We depart from the ship terminal by bus, sightseeing the banana and pineapple plantations along the road and stopping to sample some of the fruit.

 

We arrive at San Felipe Fortress, stepping back in time when marauding pirates used to terrorize the Caribbean. Set on the shores of Lake Izabal, the largest lake in Guatemala, the Castillo de San Felipe is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List. Built during the time of Spanish dominance (1524-1821), you’ll learn of this fort’s importance in defending warehouses filled with goods entering from or leaving for Spain.

 

The tour continues to El Golfete entrance; a small lake archipelago  where retired Americans and Europeans live. After lunch at Acienda Tixaj restaurante, we will leave back to the terminal.