The laid-back jungle hideaway of Lívingston is accessible from the Caribbean port of Puerto Barrios. Black Afro-Guatemalans called the Garífuna live on the island, descendants of Africans brought to the New World as slaves who escaped or were shipwrecked. Intermarriage with shipwrecked sailors of other races and the indigenous Maya has created a distinctive culture and language incorporating African, Mayan and European elements. Tiny Lívingston is an interesting anomaly, the way of life definitely more Belizean than Guatemalan, with coconut groves, gaily painted wooden buildings and a fishing economy. The town is the starting point for boat rides on the Río Quehueche and Río Cocolí, which take you through tropical jungle scenery for a swim or a picnic, or out to the Cayos Sapodillas for snorkeling and fishing.

Situated on Guatemala's Pacific Slope, this is an important site for anyone interested in Mayan art and culture. The sugar cane fields are dotted with great stone heads and scenes carved in relief. The artifacts are the remnants of the Pipils, a non-Mayan Indian culture linked to that of the Nahuatl-speaking peoples of central Mexico. The mystery is how these people got here and why these ritual objects? There are three main archaeological sites in the surrounding sugar cane fincas (ranches or plantations). Finca Bilbao consists of several ceremonial sites containing stone sculptures, many of which are hidden among the cane. Hilltop Finca El Baúl has the additional fascination of being a still-active place of worship, while Finca Las Ilusiones contains hundreds of objects which have been collected from the fields over the centuries.

The monumental Mayan ceremonial center at Tikal lies northwest of Flores in the department of El Petén. Its jungle location makes it a unique site. Towering pyramids rise above the jungle's green canopy, while down below howler monkeys swing nosily through the branches of ancient trees, colorful parrots squawk and dart, and tree frogs fill in the auditory gaps. The steep-sided temples rise to heights of over 44m (144ft), and although the undergrowth around them has been cleared, the dense rainforest canopy is not far away, making passage within the enigmatic site an unforgettable experience. The many ruins include plazas, an acropolis, pyramids, temples and a museum.