Villa Caribe

A Bluff Above the Water in a Town Boats Reach First

Lívingston is the strangest arrival in Guatemala. No road reaches it, so every guest comes off a boat, either down the canyon from Río Dulce or across the bay from Puerto Barrios, and the town that meets them speaks Garífuna as readily as Spanish. Villa Caribe sits on the bluff just above the landing, with tropical forest on three sides and, from almost every balcony, the place where the river empties into the Caribbean. Forty five rooms spread through a two storey building and a run of bungalows in the garden, with a pool, a pier and a private beach stepped down towards the water.

Why It Works

Two things settled it. The first is that Lívingston has very little in the way of serious hotel keeping, and this house has been at it for decades as part of the country's oldest hotel group. Air conditioning, a balcony or terrace in every room, breakfast included and a kitchen that runs a deck service are not exotic requests, but on this coast they are not a given either. The second is the geometry of the site. Being on the bluff rather than the beach buys the view, the breeze and a quieter night, while the pier keeps the water two minutes away.

Why This Location

The town centre is a walk downhill, and it is worth the walk: Garífuna Livingston has its own music, its own kitchen and a rhythm that has nothing to do with the highlands. Siete Altares, the chain of limestone pools and falls along the shore, is a walk or a short boat ride north west. Playa Blanca, the protected white sand beach that most visitors come for, is roughly half an hour by boat. Upstream, the Río Dulce canyon runs back between limestone walls towards Castillo San Felipe de Lara and Lake Izabal, and Quiriguá with its carved stelae is within reach inland.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium, breakfast included

• Vibe: tropical, Caribbean, unhurried

• Rooms: forty five in total, thirty nine standard rooms and six junior suite bungalows, each with a balcony or terrace

• Best For: travellers arriving by boat down the Río Dulce, couples, anyone building a Caribbean leg into a Guatemala itinerary

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the restaurant deck at the hour the river and the sea change colour against each other

• Dining: restaurant with deck service, bar, pool bar, room service, packed lunches for boat days

• Amenities: outdoor pool, private beach, pier, heliport, tropical garden, air conditioning throughout, pets accepted

• Attractions: Garífuna Lívingston (a walk downhill), Siete Altares waterfalls, Playa Blanca (about half an hour by boat), the Río Dulce canyon, Quiriguá and Castillo San Felipe de Lara

Rooms, Bungalows and the Garden Between Them

The standard rooms take single, double or triple configurations and face either the garden or the water. The six bungalows are the ones to ask for: larger, set apart in the vegetation, with a king, a queen or two double beds and a terrace that makes the morning worth getting up for. Everything comes with air conditioning and a fan, a private bathroom, a safe and cable television, which on this coast counts as full equipment rather than the bare minimum.

Boats, Beaches and the Water Below

The pier is the hotel's working part. Boats leave from it for Playa Blanca and the Sapodilla cays, for the canyon and for Puerto Barrios, and the hotel arranges the trips rather than sending guests to negotiate on the jetty. The pool sits above the beach with a bar beside it and games for the hours when the afternoon rain comes through. Walking tours and talks on Garífuna culture are part of what the house offers, which is the right way to meet a town like this one.

What to Know Before You Book

Plan the boat, not the car: the crossing from Puerto Barrios is short and frequent, the run down from Río Dulce is longer and more beautiful, and both should be done in daylight. Check in is from mid afternoon and check out at midday. The hotel welcomes pets. It is not set up for wheelchair access, and the site steps down towards the water, so ask for a lower floor if stairs are an issue.