Chocón Machacas is a manatee reserve at the eastern end of El Golfete on the Río Dulce, in the municipality of Livingston, Izabal. It is managed by CECON, the University of San Carlos’s conservation centre, which lists it open Monday to Sunday, 7:00 to 16:00. The Ministry of Culture’s SIC listing gives the way in by water, about 45 minutes by boat from Río Dulce; neither CECON’s page nor the SIC listing gives an entry fee.
In short: Named in the Ley de Áreas Protegidas (Decreto 4-89, Article 89) as the Biotopo para la conservación del Manatí, Chocón Machacas. Administrator CECON/USAC. Hours Monday to Sunday 7:00-16:00 (CECON). Area 6,265 ha (CONAP registry) or 245 ha (SIC). Boat about 45 min from Río Dulce, or about 1 hour from Livingston (SIC). Four lagoons on the old bed of the río Chocón. Coordinator Oscar Santos, (502) 4770 6246. No entry fee on CECON’s page or the SIC listing.
The boat between Río Dulce and Livingston crosses El Golfete, where the biotope lies. INGUAT’s Río Dulce guide says boats slow down on El Golfete and make stops at the Isla de los Pájaros and the biotope, among other places. CECON’s own page describes something longer: cayuco trips into the lagoons, trails on land, and swimming.
Key facts and where they come from
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Biotopo para la conservación del Manatí, Chocón Machacas, in Izabal, declared officially established | Decreto 4-89, Article 89(c) |
| Name in CONAP’s registry | Biotopo Protegido Chocón Machacas | CONAP registry (read 9 November 2026) |
| Year created | 1989 | CONAP registry |
| Boundaries | Set by the Acuerdo Gubernativo of 19 February 1992, published in the Diario de Centro América on 13 March 1992 | SIC listing |
| Origin | Initiative by Licenciado Mario Dary Rivera, dated 16 September 1980 | CECON |
| Location | Municipality of Livingston, Izabal | CECON; CONAP registry |
| Administrator | CECON / USAC | CONAP registry; SIC listing |
| Area | 6,265 ha | CONAP registry |
| Area | 245 ha, almost 40% of it seasonally flooded | SIC listing |
| Hours | Monday to Sunday, 7:00 to 16:00 | CECON (read 9 November 2026) |
| Entry fee | Not published | CECON; SIC listing (read 9 November 2026) |
Two figures that do not match. The size gap (6,265 ha against 245 ha) is large, and no source explains it, so both are printed with their source. The sources also name the fourth lagoon differently: CECON says Laguna Larga, the SIC listing says Laguna Escondida.
Getting there by boat
The SIC listing (modified 10 August 2026) describes two routes, both ending on the water.
| From | Route (SIC) | Boat time (SIC) |
|---|---|---|
| Río Dulce side (from Guatemala City) | CA-9 Norte to La Ruidosa, km 245; turn left to the Río Dulce frontera; lancha down the river to the biotope | About 45 minutes |
| Puerto Barrios | By road to Puerto Barrios; boat to Livingston, then boat from Livingston to the biotope | About 45 minutes to Livingston, then about 1 hour |
Neither CECON nor the SIC publishes a boat fare or timetable for the biotope itself. The scheduled colectivo between Río Dulce and Livingston, and what it costs, is covered in our Río Dulce to Livingston boat guide. For a private trip with time in the lagoons, agree the stop and the waiting time with the boat operator before you leave the dock. For the road to Río Dulce, see the Guatemala City to Río Dulce driving guide.
Hours, fees and contact
CECON’s page for the biotope lists:
- Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 to 16:00
- Coordinator: Oscar Santos, Coordinador del Biotopo
- Telephone: (502) 4770 6246
- Location: Municipio de Livingston, Departamento de Izabal
CECON’s page and the SIC listing publish no entry fee (both read 9 November 2026). The SIC listing notes that the land is the property of the nation and had not been formally assigned to CECON, and that CECON’s budget gives the biotope a minimal amount for fuel. Bring cash in quetzales in case a charge applies.
What you see: lagoons, rivers and karst
CECON describes two kinds of water. The still-water side includes the lagoons Salvador, Cálix, Negra and Larga, formed in the old bed of the río Chocón and linked by channels, plus the streams that drain them. The flowing side is the río Ciénaga, the río Chocón and El Golfete itself.
