We made it to Guatemala!
- sondrawinter
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
After completing a full week at a quiet anchorage with no land access, it was time to leave Belize. We chose to clear out of the country in Punta Gorda on Tuesday, checked into Guatemala in Livingston the next day and began our journey up the Rio Dulce.
Friday, May 15 through Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Remote Living in Mangrove Cays, Belize
Before leaving Placencia on Sunday, May 10, we took a morning walk knowing it was our last moment on land for quite a while before Utopia took off for points further south. Our next time on land was on Tuesday, May 19, after spending a full week at anchor in the Mangrove Cays. Our time during this week, with no land access, our time was spent
Catching up on tasks, like little projects for the boat, or putting together videos of our time in Belize, or coordinating what is needed to check into Guatemala.
Exploring the mangroves by dinghy
Exercising by swimming or doing workouts on the boat
Studying Spanish (apparently not enough, though)
Reading
Temperatures have not been too hot this week, and the water is always available to jump in when feeling a bit warm. Wind patterns were rather consistent with brisk winds in the mid-afternoon that completely die off in the night, then slowly build back up throughout the day. The nights do get a bit hot onboard when the winds disappear, for the most part our little fans are able to keep life manageable, but not always.
This anchorage is very remote and surrounded by mangroves. Birds in the area that we saw include magnificent frigatebird, great-tailed grackle, brown pelican, pale-vented pigeon, and some other unique, white bird I could not identify. Under the water we observed jellyfish, comb jellies, starfish, shark, dolphin, southern stingray, and lots of fish. There are some small coral structures scattered in grassy seabed areas. We have not seen any crocodiles but have elected to stay out of the water between dusk and dawn.
Surprisingly, the yellow flies and mosquitoes have not made an appearance at this anchorage. However, I did have a small run in with a jellyfish to complement the insect bites I received north of here.
Aside from a few fishing boats passing through the anchorage each day, which kept us near Utopia while swimming, we had the anchorage to ourselves until our final night. Knowing we’ll soon be surrounded by people for months, we really appreciated this week of solitude.
Clearing out of Belize
Our anchor came up at sunrise on Tuesday, May 19, and we set off to clear out of Belize at Punta Gorda, about 16 nm to the southwest. Seas were rolling a fair amount but thankfully were damped by some shoals and low-lying hills around the harbor. So, taking the dinghy to shore was not too much trouble and at 8:20 a.m. we tied up to the dock in front of the immigration office.
Once all that was complete, we walked up one block to a grocery store spend down most of our remaining Belizean cash, and we were back at Utopia about 9:20. With the dinghy and groceries were stowed away, we had the anchor free from the ground before 10, headed for Guatemala.
Thoughts on Belize
Belize is a nice introduction to the Western Caribbean before entering Spanish-speaking Guatemala. English is the official language, while many locals speak other dialects, like Belizean Creole, or the Mayan languages. The local people are very kind and welcoming, even encouraging us to consider moving there. There are a lot of people from the US and Canada who have purchased homes in Belize, which is quite affordable.
Belizeans are very proud of the natural features of their country and have built up a very credible tourism industry (All guides are required to complete a program to become licensed). When talking to locals you can hear the passion they have for both the mainland and the marine habitats of the country. The water is beautiful and we did not hesitate to make water when outside of marinas.
Other than the heat wave we experience during what is typically the hottest month of the year, the temperatures in Belize are great. During our stay, we found no wind in the morning, but very breezy in the afternoons, then dropping off in the night.
The US dollar is excepted nearly everywhere and is always equal to two Belizean dollars. With some planning, we found provisioning to be easy to do in Belize City, Caye Caulker, Placencia and Punta Gorda.
Checking into Guatemala
Shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday, we edged our way into the Tres Puntas anchorage which is often used as a staging area for going in and out of the Rio Dulce. There are no amenities nor places to visit land, which is fine since we have not checked into the country yet, but it provides a nice, comfortable and pretty anchorage for timing the tides needed to access the river.
With an early Wednesday morning departure, we headed 12 nm to Livingston located at the mouth of the Rio Dulce in Guatemala, aiming to arrive just before high tide. The river widens out before spilling into the Honduras Bay and a sand bar forms that can be problematic for boats needing more than 5’ of water and we draw 5.5 ft. Wind and current provided sporty conditions for crossing over the bar, where we had only 6 inches under our boat at our shallowest spot. Several boats were bashing their way out as we surfed our way in, adding to the excitement of the morning.
As soon as we had the anchor set along the Livingston harbor, we contacted Raul, an agent to assist us with the process for checking into Guatemala. Within two hours a panga arrived with seven or eight people in it. Four of them boarded Utopia and were very pleasant during the check in procedure and kindly spoke English with us. In under 30 minutes, they had departed with instructions to pick up our passports and documents, and to pay our fees at Raul’s office in 90 minutes.
Waiting for the Guatemalan Officials to arrive with our Q flag up adjacent to the Livingston waterside.
While waiting for the documents to be completed, we wandered around Livingston which is perched on a steep hillside that our legs and lungs could not quite comprehend. Livingston was quite busy and full of energy, a big change after our time in Belize. Although we have been studying Spanish in preparation for this trip, we have not practiced using it much, or at all, and it showed when we made a few purchases in town.
Livingston, Gautemala
At Raul’s office, he explained all the documentation, then took the time to give some advice for navigating the Rio Dulce. We appreciated his warm welcome and generous service and highly recommend him to anyone checking into Guatemala at Livingston.
With stamped passports in hand, we dashed back across the bumpy waters to Utopia to begin the amazing journey up the Rio Dulce.
Entering the Rio Dulce
Almost immediately after leaving the waterfront of Livingston, we entered a canyon where limestone mountains rise about 300’ in height. Most of the canyon was densely covered in vegetation giving a tropical jungle feel. It was truly a magical sight to behold. A better writer could spend a whole post describing this experience. Jimmy took a lot of video footage that I look forward to reviewing and piecing together to upload in a few weeks.
Utopia winds through the canyon of the Rio Dulce.
Further up the river, the canyon widened out and a few structures began to appear along the shoreline. Some were fishing shacks or palapas with docks, others were homes that included what we are calling “boat garages” (There are very few roads in this part of the country, for example, while Livingston has roads, the only way to access the town is by boat), schools with kids playing outside, churches, stores and restaurants, all fronting the river.
Along the way pangas, which I think are called lanchas here, would race up and down the river, while others rowed their long canoes. We saw a wide variety of people riding and driving these boats. Just picture the people normally seen in cars, but instead, they are in boats. So in addition to men out fishing, one can find people in business attire, mothers picking their kids up from school, teens out having fun exploring the area, tour boats full of sightseers, plus Mayan women wearing their traditional clothing selling goods to people up and down the river.
Eventually we reached the first lake, El Golfete, then turned into the basins of the Cayo Quemado community, a 9 nm trek from Livingston. Here we found a spot in the middle bay to drop our anchor about two hours before sunset. We spent the remainder of this fabulous day onboard Utopia, simply soaking in the sights, scents and sounds of the anchorage.
Post 26-21
You guys are awesome! It’s so much fun watching your adventures unfold. 😎🏖️
Congratulations! Love the grins on both of your faces! Getting across that bar is no easy job. Well done. Thanks for talking about about Livingston. You bought back some long forgotten memories ❤️