Situated at the mouth of the Rio Dulce that runs up into Lago Izabel, Livingston (or La Buga as it is known to its Garifuna inhabitants) is a laid back Caribbean town. Uniquely different from the rest of Guatemala, you will soon feel the chilled out vibe and hopefully sample some of the amazing seafood and different cultures it has to offer.

Livingston is part of the mainland, however, because it is only accessible by boat and lacks a road connecting to any other town, you’ll get a sense of the being on an island. Thankfully there are still good connections on to Honduras, Belize and the rest of Guatemala with minimal fuss.

The town has a population of around 17,000 inhabitants of mixed cultures and races with the majority being of Garifuna ancestry. These people trace their roots back to the Caribbean island of St Vincent, where shipwrecked African slaves mixed with the indigenous Carib in the 17th Century. It took the British a long time and a lot of fighting to establish colonial control over St Vincent. In 1796 when they finally succeeded, they decided to deport its surviving 5000 Garifuna to the Honduran island of Roatan, but unfortunately only about 2,000 survived the voyage. Because Roatan was too small and infertile to support their population, the Garifuna petitioned the Spanish authorities to be allowed to settle on the mainland. The Spanish employed them as soldiers, and they spread along the Caribbean coast of Central America with Livingston being their main settlement in Guatemala. The second largest ethnic group in Livingston are the indigenous Q’eqchi’ Mayans who live in their own communities, mainly on the river side of town. Other ethnicities living here include ladinos, Chinese and Hindus. 

It won’t take long for you to find your way around town. The main street, Calle Principal, starts at the main dock and goes up hill towards the center of town. Veering to the left as you get off the main dock takes you down Calle Marcos Sanchez Diaz, the street our hostel is on. Street names are not commonly used here and some don’t even have names!

Livingston has plenty of good places to eat and drink (most are located on Calle Principal). There are two banks where you can change money, traveller’s cheques, or withdraw cash from the ATM’s. There is a small Health Center in town and several pharmacies. As you will or have already discovered, there are a few places on Calle Principal that sell local handicrafts.

The main industries in Livingston are tourism and fishing. Some local farmers support their families by selling home grown produce such as eggs, vegetables, fruit and chicken. Lots of fruit and vegetables are also imported from other regions in Guatemala. 

If you are a seafood lover then you shouldn’t leave here without trying a local Garifuna dish called Tapado. This rich seafood stew is made with coconut milk, plantain, whole fish, crabs, conch, shrimp and any other seafood in season. You will definitely get your mitts in a mess eating this yummy dish that is served in almost every restaurant in town!

From the dock, if you walk to the opposite end of Calle Principal, you will find yourself looking out to the big blue Caribbean! The vegetation comes close to the water’s edge so there isn’t a wide stretch of sand but it does make for a nice walk. Keep on walking and you’ll pass a little place called Flowas where you can stop for a beer or hire a kayak. 

Continue walking further and you’ll come across the Rio Quehueche, cross the bridge and you’re 5 minutes away from a nice little beach called Playa Salvador Gaviota. There you’ll find a hotel where if you buy some beers and food they’ll happily let you lay in a hammocks on their pier. 

If you feel like carrying on for another 30 min or so, you’ll find Siete Altares, or take a boat around to the best beach in the area Playa Blanca. Or just hang out on the hammocks in the hostel, watch a movie, read your book or enjoy a cold beer and an apple pie (shot!).