castillo de san felipe de lara

This old Spanish Fort is located in a very nice and neat park, the entrance fee is Q20.00 which let you receive a flyer with the interesting history.The view from top to the Dulce River and Lago Izabal is fantastic.In about 1hour you easily walk around the whole park and the interior of the Castle.Outside the park you find a store with hand woven shirts where you can watch how Mayan women weave the fabric.All in all very recommended.

We arrived here in our rental car at 7:45am, they open at 8. There is no driving directly to the castle but a man will let you into the gated parking space on the left, I'm sorry but I don't remember the cost, bring single Q's. Cost to enter the park is Q20 each and they gave us a cute flyer about the history of the castle; it's all in Spanish but nothing Google Translator can't handle. I really, really liked Castillo de San Felipe! The castle has been restored to fantastic condition! Bring maybe a small flashlight because there are several sets of stairs within the castle that take took me through a short dark hall and out into another part of the castle. I used the flash bulb on my camera to lead me. The old cannons are really cool and I really enjoyed how it seemed like an old stone maze. My imagination kept going crazy when I saw the drawbridge and the moat, it sent my nerd brain off the hook! Do take their advice and watch your head if you enjoy your hair attached to your scalp.The surrounding landscape is beautifully kept too. Shady, grassy, and full of coconut trees and hibiscus. We had to make sure to stop on the walk out to take pictures of the tranquil cemetery along the path. I really enjoyed everything about this easy to find site.

The old spanish fort is fun to see the history. Narrow stairwells and watch your head (low bridge). Super great position on the Rio Deluce commards control of the river.Enjoy the view of the river!

This castle can be seen both from the river, taking an excursion that shows you the hot springs and other attractions. It is very picturesque and impressive seen by the water. But is also very lovely and worth a visit from the inside, you can do it in half an hour. Lovely nature around it, too.

This little fortress is accessible by boat or car....and is located on beautiful park grounds with a small cafe, a bit of shopping (souvenirs), a swimming beach, and a very local flare!!!You pay a small fee, and you can wander the park and go into and through all the rooms of this fort... learn about it's history, as it is interesting.VERY picturesque as you can climb in and around and take great shots from about anywhere...canyons still there, most walls have been rebuilt, but still has the original looks from long ago when the Spaniards built it!Lovey place to spend an hour or so!!!

We kayaked to the castillo from our hotel. What a way to arrive! The building possesses beautiful architecture. A real touch of history is there to the real meaning and value of this place. The grounds are beautiful with interesting graveyards nearby. Walk up to the village of San Felipe for a taste of the "real" Guatemala.Well worth the hours we spent there.

My 4-year-old twin boys loved this place! They're obsessed with pirates and being in a real pirate castle was over the top for them. They pretended to shoot the cannons at the passing boats and acted out other pirate adventures throughout the castle. My boys particularly enjoyed the passages in the rooms that were filled with water. In one room, there were two younger guys at the entrance who were practicing their English and said we could go in. What they didn't say was that the room was filled with water. So one of my boys proceeded in and was quite shocked! But it played into their adventures and luckily we had extra clothes with us to change into. Bring a flash light or a headlamp - the rooms don't have lighting in them and some have no windows so it's hard to see in. There are stairs to climb up towers but be careful as there aren't a lot of hand rails, the stairs are steep, and the tops of stairs or ladders often don't have railings around the openings. Go early. We were there during the mid-morning and it was SO hot! I can't imagine what it's like in the afternoons. There is no parking within the park. The closest parking lot is Q10 (I think) and a 1 minute walk from the gate. There are others along the way that are Q5 but in my mind, not really worth the extra walking, especially if you have kids. There are lots of biting ants in that parking lot so get moving as quickly as possible!The ice cold coconut water (Q5) from the vendors just outside the gate is a perfect way to replenish your electrolytes after sweating your butt off in the castle!If you're in the area, it's worth a trip. It's cheap, easy to find, and a fun adventure for kids.

It was a neat place. If you do not speak Spanish you cannot read the signs, so take someone along who can tell you what they say. Its a great place for a photoshoot!

Beautiful architecture, very well preserved with excellent swimming opportunity in nearby clean little beach. A real touch of history will get you from never ending barging and stress to the real meaning and value of this place. If you come by car, there is a possibility to park just next to the entrance, but be ready for beggars who will insist to guard you car and want some money afterwards. It will take you about 1,5 hrs and bring the swimming suits!

Tour guides only speak Spanish, but you get the idea in their five minute intro. Then you get to climb around and go through tunnels, climb rickety staircases, check out dark dark rooms. Be prepared for the heat/humidity, cause it definitely weighs you down. Bring water. After we finished in the castle, there are showers behind the bathrooms on the road out. We dipped our heads in and felt great. The kids loved it and I thought it was pretty cool also.

Lovely Castillo at the mouth of the Rio Dulce. Short trip from Flores. Wonderful spot for a picnic as well. Built in the 17th century to protect from pirates (not successful) and beautifully restored.

If you have a spare hour, it's a nice option. I was kind of dissapointed because it's so small and didn't feel the mystic about it. But it's cheap and easy to get. It's possible to picknick at the site and the view is nice

With our travels thru the Caribbean we have seen many a fort and this one is good for a day visit. The grounds are beautiful and the fort has some good views of the river. Bring a flash light to explore the tunnels as they are not lighted.

I seen this place from the Rio Dulce river tour. It is a small fort, but it is really neat to see. I did not expect to see it on the tour, so it was a little surprise. The view along the river during the tour is absolutely beautiful making for some very nice memorable photos. I am sure that if anyone had asked, the tour guide would have stopped the boat and let us off to explore this old fort. Everyone seemed content taking videos and photos of it from the boat. If you like old architecture then I think you will like this place. The tour guide slowed the boat way down and drove around the fort from every angle allowing everyone great vantage points to take great photos.

On a cruise from New Orleans to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, this particular tour turned out to be one of our best, a real adventure. On a brutally hot April day after we docked we boarded our bus for the fort. Super friendly tour guide, who gave us bottled water and friendship bracelets, showed us the sites in air conditioned comfort of this exotic fascinating country. Castillo was the icing on the cake. Great tour!! Do it!