GUATEMALA: NATIONAL PARKS

National parks and recreational areas have been established throughout Guatemala to preserve the flora and fauna. One of these areas is the "Mario Dary Rivera", located in the Sierra de Chuacus in Baja Verapaz, and devoted to the preservation of the quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird. The "Chocon Machacas" located in Livingston, Izabal, on the Caribbean coast, has been designated for the preservation of the manatee and the mangroves. This tropical jungle area forms part of Lake Izabal, the Rio Dulce and the Bay of Amatique. The "Cerro Cahui", located on the banks of the Lake Peten, Itza, is dedicated to preserving the wild Peten turkey, a species on the verge of extinction. Guatemala is split, almost down the middle, by a mountain range which forms two mountain systems: the Sierra Madre, which is parallel to the Pacific Ocean, and the Cuchumatanes Range, in Huehuetenango. Other mountain systems in Guatemala are the Sierra de las Minas, Sierra de Chama, Sierra de Chuacus and the Merendon Mountains. 

Nature Areas

LAKE ATITLAN - Lake Atitlan, which is volcanic in origin, is the main tourist attraction in the Department of Solola. The lake is 90 miles from Guatemala City, and has been described by experts as the most beautiful lake in the world. It is located 5,125 feet above sea level, covers an area of 50 square miles and has a depth of 1,600 feet. Its clear waters are home to several species of fish including the very edible black bass. Three spectacular volcanoes Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro form a natural backdrop for the lake waters which change colors with the varying light. Lake Atitlan is a mecca for water sports: fishing, swimming, diving, water skiing and boating. The surrounding mountains are a natural springboard for hang gliding and competitions are often held there. A visit will bring you to the "poc", another nearly extinct bird that spends its entire lifespan on the water. Efforts are also being made here to ensure the survival of this rare bird. The Monterrico Reserve is located in Santa Rosa, on the Pacific coast. Here, among the rich jungle vegetation, mangroves and beaches, there exist fruit trees and an amazing variety of marine life, including marine turtles.

AMATIQUE BAY - This scenic Caribbean coast area still not fully developed for tourism has sand beaches interspersed with patches of forest. Places to visit include Punta Cocoli, Punta de Manabique and Bahia Santo Tomas. Boats can be hired in Puerto Barrios, capital of the Department, to visit other fascinating towns. One such is Livingston, an Afro Caribbean town inhabited by the Garifuna people. The Rio Dulce, approximately 19 miles long, is Lake Izabal’s outlet to the Caribbean. At its widest point, the river has a "lake like" stretch known as El Golfete. This scenic river is lined with dense tropical vegetation inhabited by both tropical and sea birds.

PACIFIC COAST - Guatemala’s Pacific Coast is characterized by the volcanic black sand beaches found there. These are much like the beaches found on many South Pacific atolls. The best known of these beaches are found in the departments of Retalhuleu, Suchitepequez, Escuintla and Santa Rosa. Among these beaches are La Empalizada, El Semillero, Zipacate and Hawai. In the Department of Escuintla, beautiful waterfalls add to the natural beauty of the caves at San Pedro Martir.

EL PETEN - The humid soil of this department is due to the rain and the lakes which are prevalent here. The long and slow running rivers include the San Pedro, Usumacinta, La Pasion, Santa Isabel, Machaquile, San Juan, Azul and El Subin. Most of these rivers are navigable. The many lakes in El Peten are small in size. Some are aligned to the geological pleats of the Arco de la Libertad. The same is true of the lakes of Mendoza. San Diego, La Gloria, Larga, Sacpuy, PetenItza, Yaxha and Sachab. Other lakes such Petexbatun and Del Tigre are not in the Arco, but form part of the El Peten’s marshy environment and biological wealth

ALTA VERAPAZ - Some of the rivers in this department are navigable. Most have spectacular waterfalls. Among them are the Cahabon, which is great for white water rafting, Polochic, Sebol and Chajmaic. The most accessible waterfalls are Sepemech, near the town of Cahabon, La Prensa, in San Juan Chamelco, Patal, in Tactic, Pelizimpec, in Cahabon, and Seamay, in Senahu. Lake Lachua is near the Chixoy Valley in Coban and sits amidst some wonderful scenery. Semuc Champey is considered to be the most beautiful place in Alta Verapaz. The area consists of a series of naturally terraced pools in limestone terrain branching off the Cahabon River. Nearby there is a cave through which the river runs.

