CARIBBEAN

Livingston and Rio Dulce

A different Caribbean. Populated by the Garífuna people, descended from Africans intermarried with shipwrecked sailors, and with the indigenous Maya, who developed their own lively culture, quite different from the rest of Guatemala. The small town has a laissez-faire atmosphere that is quite Belizean, where reggae is more popular than marimba. Here the jungle meets the sea where the huge Lake Izabal empties though the impressive Rio Dulce Canyon National Park. It runs past Chocón Machacas Nature Reserve, which protects the river landscape, the valuable mangrove swamps and most importantly the manatees which inhabit the rivers and bays.