About Guatemala

The Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera is a Natural Reserve 160 km away from Guatemala City, in the northern highlands of Alta Verapaz. It’s 1017 hectares of rainforest intend to preserve the Quetzal’s natural habitat, and serves as an important green lung for the area.

The preserve has two well maintained trails to choose from, a short and a long one. Both of them will show you a myriad of plant species, from orchids and bromelias, to ferns and countless tree species that grow in a moss covered soil. Water streams and cascades appear from time to time along the path. The Biotopo hosts a large number of fauna that can often be seen if you achieve to keep quiet during your hike. Maybe you’ll have to keep for yourself many ohh!’s and ahh!’s if you want to accomplish this. Some animals in the reserve include small lizards, pizotes, wild cats, monkeys and many bird species that include the quetzal.

The Reserve offers a small orchid nursery, where you can take a peek of some of the 70 registered species of the region. It also provides a campsite, bathrooms, a pool, a shop and a parking lot. It’s always a good idea to bring insect repellant and some extra cloth in case you get wet. Remember this is a cloud forest, so it’s high humidity environment.

The Biotopo is on the road from Guatemala City to Cobán, so it’s very easy to get there by bus. Just tell the driver you’re going to “el Biotopo” and the bus will make a stop in the Reserve’s entrance. If you’re looking for eco-adventure, you’ll sure find it here.