce (Izabal) run by INGUAT; CONAP lists a dock at San Felipe de Lara within Río Dulce National Park.
Status not confirmed: INGUAT publishes 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and guatemala.com (31 March 2026) 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to Living in Guatemala. Check before you go.
Source: INGUAT – Castillo de San Felipe de Lara (atractivos administrados por el INGUAT) · 2026 · +1
Practical details and sources
Entry
Foreign visitors, including Central Americans, Q75; Guatemalan adults Q25; ages 12 to 17 Q10 (INGUAT).
Hours
INGUAT gives Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Living in Guatemala (September 2026) reports 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from guatemala.com (31 March 2026).
Nearby: Río Dulce National Park (13.8 km)
Sources: INGUAT – Castillo de San Felipe de Lara (atractivos administrados por el INGUAT) · Living in Guatemala – Castillo de San Felipe (24 sep. 2026)
CultureStatus unconfirmed
Quiriguá Archaeological Park
Km 204 of the CA-9, Los Amates, Izabal. The pin is the park coordinates published by the Ministry of Culture; it is not the entrance.33.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
Not confirmed
Hours
Not confirmed
Booking
Not stated
A Maya site in Los Amates (Izabal), a protected area since 1910 with about 34 hectares of forest and inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1981, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Current operation not confirmed: the cultural directory of the Ministry of Culture, which runs the park, publishes hours and fees with no visible date. Check before you go.
Source: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Quiriguá · 2026 · +1
Practical details and sources
Entry
Foreign visitors Q80 and Guatemalans Q20, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the same directory.
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Quiriguá · Ministerio de Cultura (CulturaGuate) – Quiriguá (consulta oct. 2026)

Izabal & Río Dulce · Practical guide

The essentials

The boat trip between Río Dulce and Livingston
San Felipe de Lara fort
The carved monuments of Quiriguá

Izabal & Río Dulce · Practical guide

Where to stay

Río Dulce (Fronteras): The departure point for boats to the Golfete and Livingston, according to CONAP.
Livingston: A town reached by boat from Río Dulce or Puerto Barrios, according to Living in Guatemala; Siete Altares is about 3 km away, according to the Ministry of Culture.

Izabal & Río Dulce · Practical guide

Practical tips

Living in Guatemala (September 2026) reports that San Felipe fort has taken cards since March 2026; INGUAT does not confirm it.
For Chocón Machacas, CONAP asks you to contact the administration before going.
The Finca El Paraíso fee is approximate according to the Ministry of Culture's directory: check it before you go.

Safety and precautions

According to the United Kingdom (advice current on 3 October 2026), Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, and incidents can also happen in tourist areas.
Spain (update of 8 May 2026) lists among the risk areas to avoid zones 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 18 of Guatemala City, Villa Nueva and Mixco, and the departments of San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Escuintla, Petén and Izabal; it rates the rest of the country as medium risk and warns that there are no completely safe areas.
The US Department of State advises reconsidering travel to Guatemala because of crime and terrorism (level 3, advisory issued on 12 March 2026). It advises against travel to the departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango, zone 18 of Guatemala City and Villa Nueva (level 4).
According to the Ministry of the Interior, a 15-day state of prevention came into force on 21 April 2026 in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, Izabal, San Marcos and Huehuetenango (Government Decree 6-2026). This guide does not confirm whether one is in force now: check the current situation before you travel.
INGUAT tourist assistance: 1500, free and 24 hours. National Civil Police: 110 and 120.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to Livingston?

By boat, on two separate routes: from Puerto Barrios, about 30 minutes and Q50, or from Río Dulce, over an hour, Q125 and departures at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., according to Living in Guatemala (September 2026). These are not official figures.

How much is San Felipe fort?

Q75 for foreign visitors, including Central Americans; Q25 for Guatemalan adults and Q10 for ages 12 to 17 (INGUAT).

What is Quiriguá?

A Maya site in Los Amates inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1981, according to the Ministry of Culture; its hours and fee are unconfirmed.

Izabal & Río Dulce · Practical guide

Sources consulted

Information checked in October 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

Before you go,understand the place.

Themed guides

Río Dulce and the Golfete

Livingston and Cerro San Gil

Quiriguá and El Estor

Everything you can do

Nature and jungle · 4

Siete Altares

Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope

Río Dulce National Park

Cerro San Gil Spring Protection Reserve

Volcano and mountain · 1

Finca El Paraíso

Living culture · 2

Castillo de San Felipe de Lara

Quiriguá Archaeological Park

The essentials

Where to stay

Practical tips

Safety and precautions

Frequently asked questions

Sources consulted

Other destinations

Before you go,
understand the place.