Izabal
& Río Dulce

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

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.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated October 4, 2026

Destination map

Discover places and open a marker to find out more

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Select a place to view its details. Open a group to see its places.Map: © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

How to read the map

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.

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

Río Dulce and the Golfete
Río Dulce National Park, San Felipe fort and the Chocón Machacas biotope have unconfirmed status. The biotope can only be reached by boat.
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Livingston and Cerro San Gil
The Siete Altares waterfalls, near Livingston, and the Cerro San Gil reserve, run by FUNDAECO.
Open the full guide
Quiriguá and El Estor
The Quiriguá archaeological park is in Los Amates, and the hot-spring waterfall at Finca El Paraíso is in El Estor. Their details are unconfirmed.
Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

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: 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.

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

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.

Tips and precautions

Living in Guatemala (September 2026) reports that San Felipe fort has taken cards since March 2026; this is unconfirmed by INGUAT.
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.

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). Whether one is in force now is unconfirmed.
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.

Sources

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

Everything you can do

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

Sort

Showing 7 of 7 · 7 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 4

Photo: ludwin504 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Siete Altares
NatureStatus unconfirmed
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 and operator unconfirmed; the fee comes only from the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Q20 per person, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Siete Altares · 2026
Nearby: Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope (14.9 km)
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – 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
Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope
WildlifeStatus unconfirmed
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 unconfirmed: CONAP and CECON give different hours and neither gives a fee.
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.
Source
CECON (USAC) – Biotopo Chocón Machacas · 2026 · +1
Nearby: Río Dulce National Park (5.3 km) · Siete Altares (14.9 km)
Sources: CECON (USAC) – Biotopo Chocón Machacas · CONAP – Biotopo Protegido Chocón Machacas
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
Río Dulce National Park
NatureStatus unconfirmed
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 unconfirmed by CONAP: the hours come from its listing and no fee is published.
Practical details and sources
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to CONAP.
Source
CONAP – Parque Nacional Río Dulce · 2026
Nearby: Chocón Machacas Protected Biotope (5.3 km) · Castillo de San Felipe de Lara (13.8 km)
Sources: CONAP – Parque Nacional Río Dulce
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
Cerro San Gil Spring Protection Reserve
NatureStatus unconfirmed
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 unconfirmed by FUNDAECO: the hours come from CONAP's listing and no fee is published.
Practical details and sources
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to CONAP.
Source
CONAP – Reserva Protectora de Manantiales Cerro San Gil · 2026
Sources: CONAP – Reserva Protectora de Manantiales Cerro San Gil
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

Volcano and mountain · 1

Photo: mardoqueo sagastume · CC BY 3.0
Finca El Paraíso
WellnessStatus unconfirmed
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 unconfirmed by the estate: they come from the Ministry of Culture's directory, which gives the fee as approximate.
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.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Finca El Paraíso · 2026
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – 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

Living culture · 2

Photo: Flickr user Semio · CC BY 2.0
Castillo de San Felipe de Lara
CultureStatus unconfirmed
A fort in Río Dulce (Izabal) run by INGUAT; CONAP lists a dock at San Felipe de Lara within Río Dulce National Park.
Status unconfirmed: 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.
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).
Source
INGUAT – Castillo de San Felipe de Lara (atractivos administrados por el INGUAT) · 2026 · +1
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)
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
Photo: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY 2.0
Quiriguá Archaeological Park
CultureStatus unconfirmed
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, hours and fees unconfirmed by the Ministry of Culture, which runs the park.
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.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Quiriguá · 2026 · +1
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Quiriguá · Ministerio de Cultura (CulturaGuate) – Quiriguá
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

Before you go, understand the place.

Themed guides

Río Dulce and the Golfete

Livingston and Cerro San Gil

Quiriguá and El Estor

Plan your visit

The essentials

Where to stay

Tips and precautions

Safety and precautions

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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

Keep exploring Guatemala

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Petén

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