During the late 1800's Livingston was Guatemala's primary seaport, shipping coffee, bananas, and tropical hardwoods from the Guatemalan highlands. Today Livingston is a backwater town, home to about 3000 Black Caribs, Mayans and Mestizos'.
The center of Livingston is at the top of the hill, which is bursting with small almacenes and tiendas (stores). Our guests enjoy visiting the Tucan Duga resort with its beautiful vista overlooking the harbor. El Tiberon, the restaurant at Tucan Duga offers a great sampling of local cuisine which can also be enjoyed poolside.
Aubisque heads up the Rio Dulce river to Fronteras. The Rio Dulce is ranked as one of all time ultimates in Caribbean cruising. From Livingston we follow the Rio Dulce river as it twists and winds for 6 miles through a spectacular gorge of 300-feet towering limestone cliffs backed by dense walls of tropical green foliage.
After the first bend, we will come to a long limestone wall of graffiti where generations of mariners before have left their mark. In the 17th century, the Rio Dulce offered a safe sanctuary for Spanish galleons heavily laden with gold plundered from the Inca Empire in Peru. Here they sought refuge from the pirate - infested waters that plagued the Caribbean.
Along the river you will feel like you have gone back in time. We are always in awe as we watch the young Mayan children and women paddling in their cayucas (dugout canoes carved from mahogany logs) across the river to sell their daily fish catch of the day or fresh baked tortillas. Most of the native homes on the river are made of stick walls with palapas (thatched roofs made of palm leaves) surrounded by lush land that provides bountiful fruit & vegetables.
Gradually the river gives way to El Golfete a 10-mile long bay. Located on the shore of the bay is the Biotopo Chocon Machacus, a manatee reserve and national park that includes 18,000 acres of the northern bank. This is a great place to enjoy the park's self- guided nature trail where you will see many species of tropical birds, butterflies and the Panchito spider monkeys.
After leaving the El Golfete we follow the river to the town of Fronteras, where we will stay at Mario's Marine for the night. Depending on the time of day we arrive, we will explore the Rio via the tender to check out the different sites along the river and town.
In this part of the Rio Dulce you see the classic case of cultures in collision, as modern Guatemalans and cruisers meet traditional Mayans.
Our destination will be the lush tropical setting of Aqua Caliente, a 25-foot waterfall of hot spring water that spills into a deep pool formed by a cool mountain stream. It is an exhilarating experience to stand under the hot spring waterfall and swim in the cool stream pools. You will want to bring your camera to capture this lush tropical setting, it is beyond words to describe the experience.
On our way to Aqua Caliente we will pass Castillo San Felipe, an old, Spanish fort built in 1652 that served as a defense against the pirates. From there we will enter Lake Izabel (Lago Izabal), the largest body of fresh water in Guatemala (30 miles long & 15 miles wide). There are over 25 Mayan sites, mostly unexcavated, on the shores of Lake Izabal .
Guests that extend their Guatemala stay highly recommend the visit to Quirigua, one of the Mayan sites known for preserved large stone carvings that are said to be among the finest works of art ever carved by the Mayans.
We will continue to the north shore of Lake Izabal and dock at Finca El Paraiso. We will be greeted by Senora Dona Blanca who owns this fabulous working farm. She also has a small palapa restaurant on the lake where she serves local cuisine of fresh fish, chicken and or beef with a wonderful selection of citrus, bananas, mangos from the farm.
Once ashore our guests have the option to travel via horseback or tractor ride through the lush farm land to the Agua Caliente trail site (15 minutes). From here we enter the lush tropical forest where we walk on a well maintained path of smooth river gravel along the river until we get to the falls (5 min walk). There are guides on the property that maintain the environment and to assist visitor if needed at the falls. We like to visit this site during the weekdays, where often we are the only guest on the property.
After our "Tropical Jungle Spa" experience we will have lunch at Finca El Paraiso or on the yacht as we head back to Mario's Marina for the night.
Aubisque will venture back to Livingston to check out of the country and anchor for the night. Along the way back we may stop at Rio Lampara where there is a restaurant called Viajero. Our guests are guaranteed fresh fish as they pull it up from a cage kept under their dock. Also they serve other local cuisine.
Across the river from Viajero are hot sulphur springs. Depending on one's adventure level, you can climb up the embankment of rocks to soak in the steaming hot springs. The climb is worth the reward!
Aubisque sets sail to the remote Sapodilla Cayes. The southern 4 miles of the barrier reef consists of a series of large shoal and reef patches intersected by the deep channels. The six islands now standing on these patches are locally known as the Sapodilla Cayes. Many veteran divers consider the reefs around these Cayes to be among the most beautiful in all of Belize. The water is exceptional clear with an average visibility of 100 feet or more on a sunny day. This is an adventure water wonderland for divers, snorkelers, fishermen and kayakers.
We sail back to Placencia to check into Belize and anchor for the night.
Enjoy a day sail back to Belize City for a late afternoon departure.
*Please note: Guest are responsible for the cost incurred clearing and entering both countries which would be approx $400 (Belize & Guatemala Port Captain fees, Customs & Immigrations).
