Tour books like Lonely Planet provide you a small amount of information of some incredible places in this area. Unfortunately, many people are rushed out of town by picadors looking for commissions from distant hotels in remote places when you get off the bus or you may plan your schedules and budgets accordingly and miss out on gems of the area that are beyond belief.

It is no secret that you may be able to travel to some of these places by chicken busses which may or may not get you there safely and on time. But I can offer you a service here that surpasses those options and offer many other places of wonder and beauty by simply taking care of the details. I have done extensive studying into the Mayan history, the local medicinal plants, first aid, animals and insects that add a whole new dimension to your normal travels. I can also arrange or provide transportation with AC that, (when enough people sign up for a tour) can be cheaper than the local chicken busses, options for food, pay for entry fees to private properties and guide services, it is a little more costly, but nobody else is doing many of these tours yet and by living down here my overhead is minimal.

My goal is to give you an authentic experience in Guatemala. These are personal tours that go at your pace and are tailored to your interests. My hosts, from America and Guatemala, now live in Guatemala and know the area well. We will be pleased to share our knowledge and love of Guatemala with you. We also use local guides at the sites to give you the best of both worlds. My mission is to provide you with opportunities of options in transportation, a guide, meals to show you places you could have otherwise missed.

We will cater your tour to your specific needs as best as possible i.e. options of accommodations, special diets, group rates etc. Your guide has had emergency medical training and is certified but please inform him of any special conditions or limitations that you may have. BUT, my passion is to share with you the natural wonders that still exist here, now and while they last. I ask only that you respect these places and leave them as you find them, then if you wish, pass the word around to the selective few that you feel will do the same.

Prices vary according to your budgets, the tour you desire whether your your interest is in natural or cultural history, how many people are with you, the lifestyle you would like to accommodate and how much time you want to spend here. If you are interested in getting involved with charities or in supporting organizations that are doing projects down here, I am more than happy in connecting you with the various people down here that are doing different things. There is a short list on the things you can do to help page.

If you are a guide that is headed for this area, show this website to your clients! Then see what they may be most interested in and contact me and I will make ALL of the arrangements for you. That way, when you get to Rio Dulce you can chill out and catch up on your paperwork or go along if you would like or go along on the trip you want to see. By the time you reach here, you will know your clients better and I can provide a more refined tour to cater to those people for you.

There are other tours and things do available that are not yet listed here because I am still collecting pictures and information to better describe them such as El Ciricote Botanical gardens (a day trip), Ak Tenamet ( On the way to Livingston where you can spend the night), an amazing local fish and shrimp farm, inner-tube trips, bird watching tours by a local specialist, you can go horseback riding, sailing, and many others!

Day and half-Day Trips

El Ciricote Botanical Garden For the plant or rainforest lover, just outside of Fronteras is one mans dream come true. Through many years of hard labor he has reforested one section of clear cut forest to its natural state. Proving to others that reforestation is possible in a relatively short period. He has also created a seed bank of endangered Guatemalan fauna to help save the rainforest. Now this garden is a training ground for other concerned people to learn from his efforts and try to duplicate this worldwide. You have a chance here to visit the garden and perhaps even adopt a tree and get a plaque and certificate of that tree to support this effort.

Castillo San Felipe If you arrive in town mid-day and still have some energy after a long bus trip. Castillo San Felipe is a quick trip well worth seeing. Built by the Spaniards in the 1600's, this castle was used primarily to capture pirate ships entering Lago Izabal. There is a swimming pool to relax in after you explore the castle which is in a beautiful park. Or there is also a swimming area delegated at the mouth of Lago Izabal if you want to just get a taste of the clean natural water in the area.

Horse Back Riding If you don't feel real ambitious but would like to see some amazing views of Rio Dulce and the rainforest, I suggest choosing from two tours avalaible locally. The first tour is about two and a half hours up through a ranch to a canopy suspension bridge 60 meters up in a jungle canopy followed by a trip to a tower with a view that covers from Belize to Honduras and viewing approximately ten miles of Lago Izabal. From there you will see the operation of a running rubber plantation. To complete this trip you will stop to swim in a private spring fed pond to cool off and relax before your return.

Boqueron Canyon and Finca Paraiso is a tour we offer and both places are listed in Lonely Planet and other brochures. If you have time and a lot of patience, you can do both of these tours on your own. Separately on your own they are individual day trips or with us you can do both without any worries. Click on the image to the left for more pictures and information. Once again prices will vary according to what you want and how you want to get there.

Finca Pariaso and San Antonio Cavern Spend the day at Finca Paraiso then, hike to a living cavern that you enter into the first chamber. It is protected and costs extra to enter this land so we need permission. You swim into the first chamber which has underground waterfalls and, to say the least IS incredible, if you can swim, you can all go here. If you have phobias of darkness, claustrophobia or fear of darkness, this is NOT a tour for you! There are two different tours available for this cavern. Click on the image for more information.

