Guatemala /Jan 04, 2019
Castillo de San Felipe de Lara is a 17th century Spanish colonial fort, located at the head of a narrow channel where the Rio Dulce meets Laguna Izabal.
Typically abbreviated to Castillo de San Felipe, the surrounding area was inhabited long before the arrival of the Spanish who built the fort in 1644 to protect the port of San Antonio de las Bodegas in Lake Izabal from repeated pirate attack – most of them English.
In a seemingly ongoing cycle, the Castillo de San Felipe was captured, looted and partially destroyed before being retaken and re-strengthened by the Spanish authorities.
It’s not a particularly large castle but is in good condition and definitely worth the 30 minutes or so it takes to explore and enjoy the views.
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Beyond The Ordinary arrange fully bonded, tailor made holidays and tours to Guatemala. Contact one of our experts on 01580 764796, email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk or contact us via our website. |
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As of 2002, the Castillo de San Felipe was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List while today, the castle forms part of the Rio Dulce National Park and is mainly visited by locals, especially at the weekend when extended families depend on the lovely adjoining park and set up elaborate, hunger-inducing picnics.
For visitors from overseas, the Castillo de San Felipe is conveniently located at the end point of the must-do boat trip along the Rio Dulce starting in Livingston.
Leaving Livingston in the morning, typically around 10am, visitors will reach San Felipe in good time to explore the castle and have lunch before continuing by road to Flores, the base for visits to the great Mayan sites of Tikal & Yaxha.
For those wishing to hang around a bit longer, there is also reasonable quality accommodation close to Castillo de San Felipe. Our favourite, reached by a short boat trip and located on the waterfront, is Hacienda Tijax, the main draw of which is the beautiful, surrounding countryside and walking trails that end with stunning vistas over the lake.
This classic Guatemala itinerary starts in the Highland region, taking in Antigua, Chichicastenango & Lake Atitlan amongst others before heading north via Quirigua, Livingston & Rio Dulce to the vast flatlands of Peten, home to the great Mayan cities of Tikal & Yaxha.
No single itinerary can ever succeed in being entirely comprehensive but our private, 3-week, Complete Guatemala comes pretty darn close and even provides the option of quick detour into Honduras.
Starting in Flores and ending in Antigua, this itinerary takes clients on the backroads of Guatemala, visting sites and regions that the vast majority of visitors to the country never see. The travel isn't always easy or comfortable and accomodation options very limited but, for those who like to...
Although one might not necessarily associate Guatemala with boat trips, for those amongst us who like messing about on the water, there are plenty of fun options.
The Rio Dulce, or ‘Sweet River’ in English, is a river and lake system that flows from Lake Izabal into the Caribbean at Amatique Bay.
By the standards of Guatemala’s most famous Mayan sites, such as those at Tikal & Yaxha, the small settlement of Quirigua might come as something of a let-down.
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Whichever of our featured countries you wish to visit, we've been there several times. So, if you're after something beyond the ordinary to Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala or the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, we'd love to hear from you.
