The beautiful tropical area along the lush banks of the Lago de Izabal has plenty to keep you occupied for a few days and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere. A road around the northern shore of the lake provides a route up to the Verapaces, passing the idyllic hot spring waterfall close to the Finca El Paraíso and the towering Boquerón canyon. On the western side of the lake, the small town of El Estor is a good alternative base to explore these sights and the biodiverse wetlands of the Reserva Bocas del Polochic.
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Beyond the castillo, the broad sweep of Lago de Izabal opens before you, with great views of the fertile highlands beyond the distant shores. Some 25km from Río Dulce, on land owned by Finca el Paraíso, a hot spring waterfall 300m north of the road is one of Guatemala’s most remarkable natural phenomena.
Bathtub-temperature spring water cascades into pools cooled by a separate chilly flow of fresh river water, creating a sublime, steamy, spa-like environment where it is easy to soak away an afternoon. On 9-day Guatemala trips, this makes Río Dulce worth more than a transit stop, especially if you want to balance lake scenery and relaxed natural sites with the longer journey towards Flores or the Caribbean coast.
Above the waterfall is a series of caves whose interiors are crowded with bats and extraordinary shapes and colours, made even more memorable by the fact that you have to swim by torchlight to see them, so bring your own flashlight.
Rough Guides combines destination expertise with tailor-made travel planned by vetted Guatemala local experts. You can use our city and regional guides as a starting point, then receive up to 3 personalized trip plans created from scratch around your preferred pace, experiences, and route through the country. The final itinerary is refined directly with the local travel agent instead of being selected from a fixed package.
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Rough Guides Editors
