Guatemala - Semuc Champey and Río Dulce

Lanquin - Semuc Champey

Continuing towards Belize, we now head to the center of Guatemala. The service is once again first class - transport from door to door. It starts at 8 a.m. and I will be on the road all day - even though the distances in Guatemala are not that large. This is mainly due to the last two hours, which lead from Cobán to Lanquin on a gravel road. But there are beautiful landscapes to see again. And the tiny Lanquin is also equipped with the best backpacker infrastructure. Numerous hostels are located right on the river, so you can go directly from a refreshing swim in the water to the bar. You can also relax and float down the river on a large rubber tube and arrive directly at the hostel. I had planned to stay here for only 3 days, but many travelers had already been hanging out here for a week.

But the main attractions are the crystal clear natural pools of Semuc Champey. They are only 10km away, but on the loading area of a pickup truck, this pleasure takes about an hour. The trip is worth it. There is a great view from above of the tiered pools. It is incredibly beautiful and the water is much warmer than the river in Lanquin. For me, there is not much else to do but inquire about the further travel route. There is a way to Rio Dulce. And so I take a detour towards the Caribbean coast.

Río Dulce - Livingston

The journey from Lanquin to Rio Dulce is bumpy and very leisurely. Five hours along winding dirt roads, occasionally interrupted by short paved sections. And then suddenly we see the endless green Caribbean lowland in front of us. We go down there now. It gets warmer with every minute, hotter to be precise. Finally, we arrive at the tropical hot Rio Dulce along the huge Lake Izabal. This place is located at the end of the lake, where the river starts towards Livingston and the sea. Rio Dulce itself is not worth a visit, but there are many hotels and hostels scattered around the lake, which can only be reached by boat. And it's incredibly beautiful and quiet at the lake. You can explore the lake with the hotel's own kayaks or simply go to the floating platform. Hammock and cocktail at the hotel are the alternatives. However, the special feature of the lake is that many wealthy hobby sailors, yacht owners, and other leisure sailors bring their babies here to protect them from the storms of the Caribbean. And since the hurricane season is just beginning, there are quite a few of these boats to see. Most of them even have their own huge garage. The sailor bars on the shore were accordingly exquisite.

The other highlight is the boat trip along the Rio Dulce - this time really the river - to Livingston right on the Caribbean coast. The landscapes along the tour are really beautiful, but overall it was just a bumpy long boat ride. Livingston is not a Caribbean gem, there are not even beautiful beaches, and overall the place does not make a nice impression. After lunch, we quickly head back. I relax for one more evening with my Swiss host and analyze the Wimbledon final with him. The next morning, I say goodbye and head towards Flores.