Catamaran Island Hotel and Marina, Rio Dulce, Guatemala

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Catamaran Island Hotel & Marina, RIo Dulce, Guatemala
Catamaran Island Hotel & Marina, RIo Dulce, Guatemala

In this hurricane season, I’m longing for the times Winterlude was safely in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala!  I forgot what it was like to worry about hurricanes and our boat!

Catamaran Marina was the first marina where we left Winterlude after we left the U.S.   We loved it and would go back if the wind ever blows us back to the Rio.  One of the big advantages of marinas in the Rio Dulce is protection from hurricanes.  After surviving a direct hit on Winterlude by Hurricane Charley in August 2004, I was ecstatic about NOT having to watch and worry as every low pressure system formed in the caribbean during hurricane season.  It was a vacation from hurricane worrying and I loved every minute it lasted!

Visit the Catamaran website by clicking HERE.

Catamaran is on an island off the shore of the Rio Dulce River in Guatemala. This may be the only resort on the Rio with nice guest cabins right on the water, a beautiful tiki bar/pool oasis, marina space for 20 boats, a full service open air restaurant, beautiful grounds featuring macaws, green, white & blue herons, green parrots, turtles, huge iguanas, all in all a bit of paradise nestled in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala.

Green Heron by the Dock
Green Heron by the Dock

Winterlude spent the two hurricane seasons safely tucked away in the Rio at Catamaran Marina … above you can see the birdseye view of the resort – Winterlude is in this photo, but hard to see — we’re the 2nd boat from the top on the right side of the marina — just in from the sailboat anchored off.  Below is the view of Mico (Monkey) Mountain that we see off the stern of the boat in our slip.   Beautiful and ever changing.

The View from Winterlude's Stern, Mico Mountain, Catamaran Marina
The View from Winterlude’s Stern, Mico Mountain, Catamaran Marina

Birds abound, the green heron hangs out in the bushes by the marina docks on the west side of the island.  And the iguanas frequently like to climb so high in the trees that they fall out & go SPLASH in the water.  All the boaters scurry out on the docks to see who fell overboard… but it’s just an iguana.

The pool is a lush green oasis in the center of the island with a Tiki Bar for afternoon happy hour.  Hummingbirds buzz around inspecting all the bright flowers while you enjoy a cocktail or take a refreshing dip in the beautiful pool.

Garden Walk to Pool at Catamaran Island Marina
Garden Walk to Pool at Catamaran Island Marina

 

Sunday afternoon NFL football at the Catamaran bar out over the water, is a hit with the cruiser crowd, great drinks, boquitos (snacks) and 2 different games!  You can see Brucie, the marina kitty has his own favorite way to watch NFL football!  I must admit, when we were in the States for Sunday NFL, I watched as diligently as Brucie!  But here, it’s a major social event!

Brucie the Catamaran Marina Kitty
Brucie the Catamaran Marina Kitty

 

Sunday Football at the Catamaran Bar
Sunday Football at the Catamaran Bar.  

 

 

Catamaran Launcha
Catamaran Launcha

 

The view of the Rio Dulce bridge from the front dock, altho’ I used telephoto.  Where else do the turista busses stop in the middle of the 2 lane busy highway bridge so tourists can get off, buy ice cream from the hand cart & enjoy the view .. while semi’s & cattle trucks zoom by behind them….. we’re not in Kansas anymore!!! Since Catamaran Island Resort is not accessible by land, here’s the Catamaran launcha delivering boaters & employees to the front dock.   This is the same launcha that after stopping at the front dock, delivered us directly to Winterlude on the other side of the island when we arrived.

Bridge over the Rio Dulce at Fronteras, Guatemala
Bridge over the Rio Dulce at Fronteras, Guatemala

Taking a stroll around Catamaran, you’ll see a wide variety of beautiful flowers, ginger, bamboo, probably two dozen varieties of palms, huge gumbo limbo trees ….    We love it here, and hopefully the winds will blow us back in some future cruising!

Flowers Abound at Catamaran Island Marina, Rio Dulce
Flowers Abound at Catamaran Island Marina, Rio Dulce
Catamaran Flowers
Catamaran Flowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do you have a favorite marina in the Rio Dulce?  Tell everyone about it in the comments below.

9 COMMENTS

  1. This is ironic…..I was just going through my Rio Dulce pictures a couple of hours ago….now I am really homesick for Guatemala -I can understand how you feel about hurricanes -we also rode out a direct hit- (Eye and all) a few years back. I hope you can get your forum up soon. I also can identify with you tech problems. I finally am starting a blog on WordPress and feel like a real dumb-y.

    Hope you have a happy New Year.

  2. We loved it down there…AND had planned on bring back down there before this hurricane season…oh well…maybe we will get there before 2013 hurricane season.

  3. Hello,
    I was a boater in Rio Dulce a few years ago. Now, I live a quiet life in Canada and I have all time to do nautical electronic charts of Caribeam sea with the paper guides of Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Panama…
    But I have done nice rasters charts of the Rio Dulce from Livingston to the end of Lago Isabal and I will happy to do a gift to you and to your boaters. You can download them here. It’s free. Say that to your boaters…

    Feliz navidad

    Raynald, on catamaran Cattemie

    Pick up the gifts here:

    https://raynaldc.wordpress.com/carabes-vol-doiseaubird-viewing/

  4. Catamaran is one of the more expensive marinas/hotels on the Rio Dulce. It is a nice location – quiet and private.
    The little cottages are spartan accommodation for the price.
    The pool and pool bar is nice – and there are two large restaurants that are usually empty. The food is expensive for the river and the quality does not match the cost in comparison to other local restaurants. Their pizza is ok, but not cheap. Their menu caters to US visitors and includes only limited local fare.
    All drinks must be purchased with special currency redeemable only at Catamaran Marina/Hotel.
    Hotel Internet is unreliable at best – usually not discoverable at all.
    The hotel lobby constantly broadcasts FoxNews on two large screen teevees.
    Access to Frontiers is provided by a converted diesel shrimper called the Sledgehammer, which is used primarily to pick up and drop off Marina/Hotel staff. You can hitch a ride if you happen to be at the right place at the right time.
    Staff are friendly.
    Tennis courts are in disrepair. Grounds are very nice. Marina services are secondary to Hotel services.

    • Hi Tanny – we had very good experiences at Catamaran Marina – leaving our boat for hurricane season while we returned to the US. While we were there, the marina was comparable to others in price, with more amenities – including the really nice pool and happy hour. Fronteras was good for reprovisioning. Perfect place for us. Others will have different opinions, that’s the beauty of cruisers. 🙂 Cheers — Jan

  5. Please, can anyone advise me of the clearance height of the Rio Dulce Bridge? I have seen a comment that the clearance is “about 60 feet” …which is barely adequate for our HR 40 sailboat. In fact, I think the mast VHF antenna would strike the bridge. We are some 20 metres above water line. This is an important issue for us, planning to come to the Rio Dulce in March.
    thanx kindly for any advice.

    • Offhand, I don’t know – we stayed at Catamaran and didn’t go under the bridge except in our dinghy. I’d direct your question to someone on the Rio Dulce Chisme Forum – surely someone knows the answer. Or send an inquiry directly to Tortugal Marina – they’ll know. I’m sure there are other marinas on the “other side” of the bridge, but they come & go so frequently, that I’m not familiar. Good luck & I hope you love the Rio as much as we did! Cheers! Jan

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