SOLIDARITY TOURISM (Activities offered)

Community Tour

The tour begins at the Nuevo Horizonte memorial site known as El Corazon where a brief presentation is provided that includes the cooperative’s history and vision, model of organization and current production initiatives underway. As well, the tour includes a visit to the community office, local school, community health clinic, pharmacy where medications at reduced prices are sold, restaurant, daycare centre, guest houses, and production projects including the poultry and egg project and the cattle ranching project.

Interpretative nature paths

Guests are accompanied by community guides on a variety of interpretative trails (level ground) through the forest in an area known as ¨Bosque de la vida¨ or ¨Forest of life¨ where guests will encounter a diverse variety of fauna and flora that is now flourishing in its natural habitat following a decade of careful stewardship and reforestation activities by cooperative members. Guests will also be shown a relic of a guerilla camp that corresponds to guerilla living conditions during the armed conflict. Throughout the hike, guides share their stories of survival in the jungle during the armed conflict and their intimate knowledge of the jungle is revealed as they describe their uses of local medicinal and edible plants found along the hike. Various seeds used in the making of handicrafts are also identified during the hike. Differing length of trail tour ranging from 1-7 km is available depending on guest request. The kilometre trail tour includes a visit to the community lagoon where the Tilapia fish farming project is located.

Lagoon and fish farming project

The community lagoon is host to the Tilapia fish farming project that is reached by rowboat. As well, there is a dock where guests can observe local aquaculture including flora and fauna and swim. The recreation area adjacent to the lagoon is surrounded by palm trees and other tropical vegetation. There are two raised platforms with thatched roof for camping with hammocks and mosquito netting available for rental at the cooperative. Campfire cooking facilities are available though people often enjoy freshly caught tilapia fish cooked on the open grill.

Reforestation project
Guests have the opportunity to visit the cooperative`s award-winning reforestation project that is situated on 145 hectares. This project reflects the volunteer efforts of all community members and their commitment to economic growth that incorporates a sustainable ecological environment.

Volunteer community activities

Depending on the season, volunteers are welcomed and supported to participate in a wide range of activities including work activities related to the poultry project, reforestation project, cattle ranching project, and local community school.

Transportation Services (including driver).

Mopan Waterfalls: Located deep in the countryside one hour by vehicle, guests can enjoy the natural beauty of Mopan Waterfalls that includes swimming and relaxing in the numerous pools of water carved in the rock, climbing rope ladders to reach to the differing levels of water pools, picnicking, and relaxing amongst virgin jungle.

Archaeological site of Yaxha: Perched on the top of an island in the middle of a lake lies the archaeological site of Yaxha that is secluded, fascinating, and historically very interesting. This site is located 1.5 hours from the Nuevo Horizonte Cooperative.

The national park of Tikal: Tikal is the largest archaeological site discovered measuring 57,000 hectares. Stunning in its immensity and minimally disturbed beauty, it is considered the heart of the Maya world and is the most famous site in Guatemala. It is located just one hour and thirty minutes from the Nuevo Horizonte Cooperative.