Be aware that there's not an overabundance of things "to do" at the site. One can go off-site on boat trips -- we took the collectivo to Livingston and enjoyed that day a lot -- and take out kayaks, and jump off the floating platform for a quick swim,

Leo and Rudy introduced us to amazing people who assisted us in boat repairs and possible boats available for purchase.

Just a 5 min boat trip you will reach this beautiful place in the middle of nature.

They are super quick with pick up when you arrive if you don't have a boat (once I got picked up from the available parking across the river and once from the public dock) and the buildings are lovely with a great view.

but loads of fun, starting with the boat ride across the river from the secure parking lot.

Lovely spot just a few minutes by boat from the centre of Rio Dulce.

They also offer a shuttle boat to Livingston, a nearby town that’s worth a look.

It is an easy boat ride from a fantastic national park/reserve area.

so I count myself lucky to have spent two days here.. relaxing, reading, swimming and generally just lazing around,  watching the yachts come and go.. there were quite a few moored up whilst I was there..restaurant overlooks the river and there is a complementary boat to ferry you back and forth to the main town..if you ever feel like venturing further.

Boat ride along the river to the open sea and livingstone is a must.

Took a boat to get to it, which is so cool.

You needed to get a quick boat ride from town to the hotel which is on the edge of the river.

It was easy to get I to town via boat or by foot.

You can only get here by boat launch arranged by the hotel which helps to make you feel away from it all.

We left our boat at Tortugal in April 2016 until April 2017 to have some work done by Byron, the marina manager, and his crew.

We thank Byron the Dockmaster for introducing us to efficient service providers we needed for small boat repairs.

They came to get us at the bus stop and the boat ride was very short (5 minutes max)
The restaurant is very good

We took a short boat ride to the Tortugal River Lodge and the location by the water is just lovely.

People come here either to take a boat to Livingstone or to visit Quirigua Archeological Zone.

Here you’ll find comfort, cleanliness, delicious food, and you’ll be treated like family with the friendliest service there is to offer.

The food is delicious, well presented and the portion size is great.

We ate breakfast and dinner here and the food was good with good choice of dishes.

but it's more about hanging out at Tortugal, petting the cats, watching the ducks, walking in the mangrove and eating the delicious food (loved the salads, particularly.)

They offered onsite docking, a delicious menu and were beyond hospitable.

Yummy a la carte breakfast and coffee included in the room price.

My stay here was restful and the food was delicious :)

I took the opportunity to get my laundry done here

The restaurant on site as very delicious food and you can make a tab and pay at the end of your stay.

The bar does fabulous cocktails and the food is delicious.

I had the traditional and always asserted choice, Mac & Cheese with bacon.

The food in Tortugal's restaurant is by far the most varied and delicious in the Rio.

The food in the restaurant is delicious!!

The bathroom itself has no door which is a concept we are not fond of, there are some things you dont want to share.

but no teaspoon to use it with, loud music coming from next door property).

The Tortugal Boutique River Lodge is near these landmarks: Grutas El Encanto, Zach Trips, Cueva Del Tigre, Rio Dulce, Playa Sand Bay, Seven Altars, Playa Blanca, Go With Gus Tours, Viajes y Transportes Nemo and Reggae on the River

The lodge is directly on the water with a small marina, a well appointed common area with bar and restaurant overlooking the river.

The Tortugal River Lodge has three parts;

a marina which is similar to all other marinas (give or take) in the area.

We were guests in their lodge as well as marina guests.

Sonya was a ray of sunshine and very helpful in our quest to experience Rio Dulce, Fronteres and helping us get to know the cruising community there.

Unfortunately, the payment of the bar and restaurant is not well coordinated and we had to pay for drinks we didn't order.

I complained to the waiter and he told me Sorry I can't help you this is what you ordered. Unacceptable.

Finally, they did make the pizza we’d asked for, an hour after we ordered.

It lasted until midnight - and absolutely ruined the quiet atmosphere -- and sleep and left us angry.

There are resident animals (dog, cats, ducks), and you can hear all the jungle animals at night.

You can hear all the animals at night and you know when a new day begins.

