At Santo Tomás de Castilla, a cruise port on Guatemala’s Caribbean coast, the shore excursions with published details run from a 1-hour trolley ride to an 8-hour private car, and Oceania’s menu centres on Quiriguá’s Maya ruins, Río Dulce by land and rainforest trips by boat or on foot. Oceania Cruises’ port page lists nine Santo Tomás tours with their lengths (read 4 November 2026); none shows a price there. Independent travellers can reach Livingston by public lancha from neighbouring Puerto Barrios for Q50 in about 30 minutes.
TL;DR: Short call: Oceania’s 1-hour trolley tour. History: Quiriguá, about 5 hours with 3 of them on the road. Nature: Las Escobas springs (3¼ h) or Hacienda Tijax (7½ h). Livingston on your own: a 30-minute lancha from Puerto Barrios, but plan the return yourself. Your ship’s own times are on our cruise ship schedule.
Oceania’s Santo Tomás menu, by length
| Tour (Oceania code) | Length, as listed | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Trolley Town Tour (STC-011) | About 1 hour | Trolley ride through Santo Tomás and neighbouring Puerto Barrios with a guide |
| Las Escobas Springs Adventure (STC-001) | About 3¼ hours | Rainforest hike along the Las Escobas river to a waterfall with pools to swim in; about 1½ miles on uneven ground; minibuses |
| Quirigua Archaeological National Park (STC-005) | About 5 hours | The archaeological park at Quiriguá; about 1½ hours’ drive each way; about 1½ miles of walking over uneven ground |
| Countryside and Rio Dulce By Land (STC-004) | About 5 hours | A 17th-century Spanish castle built against pirates, the town of Río Dulce (Fronteras) and a photo stop at the Río Dulce bridge; includes boarding boats |
| Chocolate, Drink of the Gods (STC-010) | About 5½ hours | Cacao plantation visit and how the fruit becomes chocolate |
| Visit to Q’eqchi Indigenous River Community (STC-002) | About 6 hours (full day) | Boat along the Tatin River to a rural community supported by the non-profit Ak’Tenamit; folk music and dance with lunch; 30-minute jungle walk |
| Eco-Hike At Hacienda Tijax (STC-006) | About 7½ hours (full day) | Drive through the Motagua Valley, a bridge photo stop over Río Dulce National Park, a short boat ride, a 3¼-mile hike, lunch at the eco-lodge and a swim |
| Executive Collection Full Day Van / Car (STC-V08, STC-C08) | About 8 hours | Private vehicle, priced per vehicle rather than per person |
Source: Oceania Cruises, Santo Tomás shore excursions, read 4 November 2026. The page shows a price field for each tour but no figure in it.
Oceania flags the physical demands itself: the Quiriguá, Las Escobas, Q’eqchi community and Hacienda Tijax tours are not recommended for guests with limited mobility or wheelchair users, the river trip can be bumpy and wet, and on the Río Dulce tour guests must step into and out of the boat on their own, which Oceania says can be hard at low tide.
Other lines. Crystal Cruises’ itinerary for Crystal Symphony’s 19 November 2026 call lists 8 optional shore excursions at Santo Tomás, and its port description names tours of Quiriguá and a Spanish fort. Seabourn’s Quiriguá Archaeological Ruins page showed Information Not Currently Available for price, duration and activity level on 4 November 2026.
Timing a call
Crystal Symphony’s 19 November 2026 call runs 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, nine hours alongside. Against that window:
- Quiriguá: Oceania’s 5-hour tour spends about 3 hours driving (1½ hours each way), leaving about 2 hours off the road. The park opens daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; entry is Q80.00 for foreign visitors (Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes). See our Quiriguá ruins page.
- Hacienda Tijax or the Q’eqchi community: at 7½ and 6 hours, these are the longest group tours on Oceania’s menu and leave 1½ to 3 hours of a nine-hour call free.
- Livingston by public boat: El Hotelito Perdido lists departures from the Puerto Barrios public dock at 06:30, 07:30, 09:00, 11:00 and 17:00, with later boats when 16 people are waiting. The crossing is about 30 minutes one way and costs Q50 per person. On a 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM call, the 07:30, 09:00 and 11:00 departures fall inside the window; the 17:00 boat does not. That source lists no return times from Livingston, so fix your return before you leave Puerto Barrios. More on the Puerto Barrios to Livingston boat and things to do in Livingston.
At Banguat’s cross rates for 3 November 2026: Q50 is about US$6.55, C$9.16 or £5.10; Q80 about US$10.48, C$14.65 or £8.16.
Check your cruise line’s terms on whether the ship waits for a late tour, and for anything booked independently, build in a margin before all-aboard.
The port
EMPORNAC, the port company, lists the reception and berthing of cruise ships and services for passengers during tourist calls among its services. Oceania describes Puerto Barrios as the neighbouring town, and its trolley tour covers both.
Further afield
Río Dulce and the Río Dulce to Livingston boat cover the town and the river route in depth. For the department as a whole, see Izabal. If your cruise also calls on the Pacific side, compare the menus on our Puerto Quetzal shore excursions page.
Sources
- Oceania Cruises, Santo Tomás shore excursions, read 4 November 2026
- Crystal Cruises, Crystal Symphony itinerary, departing 11 November 2026, read 4 November 2026
- Seabourn, Quirigua Archaeological Ruins, read 4 November 2026
- El Hotelito Perdido, Getting here, read 4 November 2026
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Sistema de Información Cultural, Parque Arqueológico Quiriguá, read 4 November 2026
- EMPORNAC, port information, read 4 November 2026
- Banco de Guatemala, exchange rates, business day 3 November 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What shore excursions are offered at Santo Tomás de Castilla?
Oceania Cruises’ Santo Tomás page, read 4 November 2026, lists nine tours with Santo Tomás codes: a 1-hour trolley tour of Santo Tomás and Puerto Barrios, the Las Escobas springs hike (about 3¼ hours), Quiriguá (about 5 hours), Río Dulce by land (about 5 hours), a cacao plantation (about 5½ hours), a Q’eqchi river community by boat (about 6 hours), a Hacienda Tijax eco-hike (about 7½ hours) and two 8-hour private vehicles.
How long does a Quiriguá excursion from Santo Tomás take?
Oceania lists its Quiriguá Archaeological National Park tour at about 5 hours and says the drive between the pier and Quiriguá is about 1½ hours in each direction, which leaves about 2 hours of the tour off the road. The Ministerio de Cultura lists the park open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Q80.00 for foreign visitors.
Can I go to Livingston on my own from the cruise port?
Livingston is reached by boat from Puerto Barrios, next to the port. El Hotelito Perdido lists public boats from Puerto Barrios at 06:30, 07:30, 09:00, 11:00 and 17:00, about 30 minutes, Q50 per person (read 4 November 2026). It lists departures from Puerto Barrios only, so agree your return time in Livingston before you go.
How much do the cruise-line excursions cost?
Oceania’s Santo Tomás excursion page shows each tour’s length but no price on 4 November 2026, and Seabourn’s Quiriguá tour page shows Information Not Currently Available for its price and duration. Check prices in your line’s booking system or on board.
How many hours do ships stay at Santo Tomás?
Crystal Cruises lists Crystal Symphony’s call on 19 November 2026 from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, nine hours, with 8 optional shore excursions at the port. The other calls this season, with each line’s times, are on our Santo Tomás de Castilla cruise ship schedule.
