Estación Biológica Las Guacamayas is a remote research and visitor station on the bank of the Río San Pedro, in the southeast of Laguna del Tigre National Park in Petén, near the community of Paso Caballos. CONAP, Guatemala’s protected-areas council, says a visit is possible only with a prior reservation, made through the administration, which can also arrange guides and transport. Getting there means 68 km of dirt road to Paso Caballos and then about 20 minutes by boat. CONAP calls it one of the only places in Guatemala where the scarlet macaw can still be seen in its natural habitat.
This page covers the decisions a visitor makes before going: how to book, how the road-and-river trip works, what you can expect to see, and what to bring. The practical details come from CONAP’s tourism page for the station as archived on 21 January 2026, and the wildlife and activity list from a 23 August 2023 report by AGN, the government news agency. Both were read on 1 November 2026.
Quick summary
| Item | Detail (source) |
|---|---|
| Where | Laguna del Tigre National Park, San Andrés, Petén; station on the Río San Pedro near Paso Caballos (CONAP) |
| Booking | Prior reservation only, through the administration (CONAP) |
| Contact | (+502) 3187-6255; CONAP (+502) 7926-4158 (CONAP) |
| Access | Road to Paso Caballos, 68 km of dirt road, then about 20 min by boat on the Río San Pedro (CONAP) |
| Estimated arrival time | 2 hours 30 minutes, starting point not stated (CONAP) |
| Hours | 7:00 to 18:00 (CONAP) |
| Birds | More than 370 species, including the scarlet macaw (AGN, 2023) |
| Archaeology | El Perú, called Waka’ by its original inhabitants (CONAP) |
| Park size | 289,912 hectares, declared in 1990 (CONAP) |
| Fees | Not published on the CONAP page |
Booking a visit
CONAP’s recommendations are direct: the station can be visited only with a prior reservation, and to organise the trip you contact the administration, which can offer guide and transport services. The page lists two numbers, (+502) 3187-6255 and CONAP’s (+502) 7926-4158, and opening hours of 7:00 to 18:00. It gives no entrance fee, lodging price or package price, so ask for those, and for what the transport covers, when you call.
Getting there: road, then river
CONAP’s main access route is the road to Paso Caballos: 68 km of dirt road (terracería), then a boat on the Río San Pedro to the station, a crossing of about 20 minutes. It puts the estimated arrival time at 2 hours 30 minutes but does not say where that time is counted from.
For the trip north to Petén, our Guatemala City to Flores page covers the routes. CONAP’s page does not give distances or times from Flores, so confirm the pickup point and timing with the administration when you book.
What you can see
| Group | What the sources list |
|---|---|
| Landscape | The most extensive freshwater wetlands in Mesoamerica; primary forest, flooded forest and savannas in the park’s southeast (CONAP) |
| Birds | More than 370 species, including the scarlet macaw, Ara macao cyanoptera (AGN; CONAP) |
| Cats | Jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays and jaguarundis (AGN) |
| Other mammals | Tapirs, tamanduas and bats (AGN) |
| Archaeology | El Perú, or Waka’, which CONAP says controlled a cacao and textile trade route on the Río San Pedro and was an ally of Calakmul until it was conquered by Tikal in 742 AD |
CONAP describes the station as a destination for researchers, naturalists, birdwatchers, students and anyone looking for direct and responsible contact with nature. AGN calls it a jewel of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, focused on biological research and responsible tourism.
Activities
AGN’s 2023 report describes a three-day visit organised by INGUAT, the tourism institute, for 16 Guatemalan business owners. The activities it lists:
- Walks in the forest, looking at precious-wood trees
- Sunsets from the lookout (mirador) over the Río San Pedro wetlands
- Night tours by water and on trails to look for nocturnal wildlife
- A visit to the Waká-Perú archaeological zone, with its stelae and altars
- Boat trips on the Río Sacluk
These were the activities of that organised visit; ask the administration which of them it offers on your dates.
What to bring
CONAP recommends binoculars and a camera, and installing the Merlin, eBird and iNaturalist GT apps on your phone, because the station’s expeditions are linked to a citizen-science programme in which visitors help monitor the area’s wildlife. For more birding sites around the country see our Guatemala birding guide, and for other places to see wild animals our wildlife-watching guide. If you are combining the trip with the big ruins, our Tikal day trip guide covers the other side of Petén.
Sources
- CONAP, Turismo SIGAP, Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre, Estación Biológica Las Guacamayas, https://turismo-sigap.conap.gob.gt/rutas-turisticas/ruta-del-mundo-maya-peten/parque-nacional-laguna-del-tigre-estacion-biologica-las-guacamayas/ — Wayback Machine copy of 21 January 2026, read 1 November 2026
- Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN), Destacan diversidad de la estación biológica Las Guacamayas (23 August 2023), https://agn.gt/destacan-diversidad-de-la-estacion-biologica-las-guacamayas — read 1 November 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just turn up at Las Guacamayas Biological Station?
No. CONAP’s tourism page for the station (archived 21 January 2026) says the visit can only be made with prior reservation, and tells visitors to contact the administration, which can provide guides and transport. It lists the phone numbers (+502) 3187-6255 and, for CONAP, (+502) 7926-4158.
How do you get to Las Guacamayas?
CONAP gives the main access route as the road to Paso Caballos: 68 km of dirt road (terracería), then a boat on the Río San Pedro to the station, a trip of about 20 minutes. It puts the estimated arrival time at 2 hours 30 minutes without naming the starting point. The station is in the southeast of Laguna del Tigre National Park, near the community of Paso Caballos, in the municipality of San Andrés, Petén.
Can you see scarlet macaws at Las Guacamayas?
CONAP describes it as one of the only places in Guatemala where the scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) can still be seen in its natural habitat. AGN, the government news agency, reported in August 2023 that the site has more than 370 bird species.
What are the visiting hours?
CONAP lists 7:00 to 18:00 as the opening hours on its page archived 21 January 2026. The page publishes no entrance fee or lodging price; ask the administration when you reserve.
Can I visit the El Perú-Waka' ruins from the station?
CONAP lists a visit to the El Perú archaeological site, called Waka’ by its original inhabitants, among what to expect, and AGN’s 2023 report lists a visit to the Waká-Perú archaeological zone among the station’s activities. Neither source gives the distance or travel time from the station.
