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Laguna Lachuá
(Alta Verapaz) |
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Lake Lachuá is like a little Caribbean sea set down in the tropical rainforest of Alta Verapaz. The lake is surrounded by lush vegetation including mahogany and cedar trees, and fauna such as jaguars (whose footprints can often be seen around the lake).
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Time and Money needed:
1 day and
US$ |
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Candelaria Caves
(Alta Verapaz) |
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The Candelaria Caverns are sacred to the Q´eqchi Mayans. The Candelaria River passes through a egg carton landscape via a subterranean network of grottoes. The principle gallery is monumental, with a width of 20 to 30 meters and a height of up to 60 meters. You can explore the caves at several points hiking or tubing.
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Time and Money needed:
4 hours and
US$ 25 |
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Selempim
(Izabál) |
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On Lake Izabál across from El Estór, Defensores de la Naturaleza have established an aquatic wildlife refuge and built a beautiful Biological Station, which has been withheld from decaying almost successfully. It has since been left in oblivion, and this makes it a most charming place to visit. Spend a lazy day drifting through the numerous water arms of the Polochíc mouth, looking for howler monkeys in the trees and for the Manatee in the water.
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Time and Money needed:
2 days and
US$ |
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Chelemhá
(Alta Verapaz) |
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On fine days, you can enjoy views to the Sierra de las Minas and to Lake Izabal, on wet days you step into one of the most beautiful tropical forests and photograph bright bromeliads and dripping mosses. This is the ideal area to watch Quetzal birds. Three Swiss bought this remote cloud forest in order to protect it. They built a lodge where you can enjoy home made bread and jams.
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Time and Money needed:
2 days and
US$ 100 |
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Yaxha
(Petén) |
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Yaxha is a huge Mayan fortress over viewing beautiful Lake Yaxha (yax=green, ha=water).The city is as impressive as Tikal, but is still largely unearthed. You will be all but alone watching sunset and the lake from temple 216, since there are more wardens than tourists: you need a private car to get there. Pass a whole day without hearing a motor, add a boat trip to postclassic Topoxté ruins and stay at the El Sombrero Ecolodge.
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Time and Money needed:
5 hours and
US$ 30 |
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Monterrico
(Costa Sur) |
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This fisher′s village on Guatemala´s straight south coast suffers violent surf. The treat: being shaken up by the surf, burnt by the sun, dozing with a sun downer, tropical dances at night and mosquitoes to spoil paradise. Birdwatchers or shrimp fishers go canoeing into the mangrove hinterland. At night everybody looks for egg laying turtles in order to snatch the eggs and hand them over to conservationists or dealers.
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Time and Money needed:
2 days and
US$ 70 |
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Cancuén
(Petén) |
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Cancuén was excavated by Arthur Demarest and prepared for tourism in a Herculean task. The former Mayan city on the Rio de la Pasión probably lived from customs. A priceless 600 pound sacrificial altar in the form of a wheel was discovered by rain and stolen by looters. Eventually it was reclaimed by Arthur with the help of the Guatemalan police.
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Time and Money needed:
1 day and
US$ 30 |
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Water Volcanoes
(Alta Verapaz) |
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The deep blue river Ikbolay winds its way through the jungle. It disappears behind a mountain barrier, continuing its way below the surface in caves. The water reemerges in natural spring geysers and is so saturated with calcium that it cements its own path through the tropical forest. Maybe the place with most bird species in Guatemala.
The local community built thatched huts next to trained host families where you can stay. Trained guides take you to the rain forest and the Water Volcanoes.
Next day at 6:00 take a microbus to Lachuá.
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Time and Money needed:
1 day and
US$ 60 |
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Biotopo del Quetzal
(Baja Verapaz) |
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Right on the Guatemala-Cobán highway at km 160 there is a remnant of the formerly huge cloud forests of Guatemala, the Biotopo del Quetzal. The University of San Carlos protects this 11 km² area, a small part of which is open to the public. Cloud forests are the most beautiful of tropical forests. Every tree seems to be the work of art of a Japanese florist, being covered with mosses, red flowering bromeliads and carpets of orchids.
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Time and Money needed:
3 hours and
US$ |
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El Boquerón
(Izabál) |
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A narrow gorge of Río Sauce with up to 200 m high walls partly covered with bromeliads and tropical mosses. Explore it swimming or in a boat (Q10). An adventurous trail climbs the left of the Boquerón between Copalpom trees (Maya incense) to the canyon rim. Enchanting!
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Time and Money needed:
3 hours and
US$ |
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