Cooperativa Carmelita
in Carmelita, Guatemala
The Carmelita-El Mirador circuit is run by the inhabitants of Carmelita, a traditional community settled in the heart of the Selva Maya since the early 1900s. From the last century until now, the inhabitants of Carmelita live in harmony with the forest. 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.
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Why Lokal Recommends Cooperativa Carmelita
Background
Community Cooperative started in 2000| Locally Owned with 100% local staff
A Unique Story
Prior to the tourism cooperative the main source of income for Carmelita was gum. There are a surplus of Manikara Zapota trees in the region where one can extract a substance that is used to make chewing gum. When they realized that tourism was a viable alternative to the gum industry they decided to commercialize the multi-day hike to El Mirador, and from there the cooperative has expanded to other tourism destinations and tours in Peten. The trail to El Mirador (the biggest ruins in Central America) is 3/4ths on their land and the community has worked for years to capacitate tour guides, buy enough mules (to carry the supplies), and open a reservations office in the town of Flores. The cooperative is comprised of over 200 individuals.
Location
