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Here's a tip: From Santo Tomas, one of the most interesting ports on our itinerary, book a tour. Otherwise, you won't have a good experience. That's because Santo Tomas is a cargo port. There's no fancy facilities (though there is a terminal where you can buy souvenirs), and nothing's nearby. And, as well, what's special about Guatemala, particularly this part of its Caribbean coast, is getting out into nature.
One of the trip's bucket list opportunities is a visit to the Mayan ruins of Tikal via a small plane; you can book that through Oceania, and it's a powerful tease. We opted for a more low-key excursion out to the Rio Dulce, Guatemala's "sweet river." It was a peaceful day as our eight-seater boat chugged away from Santo Tomas past beautiful seafront villas and then into the mouth of Rio Dulce, where you feel utter peace. It's framed by steep green canyons with limestone cliffs, toasty thermal waters, ponds of white lilies and small villages. We saw pelicans, cormorants and flamingos (but didn't spot any jaguars, who live in the jungle all around the river). We visited a school created to educate rural kids so that they could be prepared for productive lives as adults, and change family trajectories in this poor area.
Our tour finished with lunch in the bustling town of Livingston, at the river's mouth, where the fish was so fresh it still had its head, and tourists and locals alike plied the streets, shopping, sipping coffee and enjoying the view.
