Tropical Rio Dulce is an underrated destination in Guatemala. The beautiful, lazy river rambles through sumptuous jungle hillsides crammed with tropical birds and insects. It’s also the gateway to Guatemala’s Caribbean coast.
There are hidden jungle canyons, natural hot spring waterfalls and plenty of friendly locals. Rio Dulce is also the kind of place where you can find an empty hammock and let the sounds of the river wash your troubles away.
The natural beauty and easy pace of life in Rio Dulce has attracted the attention of international yachters in recent years. Nearby Lago Izabal is also a playground for Guatemala’s rich and obnoxious. You can avoid them by staying in one of the many jungle lodges hiding in amid the lush vegetation along the riverside.
Things to Know About Rio Dulce
The Rio Dulce, or “sweet river”, is a Guatemalan river that flows from luxurious Lake Izabal past the town of Livingston into the Caribbean Sea. Pirates have long plagued the region, ranging from 18th century buccaneers to United Fruit Company banana thugs to the modern-day yacht crowd. It’s still a gorgeous place despite the years of robbery and exploitation.
Rio Dulce is the name of the river, it’s also the name of a town that spans the river as it flows out from the lake. The town is sometimes known as “Fronteras” in case you wanted to be more confused. Rest assured, if you say you’re going to Rio Dulce, the bus driver will drop you off at the station in town and not throw you off the bridge into the river.
Rio Dulce town is about four to six hours from Antigua, seven hours from Lanquín and another four hours from Flores, as the shuttle bus flies. It’s about two hours by boat to Livingston. That is to say, Rio Dulce isn’t really close to anywhere. Most travelers use it as a convenient stopping point between Antigua and Flores or Livingston.
Finally, before you go to Rio Dulce you should at least know how to pronounce it. The word “dulce” in Spanish has nothing to do with overpriced handbag hawker Dolce and Gabbana. There’s no “ch” sound. You’d be surprised how many times we heard people talking about going to “ree-oh doll-chay”.
Where to Stay in Rio Dulce
No matter how you say it, when you travel to Rio Dulce you have to make an important decision. Do you want to stay in Rio Dulce Town or one of the jungle lodges?
There’s definitely nothing wrong with staying in town. The town is fine, though it does have a bit of a crossroads trucker vibe. It’s hot and dusty and smells a bit like diesel fumes. But there are restaurants and easier access to onward transportation.
However, I think it’s worth it to take a short boat ride to one of the numerous jungle lodges lining the muddy banks of the river. The quality ranges from basic backpacker hostels to luxurious private bungalows. Prices are generally pretty reasonable and can make for a fantastic little nature getaway. You can fall asleep to the sounds of insects chirping and awake in the morning to the calls of jungle birds. Staying out in the rainforest is one of the highlights of a trip to Rio Dulce.
Just take into account that you’ll likely be having all your meals at the lodge’s onsite restaurant, which ups the cost a little bit. I still think it’s worth it. Be sure to check the reviews to see what others have to say about the food. We stayed at Hotel Casa Perico, which had a surprisingly nice restaurant with reasonable prices.
Generally speaking, you’ll be relying on the lodge for transportation, too. The boat ride to the lodge is a mini adventure in and of itself. Everywhere should be able to help you arrange a boat from town.
What to Do in Rio Dulce
There is one absolutely essential number one can’t miss thing to do in Rio Dulce: lounge in a hammock with a bottle of beer and listen to the sounds of the jungle. This is the place to slow down and let time flow past you like the meandering water of the river. Slow down and immerse yourself in that tropical river lifestyle.
And when you’re sick of all that, you can do these other things.
El Boquerón
El Boquerón is a narrow jungle canyon, a place of steep jagged limestone walls fringed by lush green plants. It’s both primevally gorgeous and thrillingly tranquil. It might be one of my favorite things I did in all of Guatemala.
El Boquerón is also, surprisingly empty. We had the entire canyon almost to ourselves, with nothing but the twittering birds and the echoes of our voices to accompany us. Eventually, a group of local guys came down the river, hauling lumber from upstream. There were zero other tourists.
