The bay in which the harbour is located is called Bahia de Amatique.. Puerto Barrios is the departmental seat of Izabal department and the administrative seat of Puerto Barrios municipality.. It is Guatemala's main Caribbean Sea port, together with its more modern twin port town just to the southwest, Santo Toms de Castilla.. In the estimated population of Puerto Barrios was 40, people.. Puerto Barrios is located kilometers northeast of Guatemala City.
The earthquake on February 4 of , one of the worst in the history of the country, destroyed most of the port facilities of Puerto Barrios, and most modern cargo traffic moved to its twin port in Santo Toms de Castilla..
Its heyday was in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries, following the construction of a railroad connecting large banana plantations with the shipping docks.. In a strange twist of history, the harbor was partly built by Theodore Roosevelt's Corps of Engineers in Puerto Barrios was also the terminus for the United Fruit Company's railway.. Puerto Barrios is divided by many neighborhoods or Barrios such as El rastro, las champas, los tanques, la veinte, la veintedos, la catorce, la trece, el estrecho, etc Although the town is small, due to its harbor nature, many of its visitors are ship workers who frequent the night entertainment centers throughout the town..
Puerto Barrios is starting to get more visitors in the new century as the nearby town of Santo Toms de Castilla has started receiving cruise ships. Puerto Barrios Airport is currently being refurbished in order to receive scheduled flights in the near future.. Among the many nearby tourist attractions are The Mayan ruins of Quirigua.
Another popular attraction is the lively town of Livingston where Garifuna culture can be experienced first hand with its Punta and Yankunu dances.. One of the most visited places is a local river called " Las Escobas ". The river is famous for its crystalline water and is very cold. It's in the middle of the jungle, but is very easy to reach it by a road or walking.
