Text : Francisco Enriquez
Ak’ Tenamit Association is a Guatemalan NGO founded in 1992 with the main objective of getting the sustainable development of the more than 30 Mayan villages which conform the Association, helping more than 8,000 people. Its areas of work are : health, education, community development, sustainable agriculture, handicrafts and eco-tourism ; all of them run under the principles of gender equity, nature and identity respect, and Mayan cosmovision.
The project is in the heart of the humid tropical forest by the Caribbean Sea, inside the natural protected areas Río Dulce National Park and Río Sarstún Special Protection Reserve, being very accessible because the many public and private boats traveling from Livingston to Río Dulce. The place is located in an area only 8 meters above the sea level, and because the kind of climate and forest of the region, tropical rain is very common along the year, being the dry season from February to May.
During the visit, it possible to know Ak’ Tenamit work and talk to the students and artisans who are normally at the site, which is between the river and the rainforest, reason why its biodiversity is enormous. Mayan culture is a very important part of the education at Ak’ Tenamit school, so it is easy for the visitor to enjoy the real Mayan world and its traditions along the year, all surrounded by the exuberant biodiversity of the jungle, where even the jaguar can be watched sometimes in the night. In the restaurant in Livingston, a tasty and lightly spiced Caribbean or international meal can be enjoyed while watching the ocean and knowing about the local population, the Garifuna, Afro-Caribbean people who still preserve their traditions and who are famous by their happiness, expressed through their music, dance and cosmovision.
Tatín has a nature trail in the jungle, a unique handicrafts store where Indigenous cooperatives products from the whole country are commercialized, a restaurant with excellent typical food served, an education trail to the school and the experimental crops area, as well as a swimming pond. There are self guided treks in Tatín, or if required in advanced, English and Spanish guided treks around the site are available, nice meals at the restaurant and handicrafts making demonstrations by the local Mayan artisans, as well as the visit to the unique Sustainable Tourism school in Guatemala, where Mayan students get prepared to lead their villages development.
Along the school year (from January to October), Mayan ceremonies, traditional dance and music, and many cultural activities take place in the site, and interacting with the Mayan students from the different villages is allowed to the visitor to know more about their traditions and way of living. For the visitor concerned by the tourism impact on the local culture and environment, Ak’ Tenamit is one of the very few community based eco-tourism sites certified by Green Deal in Guatemala, a total warranty of the minimum negative impact of this activity. The visitor is recommended to bring comfortable and cool shoes and cloths, a hat or cap and sun glasses, swimming dress and a towel if wished, a raincoat and insect repellent for both places.
Localisation
Ak’ Tenamit is located in the Barra de Lámpara village, in the municipality of Livingston, in the department of Izabal, near the exuberant and amazing Río Dulce Canyon, on the Guatemalan Caribbean Sea. To get to Ak’ Tenamit from Guatemala City, a 5 hour comfortable bus trip is necessary, being Puerto Barrios the first step in the itinerary, followed by a 30 minutes boat trip to Livingston, where the school-restaurant is located. From Livingston, another 20 minutes boat trip will take the visitor to Tatín.
Contact
Guillermo Pérez.
Asociación Ak’ Tenamit,
11 Avda. “A”, 9-39, zona 2, Guatemala.
Tél. Fax : (502) 2254-3346 y 2254-1560.
Courriel : gperez@aktenamit.org ; info@aktenamit.org
Internet : www.aktenamit.org