Cruises To
Santo Tomas De
Castilla,
Guatemala -
Visit Santo Tomas De Castilla (
Matías de Gálvez)
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Santo Tomás de Castilla, also known as Matías de Gálvez is a port city in the
Izabal Department, Guatemala. It is located at around 15°41′20″
N 88°36′45″WCoordinates: 15°41′20″N 88°36′45″W. It lies at
Amatique Bay off the
Gulf of Honduras and is administratively a part of
Puerto Barrios.
Cruises To Santo Tomas De Castilla, Guatemala
=========================
In 2004, a cruise ship terminal was completed and Santo Tomás de Castilla started receiving cruise ships. The cruise ship terminal has been a tremendous boost for the Guatemalan tourism industry. Four cruise ships a month, carrying 1,
500 passengers each, make a stop here.[5]
Cruise ship passengers visit Guatemala chiefly for its
Mayan culture, which sites are located throughout the country.
Puerto Barrios Airport is being refurbished in order to handle small planes to transport ship passengers for day trips to
Tikal or other places in Guatemala. Nearby attractions include
Rio Dulce,
Lake Izabal, the towns of Puerto Barrios,
Livingston and
San Felipe Castle, and the
Mayan ruins of
Quirigua.
Belgian colony
=============
In the
1840s Santo Tomás was settled by
Belgians in a colonial enterprise after the
European nation supported
Rafael Carrera in his drive for independence of the country.
Belgium supported Rafael Carrera as he led Guatemala to independence. The territory was authorized in 1843 "in perpetuity" by the Guatemalan parliament to be administered by the Compagnie belge de colonisation, a private
Belgian company under the protection of
King Leopold I of Belgium. It replaced the failed
British Eastern
Coast of
Central America Commercial and Agricultural
Company. Many of the Belgians who settled there died of yellow fever and malaria, which were endemic to the region. Most were buried in a Belgian cemetery near
Matias de Gálvez, which still existed in the
1960s. In 1854 the Belgian company withdrew because of financial losses.
- published: 20 Oct 2014
- views: 3836