San Antonio Caverns Continuing on above the Ceremonial cave is a living cavern that you can spend an entire day in exploring. Pass through the first ceremonial chamber and on into the mountain. There is some swimming, some climbing, and a ton of amazement. Limited waterproof bags are provided as well as the lead flashlight. If you have our own equipment, that is a wonderful thing. If not, don't worry! Click on the image for more information.

Livingston You also have options on this tour. You can ride to Livingston with the Collectivo and they will provide you a quick tour of the canyon on the way to Livingston but you will miss several other amazing options. There are existing projects not included in the Collectivo's trip and private homes that you can visit along the way that are in no books but well worth the time and effort to see. There are no pictures that do this trip justice.

Ak' Tenamet Owned by Mayans for Mayans. Bringing back the heritage, basic education as well as developing sustainable/ eco-friendly projects to 40 surrounding villages! Ak' Tenamet has a beautiful botanical garden with a swimming hole at the falls, a craft shop selling wares from the local inhabitants there, jungle walk, clinic, hotel facilities and much more. This is an enormous place with more things going on than I can list right here. This it is one of my favorite projects in the area.

Las Conchas Falls North of Rio Dulce there is a series of beautiful waterfalls called Las Conchas. We can get you up there where you can spend the day, have lunch, and return. If you would like to make a day trip that you will remember a lifetime, to swim and jump off of the falls until lunch and then venture up the entrance of the caves before returning the Rio Dulce that day, I am your man!

Setzol Caves This is one of the many sacred places of the Mayan. Enter the womb of Mother Earth to the Underworld for this extraordinary trip. If you are in a hurry and need to return to Rio Dulce, this trip can be done with lunch included and your own personal guide. It is approximately one hour and forty five minutes from Rio Dulce. The forty five minutes is dirt road so be prepared for some bouncing!

Quirigua stelae Monoliths These huge stone monolithic sculptures, weighing up to 65 tons, were artfully carved without the benefit of metal tools. Stone chisels, driven by other stones or wooden mallets, were the only tools available; and yet the Mayan sculptors achieved not only a high level of artistry, but also a remarkable degree of naturalism and refined detail. Most of the monuments face north, allowing the early morning sun to highlight the relief of the carvings. Our price for this tour includes your entry fee to the park, guide, transportation, lunch and return to Rio Dulce. Quirigua is about a 45 minute drive from Rio Dulce in private transportation.

THEME TOURS and MULTIPLE DAY TOURS

El Refugio Bocas del Polochic Do you want to see animals? Experience Guatemala's natural history before the nickel mine reopens! Polochic is the remaining home for many endangered species like manatees, toucan, Central American river otter and American Crocodile. Your best chance of seeing many animals in their natural habitat.

Spend the night in El Estor because we leave EARLY to get the best view of many of these animals. There area few options of hotels there that we can show you and can cater to your budget, but lodging and dinner is not included in our price. Click on the Manatees for more information.

Passport tours! In Rio Dulce alone there is a large population of foreign visitors who, every 90 days need to get their passports stamped out and back in the country. For this reason we decided to try and make the inconvenience a little more enjoyable by taking care of the details and making it fun. We will provide these tours twice a month and plan different trips so it doesn't get boring. If you have suggestions of places you would like to go, or where you would like to get your passport stamped, let us know in advance and we will try to accommodate for that group.

Antigua Spanish Colonial architecture at its finest. Antigua was once capital to Guatemala and contains much history as well as artisans and traditional Guatemalan cultural heritage. Hosting many amazing restaurants, museums and galleries, you will no doubt enjoy this visit!

Lake Attitlan Lake Atitlan is in the highlands of Guatemala and surrounded by volcanos and small villages of many fine artisans. A must see to find out why many foreigners have decided to stay in this area as well.

Prospecting tours In and around Guatemala are various deposits of semi-precious stones like jade, amethyst, opal, amber, onyx, calcedony, many colored agates, obsidian called tijax in Mayan, and several places to find gold and fossils too. If you are a rock hound like I am, this is another bonus of things to do while you are here. For collectors, these are great tours! Many places are on private land so you need to have permission first so these tours need to be planned in advance.

Tikal The Mother of Mayan metropolis', Tikal is the largest of all found Mayan ruins and home to many endangered species of animals. So large that it is difficult to see in one day so plan on spending some time to REALLY grasp the entirety of this relic.

Bird watching tours There are several places around Rio Dulce that are off the main travel ways where the birds are abundant. I have a friend who is one of Guatemals's foremost authorities on local birds and their habitat. He even lives in a preserve a short distance from the rio where we can stay to get that early bird catching its morning meal. This tour also takes advance notice so we can schedule availability.

Photography tours There is not much around here that is not photogenic, but there are spots that stand out above the rest. These tours will take you to those selected spots or you can choose the specific places where you can get your individual interests photographed in depth. You can opt for culture, animals, volcanoes, jungle, Caribbean beauty, the sky is the limit!

Semuc Champey tours Emerald, turquoise, jade, these are words that refer to gems as well as the beautiful colors of this Guatemalan jewel. Cascading falls flowing down a tropically carpeted canyon of lush foliage. A "must see" of the rich Guatemalan sights!