Where do we begin? We arrived in Guatemala aboard our trimaran, Ultra, for the first time almost ten years ago. We organized several cruiser activities in Mario’s Marina during our hurricane season there. We then left Ultra in the marina for three months, while we crewed aboard a sailboat in Turkey and Greece.
We flew back, sailed Ultra down to Panama and spent several years there exploring all over Panama and Colombia. We crewed aboard other boats, including sailing to the Galápagos. We returned to Guatemala briefly and then sailed onward to Belize and the Bay Islands of Honduras.
We must confess that the first two times we visited the Rio Dulce we did not like it as much as we do now. It is now much cleaner and a lot more developed. Upon our return we discovered new restaurants, mini-malls, hardware stores, chandleries, pharmacies, shops, supermarkets, and so much more.
Guatemala is located just south of Mexico and Belize. It is a wonderful melting pot of cultures including Garifuna, many Mayan groups, Spanish, and expats from around the globe. We have found while living here in Guatemala that the people are very resourceful, helpful and friendly.
Hurricane season
When we cruised through the Rio Dulce for our fourth season recently, we were in awe: the stunning beauty of majestic jungles, gorgeous canyons and abundant wildlife surrounded us. Yet, with a growing variety of businesses catering to the marine industry, it is a great place to get boat work done. There are several canvas and sail-repair shops, woodworking and fiberglass shops, marine chandleries, haulout facilities, and more. All this makes Rio Dulce a wonderful place to spend the hurricane season.
For the last two hurricane seasons we have stayed in the brilliant Nanajuana Rio Dulce Hotel & Marina. With more than 12 acres of lush manicured gardens, a boatyard, chandlery, restaurant, swimming pool and bar/café in addition to the hotel and marina, it makes for resort-style living in paradise. The property is full of wildlife including owls, parrots, toucans, various songbirds, iguanas, squirrels, howler monkeys, coatimundis, butterflies and opossums. We wish to give a big shout to our fun friend, Edgar, the seasoned dockmaster who speaks four languages. He is always polite, completely competent and safety conscious.
Making a wonderfully eclectic mix, Nanajuana Marina hosts boat owners from at least 30 different countries at any given time. This multi-cultural feel adds another element of charm, and many holidays are celebrated and shared.
There are several other marinas up and down the river to select from, offering a variety of amenities and services. The marinas on the Rio Dulce offer great places to get boat work done, take inland trips, interact with local communities, and just have fun, all while being in an area safe from hurricanes.
Building cruiser camaraderie
It is important to us that wherever we travel, we always build a place of great cruiser camaraderie where everyone can make great memories.
Upon our arrival in Nanajuana Marina in 2021, we resumed instructing yoga and extreme fitness classes, as well as hosting Wednesday Movie Night and an All-Day Massage Day when cruisers could reserve hour-long massages. A few days later, we started the popular Friday Night Cruisers’ Barbecue and Potluck.
In 2022, we resumed the same activities, continued the tradition of an epic Halloween Party, and planned a fun Thanksgiving Dinner potluck for 65 cruisers to enjoy. Four turkeys were cooked!
On November 20th, 2022, we participated in representing Nanajuana Marina in the First Annual MTB Rio Dulce 42K bike marathon. This was our first time in an organized distance bike event. At 6:00AM we were up and ready to ride to the meeting point, along with friends Paul and Sabina of S/V Chat Eau. Leo and Cisa of S/V Poroto met us there. We intrepid sailors biked up and down mountains, through muddy pastures and along slippery gravel roads, sometimes in full-on downpours. At the finish all the participants met at the Castillo de San Felipe, a Spanish colonial fort built in 1644, to receive medals, cold drinks and lunch. Then it was another 7K ride back to the marina, a total of 50K in one day for six sets of sea legs!
Giving back, spreading joy
There is so much need everywhere, so wherever we travel, we always try to help as many people as we can.
Here in Rio Dulce, we have continued to spread joy with the help of many amazing cruiser volunteers that have donated funds, goods or their precious time to our UltraCommunity Projects.
Recently a crew that had been following our work for some time asked to film our projects as part of a UNESCO World Heritage film project. Along with us, they visited the homes of Guatemalan families and local school in need of a new playground and bathrooms.
We then hosted a children’s Art Day where the children performed a wonderful song and dance routine before beginning their creative drawing fun. In addition to art and school supplies, Ultra Community Projects donated a speaker with two microphones (that doubles as a karaoke machine) to the school.
While writing this article, we are preparing for the first cruisers’ event that the Cayena Restaurant has ever done, and also their first-ever Margarita Monday event. We are also planning a huge fundraiser complete with silent auction, raffle and door prizes collected from local businesses — all to raise funds for our Ultra Community Projects that help local families in need and help clean up the environment.
Explore More
There is so much to explore along the Rio Dulce as well as inland. There are amazing day trips that whisk you away to hot waterfalls and hot springs, and hikes that take you through the jungle to the Seven Altars waterfalls and other natural wonders.
There are longer trips inland that take you to the mountains, volcanoes, city life, ancient ruins, and lots more to explore. Last season, we stayed at a hotel in quaint Isla Flores and our wonderful guide, José, took us in a collectivo van to Tikal for the day. There we explored Tikal National Park, full of magnificent Mayan ruins. The next day we went with a guide to a cave sacred to the Mayan people.
It is extremely convenient to leave your boat in one of the marinas and explore via the bus, taxi or rental car. In Guatemala City, you’ll find a bustling city full of everything under the sun including fine dining, posh hotels, countless malls and an international airport. There are also the beautiful areas of Antigua, Lake Panajachel and Lake Atitlan, with great bird watching and volcanoes to hike. If you wish for more adventure, there is also Semuc Champey Nature Preserve, which consists of several clear freshwater pools to enjoy as well camping, hotels, tubing, hiking, and cave exploring. Seacacar is another site not to be missed for hiking, tubing, caves and canoeing. If you are looking for adventure, you gotta go to Guate!
We hope you get the opportunity to sail to the Rio Dulce and spend some time there.
JoAnne and Bill Harris are the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) Cruising Hosts and the Ocean Cruising Club Port Officers for Honduras, including the Bay Islands. Their cruising station is located at the Roatan Yacht Club Marina, French Harbour, Roatan, Honduras. The Harris’s Ultra Community Projects help to give back to the local communities and they also help organize SSCA Clean Wake Projects.
See their You Tube channel, Yacht Ultra-Adventures Bill and JoAnne.