The only downside was that there is literally no soundproofing between the rooms so we were woken up at 4am on the last day to our room neighbours squealing about the fact they had a frog in their toilet!

On our second night, we lost power (this happens in Rio Dulce) and the hotel had generators online in minutes.

but cops the noise of the trucks going over the bridge using their air brakes.

The bungalows are adorable and you here all the jungle like noises to fall asleep to and wake up to.

Even as far away as the Castillo, the sound of the trucks was omnipresent.

The water in Izabal and Rio Dulce is the perfect temperature and so this makes it an absolute pleasure to spend time swimming and enjoying it!

Rio Dulce was a very pleasant surprise en route to Tikal.

a restaurant with a similar menu to the rest of Rio Dulce.

The hotel will pick you up and take you back to Rio Dulce for free.

Tortugal Boutique River Lodge

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Beautiful deck you can sit on or go swimming off, kayaks to rent, food at the restaurant is yummy and not too pricey, and Gary and his wife are wonderful hosts with great suggestions for things to do - Finca Paraiso is a must do!

The food in the restaurant is delicious and there are good vegetarian options!

We had our breakfast and dinners at the hotel.

After unpacking, we sat in the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious margarita and some equally delicious appetizers.

Eating breakfast on the deck, observing fisherman's delivering fresh seafood is truly treat.

All the food is delicious, great presentation and a fun place  to relax.

The food at the restaurant was delicious,  especially the Mexican options.

they charged us 400Q when we arrived at Livingston we realised we had been whipped off and had paid more than twice the price it should have been.

Furthermore, they charged for every little thing.

but I felt like he was just trying to sell me on his day tour (which he probably makes a decent commission on, since the costs add up to about 40Q but he charges 90Q).

I honestly didn't know it was possible for chicken to be that gristly, and to be charged that much was upsetting.

The hotel is based on the river and the hostel charges 20 Q per boar service (per person, one way) so you rather pay or have to eat there.

Food is overpriced, jacusi was cold and not working, they charge for any trips in town or for kayaking.

We were disappointed that the charged us 80 Q to pick us up at Brunos and return.

In my view the food was expensive and average, a small cup of unpleasant coffee costs Q10, all extras are charged for including water bottle refills.

At the end if you want to pay wit your credit card they charge you 8%, i just don't know why?

Paid for best room--a little cabin. Filthy!

Greg helped us figure out our own tour of a hot waterfall and canyon which was really fun and not that expensive.

Restaurant is a bit pricey, meals start around Q40/45, breakfast is around Q35.

However, when we paid our tab at the end of the trip, we realized we spent ways more money than we had expected.

The Mexican food they offer is delicious - a bit pricey though.

Even eating outside, in the city, doesn't worth is cause you will have to pay for the boat.

The staff were unhelpful, you have to get there by water taxi and every time you want to leave to get to Rio Dulce town, you have to pay 20Q.

but the boat into town costs 20Q so there are literally no other options for food here.

3) When we asked Gary to drop us somewhere that actually had nice food for dinner (the only way to get around is by boat), he went missing after trying his utmost to deter us, despite us being willing to pay his extortionate fare for the boat ride just to escape for a few hours.

you have to take a taxi or the owner,s boat, both at a fee.

The only complaint I have is that the food is too expensive and you feel a bit taken advantage of considering the location.

The journey the next day was much of a muchness (we did, in fact, join up with some other Kangaroo residents on our shuttle journey in the morning, and I think they left slightly earlier and paid slightly more).

We had dinner the first night; it was mediocre and pricey.

The WiFi worked only in the main building,

but this is not the part of the world to be looking for dependable internet service.

5) The wi-fi is terrible, they might as well not have any.

The wifi is very limited so do your important stuff before you go.

The dogs are a joy :) The wifi was pretty poor and often didn't work at all, so get any important communication done before you get set up there.

Adding: WIFI was very poor and they don't allow to Skype conversations.

Wi-fi was dicey--it's satellite internet so apparently not reliable.

The internet wasn't working most of the time, I finally figured out that Gary doesn't want his wi-fi bill to be high so he simply cuts off the internet and pretend he doesn't know why it's not working.

