Motagua River

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Río Motagua in the dry season

Río Motagua ( overview map )

The Río Motagua (also Río Grande) is 486 km long, the longest river in Guatemala. It rises at an altitude of about 1,800 m above sea level. inst in the central highlands of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Chichicastenango, Guatemala crosses from west to east in the Motagua Polo Chic - warp and into the Bay of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea.

The upper reaches, which is also called Río Silapec (or Rio or Río Silepec Silbapec ) and drained large parts of the highlands, forming the border between the departments of El Quiché and Chimaltenango and Baja Verapaz and Guatemala between. In the department of El Progreso which gradually towards the northeast opening Motagua Valley, which is one of the main thoroughfares of Guatemala for a long time begins. Along the river runs the highway CA 9 and the currently disused railway line from Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios. The river crosses the departments of Zacapa and Izabal. Here reached him from the south of the Río Copán. The underflow is the center of a very fertile region, which is mainly used for the cultivation of bananas. In the last few kilometers upstream of the mouth of the Río Motagua after sufficient rains in the highlands navigable for smaller vessels; here it forms the border between Guatemala and Honduras.

In the middle section of the river are the most important sites for all Mesoamerican cultures such popular Jadegestein from which death masks, but also ceremonial objects (knives, scepter ) and jewelery (earrings ) were prepared. Further east - near the village of Los Amates - is located less than 1 km away from the river, the major Mayan site of Quiriguá.