DESTINATIONS LATIN AMERICA | BELIZE & GUATEMALA


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Flores, Guatemala; Gaia Riverlodge, Belize; a jaguar in Belize; La Lancha, Guatemala PICTURES: Shutterstock; Gundolf Pfotenhaeur


top tip


For more information on the region, visit the Latin America Travel Association at lata.travel


Belize: Flores is also a good jumping-off point to cross the Belizean border to visit the smaller site of Xunantunich, the ‘Maiden of the Rock’, around two hours away. It’s a tough ascent, particularly on a hot summer’s day, but those who climb the steps to the top of the 130-foot-high pyramid of El Castillo are rewarded with breathtaking vistas across the site and beyond. Yet the real draw lies in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, where you’ll find Caracol, one of Belize’s most impressive sites. At 75 square miles, it was once the largest Mayan centre in the country and is full of lush jungle leading to towering temples and open plazas that once housed as many as 150,000 people.


JUNGLE Guatemala: What you realise when you travel through this Central American country is just how thriving and unspoilt the jungle is – from the dense rainforests that cover undiscovered Mayan ruins, to the vast reserves that are home to an abundance of animal species, making it a dream destination for wildlife lovers. The Petén region, which encompasses the site of Tikal, is the place for hiking through the jungle canopy, searching for the elusive jaguar and all creatures great and small that make it their home. For clients looking for a hideaway with a difference,


recommend a stay at La Lancha, one of film director Francis Ford Coppola’s luxury properties. With lakeside


26 4 JUNE 2020


Laura Rendell-Dunn expert ASK THE


PR and business development manager, Journey Latin America “We find most Brits dedicate two weeks to travelling in Central America. However, many of the countries, such as Belize and Costa Rica, are relatively small in size, so travel is easy and distances short, meaning you could easily spend just one week in Belize and still have a really varied holiday combining ruins, beaches and wildlife. I would add that Central America is best visited from November to April when the weather is not too hot and there is little rainfall.”


views over Lake Petén Itzá, the dwellings are spread through the rainforest and the lake’s shores. Alternatively, the river around the eastern Rio Dulce region is flanked by tropical jungle. From


here, you can take a boat trip to the Caribbean coastal town of Livingston, where the population is largely made up of people from the Garifuna culture, or try bird spotting along the river. Belize: Hopping across the border to Belize, the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve offers a striking landscape. As the name suggests, it is home to huge pine trees, as well as rivers, waterfalls and caves. The area may feel remote, but you are spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation as there are plenty of lodges where you can immerse yourself in nature, including another Coppola luxury property, Blancaneaux Lodge, and the eco-friendly Gaia Riverlodge. Explore’s product manager for the Americas, Carmel Hendry, suggests that when in Belize, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a must, doing wonders for conservation among the jaguar population. She says: “It’s a vast jaguar reserve in the heart of a tropical forest, home to more than 300 species of birds, wild pigs, deer, tapir and five species of big cat – making it one of the best places to spot wildlife in Belize.”


² travelweekly.co.uk


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