Accessible from Puerto Barrios, this small town of brightly painted wooden houses and balconies is located in the jungle among coconut groves. Formerly the departure point for coffee farmed in the plantations of the Verapaz region, it still has a small fishing economy. Celebrations during Easter Week and on 12 December (Feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) are particularly colorful. From Livingston, boat trips can be taken along the Río Dulce, a jungle river that has its source in Lake Izabal and winds its way between steep cliffs and dense vegetation, through the lake of El Golfete, to flow into the Amatique Bay. Along the river, near Fronteras, is the fort of San Felipe, which was constructed by the Spanish in the 17th century as a defense against pirate attacks. The waterways of the river also pass through the mangrove swamps and lagoons of the Chocón Machacas Biosphere. This is a habitat for the endangered manatee (sea cow), which is Guatemala’s largest aquatic mammal. North of Livingston is the Siete Altares, a series of waterfalls and pools, which have been formed where the Río Dulce empties into the Caribbean.