To get to El Boquerón, you can catch any bus going to El Estor from Rio Dulce Town. Ask to be let off at “El Boquerón” and the driver will know where to go. There’s a small picnic area where you have to pay a small entrance fee. Then, you’ll negotiate with one of the boat drivers to paddle you up into the canyon by canoe. He’ll drop you off at the swimming area and come back for you at whatever time you’ve agreed upon. Spanish helps here.
I think we stayed for about an hour or two. I could have spent all day, but we didn’t bring any food. The isolated jungle canyon doesn’t have any restaurants.
La Finca El Paraíso
Hot showers are a rarity in Guatemala. At best, your hostel might have some janky tangle of wires hooked up to an electric heater that’ll get you a trickle of lukewarm water. El Paraíso, then, is probably the best place in all of Guatemala for a nice hot shower.
You see, El Paraíso is blessed with a natural geothermically heated waterfall. Hot water, heated by volcanic energy, gushes down the side of a cliff into a surprisingly cool natural pool before flowing out into the Rio Dulce. All of this surrounded by lush green trees and creeping tangles of jungle roots. It’s a cool experience, even for those who aren’t craving a warm shower in the tropical heat.
But don’t get the idea that you can strip down and enjoy the natural shower au natural. El Paraíso is generally filled with local Guatemalans. Families from Rio Dulce Town and beyond flock here on the weekends to splash and swim in the water and picnic on the surrounding rocks.
Everybody was generally warm and welcoming to us and the whole place had a fun, festive vibe. A group of teenage boys even showed us how to swim to the secret underground cave behind the waterfall. So even though El Paraíso is busy, it isn’t built up or touristified. It’s just a cool natural area where locals like to hang out and swim.
Swimming and Kayaking on the River
Depending on where you stay, you might be able to swim or kayak or both from your hotel. Hotel Casa Perico, where we stayed, provided canoes and kayaks to their guests. The lodge was on a very muddy branch of the river, but it was pretty easy to kayak to a nearby swimming dock.
I did slip into the muck trying to get into the kayak. The river wasn’t deep, but there was at least two feet of sludge lining the riverbed. I panicked for a moment, thinking of all the leeches and jungle parasites that might be waiting for me. Luckily, I just ended up with a dirty leg and a bruised ego.
Generally speaking, though, the Rio Dulce is relatively clean and free of garbage or other obvious waste. At least outside of town. It’s great fun to explore some of the river’s branches and hidden corners kayaking among the mangroves and Jesus lizards.
El Castillo de San Felipe
El Castillo de San Felipe is a reconstructed Spanish castle located just a short bus or taxi from the center of Rio Dulce Town. The Spanish first built the castle way back in the 17th century to protect their Guatemalan settlements from pirate attacks. The building fell into ruin after Guatemala gained independence and was reconstructed as a tourist attraction in 1955.
There are other more impressive Spanish castles in Latin America. Don’t go out of your way to visit this one. However, if you find yourself in Rio Dulce with a couple of hours to kill, El Castillo de San Felipe makes for a nice afternoon. It left me feeling nostalgic for my old Lego pirate play sets.
The Boat Ride to Livingston
Livingston is a small Garifuna village on Guatemala’s Caribbean coast. It probably at least deserves its own blog post. However, I’m mentioning it here, because the boat ride between Rio Dulce and Livingston is so spectacular.
I’m not sure if it’s possible to do visit Livingston as a day trip from Rio Dulce. The boat ride is only about one and a half to two hours, but it might be tough to line up the public boat schedules. Either way, it might be one of the best boat rides in Guatemala.
The river winds through lush jungle before wedging between massive limestone cliffs covered in dense green vegetation. Bird life abounds, and if you’re lucky your boat driver will stop and point out some different species. We also got to see a manatee!
Whether you’re stopping here on the way to Livingston or Flores, or you’re looking for a tropical jungle adventure in Guatemala, Rio Dulce is definitely a place to visit. The abundant natural beauty and various jungle lodges make Rio Dulce a great location to spend a few days whiling away the hours in a hammock or exploring the jungles and mangrove swamps along the river.
