About us

Carmelita Tour Operator

We are social community enterprise dedicated to promote local tourism products and services, especially in the Carmelita-Mirador Trek and the Puerto Arturo Wildlife Refuge. We emerged from the need to bring travelers the information and logistical services to live adventures in the Mayan Jungle while generating benefits for local people and contribute to value our cultural and natural heritage. We have an information and sales point located in Flores Island, in Petén, where our bilingual staff (Spanish-English) will welcome you and accompany you in the logistics to start your trip.

About Carmelita

The Carmelita-El Mirador circuit and the tour to Puerto Arturo Wildlife Refuge are run by the inhabitants of Carmelita, a traditional community settled in the heart of the Selva Maya since the early 1900s, driven by the extraction of sap from chicozapote, the main economic activity at that time.

From the last century until now, the inhabitants of Carmelita live in harmony with the forest. In 1997, the Government of Guatemala granted Carmelita the Community Forestry Concession, through which the community is responsible for the protection, management and conservation of an area of 530 km2 in which more than 97% of the natural forest is conserved.

Read more

Accreditation

The Cooperativa Carmelita Tour Operator is a community company legally established and recognized by the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT).

In Guatemala, there are tourist agencies that are not registered, nor authorized by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism - INGUAT - they do not appear in the official directory of agencies and offer services and packages at a lower cost. The Cooperativa Carmelita Tour Operator has legal personality, responsibilities and obligations clearly identified. We have 32 guides certified by INGUAT.

ENTER THE OFFICIAL TOURISM PAGE OF GUATEMALA TO VERIFY US.

We are the only organization authorized by the government of Guatemala, represented by the National Council of Protected Areas and the Ministry of Culture and Sports to operate the tourist circuit Carmelita-El Mirador.

Why travel with us

  • We are a trained and knowledgeable of the jungle team that includes: guides certified by INGUAT in Spanish, assistants, muleteers, cooks and logistic support personnel
  • Support of a community organization duly registered that guarantees the safety and well-being of the visitors during the tour
  • We have a point of contact in Flores from where expeditions are coordinated from the arrival of visitors to Petén
  • A base camp in the forest, complete camping equipment and first aid kit
  • The community tourism project generates local income for more than 85% of Carmelita families, members and non-members of the Cooperative and the profits are invested in educational and health projects