Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This hot, humid port city holds little of interest for travelers except as a jumping-off point
to surrounding attractions such as Punta de Manabique, Lívingston, and resorts across the
Bahía de Amatique. It was once Guatemala's main Caribbean shipping port but has been
replaced byPuertoSantoTomásdeCastilla acrossthebay.Ithashadaslight resurgence in
recent years thanks to the opening of a new shipping container port competing for business
with a similar facility in Omoa, Honduras.
Construction of the port that now bears his name was initiated by reformist President
Justo Rufino Barrios in the 1880s and was linked to Guatemala City via a railroad com-
pleted in 1908. Puerto Barrios was important during the long-past glory days of the Un-
ited Fruit Company. The company financed much of the railroad's completion and linked
its banana plantations to Puerto Barrios, which served as the company-controlled shipping
center for produce bound for New Orleans and New York. United Fruit was sold to Del
Monte in the 1970s and Puerto Barrios sank into a tropical slumber.
Just across the street from the Hotel del Norte and right next to the water,
Container
(7a
Calle, 10 A.M.-10 P.M. daily) is curiously housed in two steel shipping containers. Simple
fare including burgers and tacos are served, but it's mainly a place to enjoy a few beers.
Next door,
Jeffrey's Place
is a simple snack and beer stand. The bars at the
Hotel del
Norte,
across the street, or
Safari
(northern end of 5a Avenida, tel. 7948-0563, 10 A.M.-9
P.M.) make good places for a drink while enjoying the bay views. If you really want to get
a feel for Puerto Barrios's sleazy, after-dark honky-tonk bars, head to the area around 8a
Avenida between 6a and 7a Calle west of the post office, where you'll find a collection of
a dozen or so bars and other “establishments.”
Until recently, there were no organized tours of Puerto Barrios, as it's not really a major
stop on the tourism circuit. With the installation of a new cruise-ship terminal across the
bay fronting the port town, however, there is now at least one option for organized tours.
Antigua-based
Chiltepe Tours
(7a Calle Poniente #15, Centro Comercial El Búcaro, An-
tigua, tel. 5907-0913) is a Gray Line affiliate offering Unimog (military-style open-sided
truck) tours of Puerto Barrios for $34 per adult or $29 per child. You can save $4 off each
ticket by booking through the website. The price includes two beverages of your choice,
including frosty beer to beat the heat. It also does jeep transfers from the cruise-ship dock
to Río Las Escobas.