They've got satellite internet so no skype or videos here -

Hotel Kangaroo

price

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Food is absolutely delicious and nutritious.

The food is delicious and the hotel offers different activities like paddling and cayak!

The accommodations were very comfortable, the food was delicious and the pool so refreshing!

The menu is fusion with plenty of fresh and healthy choices.

Boatique Hotel and Marina

Their breakfast and dinner was better than expected

Food is delicious and offers lots more than Huevos al Gusto.

The following morning we ate an incredible breakfast and like the day before, the bat ride us to the bay.

The food tasted great and was fairly priced (see photos), particularly liked the Chapin breakfast, the pork ribs and the schnitzel.

The Swiss sausage was delicious and a must have.

Beds are comfy, even if the linen is slightly old and tattered.

We stayed one night in comfortable beds in the dorm and in a private hut.

Whenever we wanted to order something we felt awkward since they were either reading or “half napping”.

Made me and my girl feel a little unwelcome, she is also Swiss !

The mosquito net I had on my bed meant I had to curl up in the middle of my bed in order not to have it draping on my face.

As was the fact that one meal we ordered (after a very long day out, and we were very hungry) wasn’t given to the kitchen.

Stopped by Rio Dulce and after a quick sight viewing we went to Finca El Paraiso, after that we went back to Rio Dulce bridge and after leaving our car in a public parking lot inside Bruno's caffe and Marina we called our host on Casa Perico - Peter who kindly send a boat to pick us in the bay.

Friendly staff (Peter,the friendly barman, joined us after dinner one evening to chat over a beer), peaceful location in the jungle and a frequent boat shuttle to the town.

Hotel Casa Perico

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the bathroom is falling apart, the towels used and the beds and pillows are not worth mentioning.

This is a terrible place for the following reasons:

Restaurant staff always hanging around to keep the change even though ten per cent is added
Saggy soft beds
Paper thin walls you can hear snoring from next door
Plastic shower cabin
Dark claustrophobic rooms
Dusty bathroom
View from room not of river

The water pressure  was out of this world..it could  have knocked  me over!

I took a shower  and there were   two cockroaches  in the shower with me,and it tap of that I could not find the soap anywhere,it was only after I finish  that I notice that they put the soap in top if the night table!!!.

We were traveling in a group and of course my aunt's kleenex box and old tshirt was found!

Frontera is ugly, smelly, clogged with trucks.

It was nothing like that,the rooms were very small and it feel very dusty I can see the layer of dirt on top of the curtains the matters of the beds were old,and no place to put our bags our room was crowded.

The place felt like a cabin in a summer camp - thin mattresses matching this zeitgeist.

There is a very good restaurant with delicious food.

We had breakfast and as we had to leave just after it opened, they were ready for us right after we arrived.

The restaurant serves the most delicious plates in the area, and I tried many restaurants,

I spent around three months in Rio Dulce area and I kept coming back to Mar Marine to hit the gym, pool or have a nice meal or drink. Thank you for everything, guys.)

We spent a few winters here, enjoying the pool, restaurant, and Saturday night at the movies.

The hotel with pool, bars and restaurant were clean and well-managed.

It overlooked  a pretty  pool and marina with colorful  hammocks  to relax in outside.

This one was perfect, Great night, great rooms, very nice pool at the lake.

The room is the worst we've ever experienced because of the noise from the bridge which it is under.

After engine issues we had to cancel our escape trip and decided to do a land voyage through Mexico, and Guatemala to Mar Marine.

but no one told us this 
Tiny room
Noise from boatyard as boats repaired
Noise from lorries struggling up the bridge

When asked to refund our additional nights so we could leave for another place they were unwilling to do so.

At the restaurant I asked for cup of black tea the waiter reply " we don't have any black tea we will get it nex week" I asked for a coffe and it  was so so lite it was terrible cup of coffee, I have to have that bad coffe for two days  complain to the recepcionist name Keña and she was very nice and  gave me discount.

Nice, comfortable, friendly, great service.

Mar Marine is very reasonable for motor and sail boaters alike with monthly fees and services at prices not found in the US.

