Puerto Barrios Guatemala

ABOVE: Map of Izabal, Guatemala: 01 Puerto Barrios, 02 livingston, 03 El Estor, 04 Moralez, 05 Los Amates.

Southern Belize, namely the Stann Creek District and the Toledo District, are little-known jumping off points for adventurous travelers wishing to explore Eastern Guatemala - namely Puerto Barrios and nearby Livingston and the Rio Dulce - all which fall in the Department of Izabal.

The Department of Izabal, Guatemala is located in region III or Northeastern region. Its departmental capital is Puerto Barrios. It is bordered on the north by the department of Petén, the country of Belize and the Caribbean Sea; to the South with the departments of Zacapa; to the East with the Republic of Honduras; and to the West with the department of Verapáz.. Izabal is located at latitude 15° 44' 06"
and longitude 88° 36' 17"

Izabal has a land area of 9,038 square kilometers. It’s topography is varied ranging 0.67 metres above sea level at Puerto Barrios, 1.65 metres in El Estor, 4.0 metres in Moralez, and 77 metres at Los Amates. The climate is generally warm, with heavy rains during the rainy season.

The capital of Izabal, Puerto Barrios, is 308 kilometers from the capital Guatemala City - about a five hour bus ride.

The territory of Izabal is divided into 5 municipalities:

1. Puerto Barrios (departmental capital)
2. Livingston
3. Estor
4. Moralez
5. Amates.

The official spoken language is Spanish, but since 1800 the Garifuna language is widely spoken. The Garifunas are the result of inter-marriage among three ethnic groups: the indigenous Indians of the area, the Arawak people from South America, and Africans.

Quiche is widely spoken in Estor and parts of Livingston since the Quiche Indians inhabit the western part of Izabal.

Belize-based Speedboat ferries depart from Independence, Stann Creek District, and from Punta Gorda, Toledo District, every day for Puerto Barrios. From Punta Gorda it is a 30 minute boat ride.

Puerto Barrios was founded in the 1880s by President Rufino Barrios. The port soon fell under the control of the United Fruit Company who used their monopoly control of the railroads to ensure that most Guatemalan trade passed this way. The boom days of the past are over, as much trade is now shared with the nearby port of Santo Tomas de Castilla. Puerto Barrios is now a seedy port town of about 50 thousand inhabitants and with not much for the average tourist to see. Savvy travelers however will appreciate the Caribbean atmosphere of the town with its retro semi-colonial architecture of wooden and cinder block buildings, delightful Indian, Guatemalan and Caribbean cuisine, and port town revelry.

ABOVE: Overlooking the Bahia de Amatique in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Photo by Roxana Hernandez.

The main market built around abandoned railway lines at the corner of 9 Calle and 6 Avenida is the center of town and the best place for visitors to get a handle on Barrios’ modern identity. Fruit licuado stands and comedores line the market and compete with vegetable and fruit vendors tended by Garifuna ladies.

The streets of Puerto Barrios are wide but poorly maintained. There a few crumbling wooden relics of the town’s once glorious colonial past, such as the Hotel Del Norte. Nearby is a small park and pier where one can look over the deep blue waters of the Bahia de Amatique.

ABOVE: Downtown Santo Tomas de Castilla. Photo by Roxana Hernandez.

For the hedonistic traveler, Puerto Barrios offers a plethora of attractions for those seeking late-night sleaze and thrills. Strip joints, pool halls, bars and nightclubs abound mainly around 6 and 7 Avenidas, and 6 and 7 Calles. Many of these establishments operate all day and up to 5 in the morning. The musical taste of Barrios is definitely Caribbean and the rhythms of Belizean Punta Rock, Caribbean soca and the ever-present merengue and cumbia blare from the radio stations and local discos. Hot and sultry applies both to Barrios’ climate and soul. The inhabitants are a eclectic mix of latino, garifuna and indigenous Indian with many immigrants from neighboring Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

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