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Caribbean Coast
Caribbean Guatemala is less developed than some other parts of the country in terms of tourism infrastructure. As a result, the villages along the coast, inland and around Lake Izabal, Guatemala’s largest, remain unspoiled. The coast has strong Afro-Caribbean influences as black Afro-Guatemalans known as Garífunas, the descendants of former African slaves who intermarried with the indigenous Maya, settled here. Caribbean traditions remain evident in the area’s music, festivals and cooking (in dishes such as tapado – made with fresh fish, coconut milk and green bananas). Sailing, fishing, swimming and scuba diving are all popular activities and trips to the Belize Keys (such as the Cayos Sapodillas) are possible.
PUERTO BARRIOS: The main port, Puerto Barrios is the capital of the Izabal department. It is a safe harbour for yachts and the starting point for trips up the inland waterways and rivers that crisscross the region. Southeast of Puerto Barrios is the remarkable UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site of Quiriguá. The Maya carved stelae and altars with intricate details that reveal much of their beliefs, animal deities, battles, the feats of their kings and cosmology. Stela E, at 11m high (36ft), is one of the tallest that has been recovered across the former Mayan Empire.
LIVINGSTON: Accessible from Puerto Barrios, this small town of brightly painted wooden houses and balconies is located in the jungle among coconut groves. Formerly the departure point for coffee farmed in the plantations of the Verapaz region, it still has a small fishing economy. Celebrations during Easter Week and on 12 December (the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) are particularly colourful.
From Livingston, boat trips can be taken along the Río Dulce, a jungle river that has its source in Lake Izabal and winds its way between steep cliffs and dense vegetation, through the lake of El Golfete, to flow into the Amatique Bay. Along the river, near Fronteras, is the fort of San Felipe, which was constructed by the Spanish in the 17th century as a defence against pirate attacks. The waterways of the river also pass through the mangrove swamps and lagoons of the Chocón Machacas Biosphere. This is a habitat for the endangered manatee (sea cow), which is Guatemala’s largest aquatic mammal. North of Livingston is the Siete Altares, a series of waterfalls and pools, which have been formed where the Río Dulce empties into the Caribbean.
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