Lake Izabal (), also known as the Golfo Dulce, is the largest lake in
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
with a surface area of 589.6 km² (145,693 acres or 227.6 sq mi) and a maximum depth is 18 m (59 ft). The
Polochic River is the largest river that drains into the lake. The lake, which is only a metre above sea level, drains into the
Gulf of Honduras of the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
through the smaller
Golfete Dulce
Lake El Golfete is a long narrow lake in Guatemala. It lies at sea level and is connected by the Dulce River from Lake Izabal draining to the Amatique Bay in the Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht ...
, which is at sea level, and the navigable
Rio Dulce.
The well preserved colonial
Castillo de San Felipe de Lara
The Castle of San Felipe de Lara (''Castillo de San Felipe de Lara'') (often referred to simply as the ''Castillo de San Felipe'') is a Spanish colonial fort at the entrance to Lake Izabal in eastern Guatemala. Lake Izabal is connected with t ...
guarded this lake against
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
attacks, and there are some ancient sunken ships nearby. It is home to several species including the
Manatee,
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
,
Spider Monkey,
Blue-eye cichlid
The blue-eye cichlid (''Cryptoheros spilurus'') is a small species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined a ...
s, and
Howler Monkey, and is a popular place for birdwatching.
Culture
There are many
indigenous communities surrounding the lake, namely the
Mayas Q'eqchi'.
The
Castle of San Felipe de Lara
The Castle of San Felipe de Lara (''Castillo de San Felipe de Lara'') (often referred to simply as the ''Castillo de San Felipe'') is a Spanish colonial fort at the entrance to Lake Izabal in eastern Guatemala. Lake Izabal is connected with th ...
, constructed in 1652 in honor of Judge Antonio Lara Mangravo, was built to protect the region from pirates.
References
External links
Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrolagía (INSIVUMEH)Lake description
Izabal
Izabal, Lake
Geography of the Izabal Department
{{Guatemala-geo-stub