Río Dulce (Guatemala)

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Río Dulce
Castillo de San Felipe de Lara

Castillo de San Felipe de Lara

Data
location Guatemala
River system Río Dulce
source Lago Izabal
15 ° 38 ′ 15 "  N , 88 ° 59 ′ 36"  W.
Source height m
muzzle Gulf of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea Coordinates: 15 ° 49 ′ 8 "  N , 88 ° 44 ′ 55"  W 15 ° 49 ′ 8 "  N , 88 ° 44 ′ 55"  W
Mouth height m
Height difference 2 m
Bottom slope 0.05 ‰
length 43 km
Catchment area 3435 km²
Livingston Harbor

Livingston Harbor

The Rio Dulce is one with its length of 43 km of the shortest, but at the same time known and most important rivers of Guatemala .

course

The approx. 20 to 40 m deep and mostly approx. 200 m wide Río Dulce only bears its name from its outflow from the Lago Izabal ; it flows in a northeastern direction through a (seemingly) untouched jungle landscape , widens to up to 5 km at the 16 km long Lago de Golfete and finally flows south of Livingston in the Gulf of Honduras into the Caribbean Sea .

history

The Río Dulce was navigable for the sailing ships of the Spanish conquistadors , but also for the mostly English pirates of the Caribbean . The Spaniards therefore built the Castillo de San Felipe de Lara at the eastern end of Lake Izabal , which is now one of the most visited sights in Guatemala.

fauna and Flora

The bank zones of the river, designated as a national park, are made up of dense jungle; Numerous species of birds ( cormorants , toucans, etc.) nest in the trees , but ground-breeding pelicans can also sometimes be seen. Various fish species live in the river itself, but also manatees ( manatees ).

Others

  • At the entrance and exit of the Río Dulce there are numerous - mostly smaller - hotels.
  • At one point on the northern bank, sulphurous warm springs come to the surface.

Web links

Commons : Río Dulce  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Río Dulce National Park