Other features CECON points out:
- Karst scenery at the eastern end of the biotope near the boundary, which it calls impressive both from a boat on El Golfete and on foot.
- Caves or cenotes along the way.
- Primary forest, which CECON calls the best-protected in the area.
- Activities: cayuco (dugout canoe) trips to watch wildlife, routes on land and on water, and swimming in the lagoons.
Wildlife
The SIC listing describes the biotope as humid tropical with an aquatic ecosystem, home to hawks, white-tailed deer, tapir, turtles, otters and, above all, manatees. Studies by the Universidad de San Carlos, it says, found:
| Group | Species recorded (SIC) |
|---|---|
| Aquatic plants | 36 |
| Fish | 14 |
| Amphibians | 16 |
| Large mammals | 18 |
| Birds | About 120 |
INGUAT’s Río Dulce guide calls the biotope, at the eastern end of El Golfete, the best place to see the Caribbean manatee. Neither CECON nor the SIC gives a sighting rate or a best season, so treat a manatee as a chance, not a promise. For another manatee area, in El Estor on Lake Izabal, see Bocas del Polochic.
Threats
The SIC listing names pressure on natural resources, hunting, fishing, deforestation, extraction of renewable resources, invasions and the illegal sale of land belonging to the biotope. It says fishing is heaviest in the first months of the year, with fishermen’s camps on the shores of El Golfete, and that small settlements sit on Laguna El Salvador.
Safety
Izabal is not on the do-not-travel list of the State Department’s 12 March 2026 advisory (Level 3 for the country as a whole).
Related
- Things to do in Río Dulce and the Castillo de San Felipe
- Río Dulce to Livingston by boat
- Livingston and things to do in Livingston, including Siete Altares
- Bocas del Polochic wildlife refuge
- Cerro San Gil reserve, whose southern part, the SIC says, reaches El Golfete
Where to stay in Río Dulce
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Sources
- CECON-USAC, Chocón Machacas (read 9 November 2026)
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, SIC listing, Biotopo Chocón Machacas (modified 10 August 2026; read 9 November 2026)
- Ley de Áreas Protegidas, Decreto 4-89, Article 89, INAB copy (read 9 November 2026)
- CONAP, protected-area registry, Biotopo Protegido Chocón Machacas (read 9 November 2026)
- INGUAT, Río Dulce (visitguatemala.gt; read 9 November 2026)
- U.S. Department of State, Guatemala Travel Advisory, issued 12 March 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the opening hours of the Chocón Machacas biotope?
CECON, the University of San Carlos centre that manages the biotope, lists Monday to Sunday, 7:00 to 16:00 (read 9 November 2026). It publishes the biotope coordinator, Oscar Santos, at (502) 4770 6246.
How do you get to Chocón Machacas?
By water. The Ministerio de Cultura’s SIC listing gives two ways: for the Río Dulce side, take the CA-9 Norte toward the Atlantic to La Ruidosa (km 245), turn left to the Río Dulce frontera and take a lancha down the river to the biotope, about 45 minutes; or go by road to Puerto Barrios, take a boat to Livingston (about 45 minutes) and then a boat from Livingston to the biotope (about an hour).
How much does it cost to enter Chocón Machacas?
CECON’s page and the SIC listing give no entry fee (both read 9 November 2026). INGUAT’s Río Dulce guide lists the biotope among the stops boats make on El Golfete; ask the boat operator whether entry is included, and carry cash.
Can you see manatees at Chocón Machacas?
Possibly, not reliably. The biotope was created to protect the manatee’s habitat, and INGUAT’s Río Dulce guide calls it the best place to see the Caribbean manatee. The SIC listing names manatees first among its fauna. Neither CECON nor the SIC publishes a sighting rate or best season.
How big is Chocón Machacas?
The sources disagree. CONAP’s protected-area registry lists 6,265 hectares; the SIC listing says the biotope covers 245 hectares, almost 40% of which floods at certain times of year. Neither explains the difference.
Who manages Chocón Machacas?
CECON/USAC, the Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas of the Universidad de San Carlos, per CONAP’s registry and the SIC listing. CECON says the biotope was created through an initiative by Licenciado Mario Dary Rivera dated 16 September 1980.
