Río Dulce Kayak Tour

What to Expect

Day 01:

A hotel pick-up at 05:00 hrs begins our group’s 6-hour transport from Guatemala’s mountainous West out to her tropical East. After a short breakfast on the outskirts of Guatemala City, we continue heading northeast through the morning, traversing a wide range of diverse climates, terrain and topography. We’ll enter the Río Dulce as we cross over Central America’s longest bridge, and continue the last 20 miles of our ride to arrive (~12:00 hrs) at Finca Paraiso on the shores of Lago Izabal, Guatemala’s largest freshwater lake. Finca Paraiso is both idyllic and unique – a tropical stream inlet of the lake where thermally heated waterfalls cascade into a cool and deep natural swimming pool. Lunch is prepared for the group here, and afterward, our group will follow the river upstream for ~20 minutes until we arrive to the mouth of a submerged cave. Group members will explore this local oddity by swimming (with headlamps of course!) as far inside as they wish. Afterward, water-logged and tired, we head back towards the mouth of the Río Dulce and check-in at our waterfront cabanas at the old tropical plantation Hacienda Tijax. We’ll enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at our hotel and sleep peacefully our first night on the river. (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 02:

Breakfast and coffee are served at 08:00hrs at our hotel, and after a 45-minute boat ride downstream through the beautiful Golfete, we will leave our luggage with our boat driver and get settled into our kayaks for the day. The lagoons and creeks throughout the Biotopo Chocon Machacas Manatee Reserve are full of lagoons, creeks, local birds and wildlife. We’ll spend all morning in this playground for paddlers, and arrive (with appetites) around mid-day at a tasty local river restaurant renowned for the region’s famous tapado - fresh seafood soup. After lunch, our group continues further downriver, stopping off at natural hot springs and caves for a swim and rejuvenating mineral soak. Further downstream we will follow a small tributary (Rio Tatin) up to the riverside dock of our hotel, and spend the evening enjoying the symphony of jungle sounds that fill the air after nightfall. (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 03:

Paddlers up before sunrise will have a chance to spot some of the many beautiful birds that commune at our hotel’s riverside dock, and breakfast for our group is served at 08:00 hrs. After preparing our kayaks and packs for the day – our first stop is just upstream at the local indigenous association Ak’ Tenamit – where artisans from Río Dulce communities employ sustainable natural resources (i.e. banana leaves and coconuts) to fashion the unique handicrafts available for sale. We continue paddling downstream for the morning through the steep limestone canyons of the lower Río Dulce, finally arriving to the river’s mouth at the coastal town of Livington (~13:00hrs) after a long morning on the water. We’ll pick up some great Caribbean seafood in a favorite local restaurant, and have the rest of the afternoon to walk around this relaxed and funky beach community – the only town in Guatemala which hosts Caribbean Garifuna culture. We’ll be sure to search out a delicious restaurant for dinner – one that satisfies the hunger we earned today on the river and provides us cool drinks to beat the coastal heat. Our waterfront hotel in Livingston is just a short walk from town center. (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 04:

After breakfast, our group will embark at 09:00 hrs for our ~1½ hour boat ride back upriver to our transport. We’ll load up the van, wave goodbye to the coconut trees and river otters, and head back westward towards the Guatemalan highlands. We break up today’s drive with a visit to the Mayan ruins of Quiriguá – home to the largest and best-preserved centuries-old carved stelae (rock monuments) in all of Central America. We’ll enjoy lunch on the road, and arrive back to Antigua late in the afternoon/evening depending on road conditions. (Meals: B, L)