Livingston, Guatemala:
The well known Caribbean hurricane hole of the Rio Dulce offers one more possibility to know your sailboat safe and sound during the stormy season.
With new spirit and enthusiasm the facilities of the Burnt Key Marina and Lodge will be open for the public under a new management. For a stopover in the Baya Los Duartes also known as Texan Bay, slips will be available with electricity and water access for only Q100 the night.
For coming without the own boat, two wooden bungalows with a cozy atmosphere, a charming concrete bungalow and two clean and neat apartments in the big concrete Yoga House will invite for a relaxed stay in the great jungle ambiance of the big garden-like property.
Many boaters know this special place with its ups and downs since years. The calm and protected bay offers a convenient stopover before going out through the canyon to Livingston or after clearing into Livingston heading to Rio Dulce. To prevent an anchor stop in front of Livingston and to have an early start over the sand bank, more and more boaters also take the opportunity to go with “Texan Mike’s taxi service” to do the clearance the day before.
From the riverside the day time lounge offers a brilliant place to watch over the bay and enjoy (different kinds of) freshly brewed coffee, some cookies or snacks or just a cold beer.
To access the property the visitors dive through the palm leaves of the thatched roof of the welcoming lounge into the great maintained garden with lots of wildlife, flora and fauna. Along the stairway, the big colorful flower tops of the ginger lilies lead up the hill. The big communal palapa on the top of the hill, with its unconventional shape of the thatched roof, offers a possibility to play a game of pool, a shady place for reading a good book out of the marina library or just to hanging out in a hammock to escape the heat of the day. Visitors are welcome to explore the two restaurants around, as there is Mini Mike’s Juke Joint with tasty options just opposite and the local women of El Manglar as direct neighbors. A walk around the property on the concrete trails or wooden walkways resembles like a walk in a park with lot of stunning nature, old trees, exotic flowers and sometimes a monkey or toucan crossing your trail.
For those who want to store their boats during hurricane season away from the growing life and crime in Rio Dulce, the slips of Burnt Key Marina offer a safe and sound alternative. Maintenance is guaranteed with a monthly outside cleaning and a technical sight check with report and photos is provided. Good communication, trust and professional service in informal atmosphere is the main principle of the new managers.