Great service, comfortable rooms, and relaxing environment!

Great staff, very friendly and kind people running the place, they make you feel like home.

Mar Marine Yacht Club is in a delightful setting and run by charming and efficient staff.

Owners of this place make you feel like family.

I have talked with Jeremy by messanger asking for information,  he responded to all my questions and I did the reservation, I found a really great service, an awesome hotel and view, I met Jeremy in person and he is a cool guy who gave us the welcome to the hotel.

The staff was super helpful, and fun to work with.

The warm boating community and friendly staff were very helpful.

This resort has 24hr security, English and Spanish speaking staff, Very courteous and helpful ensuring the stay was what we expected and beyond.

Marlene, the owner along with her son Jeremiah, took care of us in a friendly and efficient manner that made us feel at home with ours being so many miles away.

they assigned one of their front desk staff to take me on a local river tour.

He's the son of the owner and so helpful and nice - and American.

Mar Marine Yacht Club

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The restaurant was yummy, and the hang out areas were very nice, along with an amazing view of the river.

Our breakfasts were pretty good and I enjoyed my Thai Curry.

Depending on what food you order, it can be really delicious.

We ordered the over priced breakfast burrito in the morning which said came with tortillas or toast and coffee.

The restaurant has spectacular views and the food is delicious, if a little over-priced.

Staff were also shrieking and cackling way too early outside of our door while eating and enjoying their breakfast in our area.

But the staff was surly, the location is somewhat inconvenient (you have to backtrack to get to the bridge, then either schlep across the bridge or pay a tuktuk to take you - everything in town is on the other side of the bridge),

When this was pointed that the extra portion was ridicously small and very expensive at Q12.

but you couldn't have paid me to stay a second night.

On our 3 nights we were often visited by mice in the room, & the restaurant food was overpriced garbage to put it politely.

They inspect the room when you leave and accused us and another guest of taking a towel from the room, and wanted us to pay for it, so make sure you count your towels when you arrive.

So it cost me 10% more than him for the same.

We found the restaurant a bit pricey for our budget

Great price if you are just passing through only downside is they are too close to the bridge so you can hear all the traffic which by the way never stops .

It was not for many reasons..you don't have a kitchen, only e restaurant and you need to pay for bedsheets that are not cleans.the dorms are discussing and not clean!

The prices here are really expensive in comparison to the rooms you get.

but what did not make sense was that they sticked the price tag with a cheaper price over the price that charged more.

but this place was really bad considering the cost relative to other places in the area ($20/night for private room/bath).

The rooms were overpriced for the quality.

but its because you have to pay extra for you sheets, pillow, and towel.

PROs: We had a double room, which was a bit pricey,

The bar/restaurant whilst nicely set on the lake is overpriced and the food was seriously bad.

Dirty, not easy to reach, so noisy with camion running all night, staff not very arranging, old, location not safe, this place is the worst hotel I have been in Guatemala.

We were woken up by their squeaking, and even after we put our trash can and snacks out into the hallway, we could not only hear

During the night you could her rodents squeaking and running throughout the room.

Situated on the wrong side of large, busy bridge with trucks passing all day/night with noisy air brakes.

It was also noisy from the trucks going over the bridge.

Because the place is under a bridge you hear semis passing over all night long.

ALL of the profit from here funds a home/school for 250 children, so knowing my money went to such a good cause, I could put up with a bit of noise.

As mentioned in other comments, this hostel is extremely noisy at night.

The thing is that across the river is the town and can be a little bit noisy.

Another thing on the negative side is, that it is located next to a huge bridge, and you can hear during the whole night, how the different old vans try to force their way up to the top of the bridge.

You can hear EVERYTHING around you (keep in mind dicoteque is on Saturday).

>I didnt like that there were a lot of seadoo just playing around so it was noisy and smell gaz a lot.

As the hostel is right next to the very bus bridge connecting Rio Dulce with the capital and the north of Guatemala, it is very noisy in the hostel.

Extremely noisy in the night, very very loud music till at least 2.00 in the morning.

A bit of a walk across the bridge to get to town, a little noisy with heavy traffic passing nearby.

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