Guatemala Guide
East to the Caribbean
The main highway northeast from the capital, the Carretera al Atlántico, at first descends through a particularly arid, virtually unpopulated region before meeting up with the Río Motagua at the El Rancho junction, where the road is surrounded by desert. From here on the highway runs through the Motagua valley, a broad corridor of low-lying land that separates the Sierra del Espíritu Santo, marking the border with Honduras, from the Sierra de las Minas. This valley soon opens out into a massive flood plain with parallel ridges rising on either side. The land is fantastically fertile and lush with vegetation at all times of the year, and the air is thick with humidity.
For the traveller, the Motagua valley is the main route to and from Petén, and most people get no more than a fleeting glimpse of it through a bus window on the Carretera al Atlántico. But two fascinating Maya sites are in this area: Quiriguá, just 4km from the main road, and the great ruins of Copán, just across the border in Honduras (a side-trip of a day or two).
The region to the north of the Motagua valley is dominated by the subtropical Río Dulce and Lago de Izabal, a vast expanse of freshwater ringed by isolated villages, swamps and hot springs. From Lago de Izabal, you can sail to the Caribbean past a manatee nature-reserve and through the spectacular gorges of the Río Dulce to the coast at Lívingston, a laid-back town that's home to Guatemala's black Garífuna people. Boats connect Lívingston with the largely forgettable port of Puerto Barrios, jumping-off point for the coastal route into Honduras or boats to Belize.
The eastern highlands, a seldom-visited region east of the capital, offer few sights for the traveller. The towns are hot and dusty, but the scenery is magnificent in places, with the beautiful isolation of the Ipala volcano and its stunning crater lake a highlight. Esquipulas, home of the famous Black Christ and the scene of Central America's largest annual pilgrimage, is another curiosity.
Highlights
1 Quiriguá's carvings Miniature Maya site with colossal stelae stones and some astonishing carved altars.
2 Hotel del Norte Enjoy the faded Caribbean class of Puerto Barrios' oldest hotel.
3 Punta de Manabique A Caribbean-coast nature reserve, rich in wildlife and boasting some of Guatemala's best beaches.
4 Lívingston nightlife Party punta-style with the Garífuna in this funky Caribbean town.
5 Río Dulce The boat journey through this soaring, jungle-clad gorge is a hair-in-the-air, exhilarating trip.
6 Esquipulas A vast basilica that's home to an ancient carving of a black Christ – the focus for the largest pilgrimage in Central America.