BAJA VERAPAZ - Chorros, the bathing resort, is located in Rabinal as are two valleys with particularly impressive beauty. One, San Jeronimo, is watered by several rivers and dotted with historical sites. Urram, the other, can be best appreciated from the hill where the Cahyup archaeological site is located.

Natural Reserves

Cerro Cahui: It is located in the northeastern region of Lake PetenItza. Its dense jungle preserves the hydrological resources of the zone. This 1.608 acre area is the habitat of the ocellated turkey, a large bird with bright blueturquoise feathers. The geologic formation of the soil is limestone and is characterized by limestone hills. There are more than 60 species of trees, approximately 28 species of mammals and over 300 species of birds. Its principal rivers are the lxpot and Ixlu. There are also intermittent streams such as El Tigre and El Pollo. 

Chocon Machacas: Located in the north central part of Rio Dulce’s El Golfete in Izabal. A 17.791 acre protected area created to preserve the manatee (sea cow) the largest mammal in Guatemala. Its habitat is within the connecting lakes of the reserve and the Rio Dulce, and between the Rio Dulce and the Caribbean Sea. Most of the protected area is broken and rugged terrain crossed by the Chocon Machacas and Cienaga rivers. There are also six beautiful lakes and five streams in the reserve. The area has at least 60 species of trees, approximately 180 migrating bird species, of the existing 300, and a large variety of mammals, fish, turtles, toads, frogs and iguanas. 

"Mario Dary Rivera" Quetzal Reserve: Located in Purulha, Baja Verapaz, the 2,849 acres of this protected area includes part of Sierra de las Minas, the top of Carpintero Hill and the Quisis Mountain. It was created to protect and preserve the quetzal (Pharomachrus Mocinno). the national bird of Guatemala. The principal asset of this reserve is its crystal clear water. Its dense foliage protects the Polochic River’s high basin from erosion and favors an almost continuous presence of very humid mist. The terrain of this reserve is broken and rugged, formed mostly by mountain ranges. There are many small. superficial and intermittent watersheds and four subwatersheds which originate in the Cafetal and Colorado rivers. Its jungle is stratified and contains many species of grass, bushes, ferns, moss, bromeliads and orchids as well as over 50 species of trees. Mammals are few, only about 25 species. 

Monterrico: A nature reserve with multiple objectives located in Monterrico, Taxisco, in the Department of Santa Rosa. Its primary purpose is the protection of mangrove forests and sea turtles. This reserve is an interaction of subtropical ecosystems, estuaries of saline water and the seasonably flooded sea coast. Covering 6,918 acres, of which 657 are under water, it is habitat to a great variety of fish and crustaceans and a sanctuary for migrating birds. Its principal river system became the Chiquimulilla Canal when it was created in 1895 in order to navigate 785 miles of marshland, lakes and pools parallel to the south coast. Flora includes mangroves, bulrushes, white water lilies and bromeliads. On the coastal sand banks there are fruit, medicinal and timber trees. 

Guatemala is also a land of fire. This is a list of the VOLCANOES 

Pacaya (8,373 feet): Located south of Lake Amatitlan, To climb to the top, it takes four hours from Santa Elena Barillas, but only an hour and a half from San Francisco de Sales. The small McKenny crater, with its boiling lava, has been active since it formed in 1975. It takes approximately a half hour to climb and is an excellent spot from which to take photos. 

Agua (12,325 feet): The peak of this volcano can be reached in five hours starting from Santa Maria de Jesus, ten miles from La Antigua Guatemala. The view from the top is magnificent! You can see almost all of the southern part of Guatemala including the western mountain ranges. 

Acatenango (13,041 feet) and Fuego (12,346 feet): Both are located to the west of La Antigua Guatemala. Acatenango has two cones: the largest of the two is Acatenango, the other is Yepocapa. Fuego’s cone was destroyed during the 1962 eruption, but it is still active and spews ash and sand clouds frequently. Starting at Acatenango, both volcanoes may be climbed during the same trip. 

Atitlan (11,600 feet), Toliman (10,282 feet) and San Pedro (9,908 feet): These are the three majestic volcanoes which surround Lake Atitlan. Climbing Atitlan usually takes eight hours, Toliman about six hours, and San Pedro about five. The climb is well worth the effort as the view of the lake, from any of their tops, is breathtaking.