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 Hon ...

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 The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, 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 Mexic ...

through the smaller Golfete Dulce, 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 th ...

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 Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

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