New Visitor Center Completed

In 2006, construction led by the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) of a Community Visitor Center in the Guatemalan village of Carmelita was completed. The Visitor Center features a small shop, lodging, solar-heated showers, toilets, and a native garden. This new facility exists as a major asset to the Mirador Basin Project, and will serve as a resource for Mirador Basin travelers.

After the visitor center's inauguration ceremony, the facility was turned over to the Carmelita community. This center signifies a new economic opportunity for the people of Carmelita, and represents the first step towards developing tourist infrastructure and tourism programs in this 'gateway' community.

The construction of the Carmelita Community Visitor Center would not have been possible without the generous support of the Friends of the Natural and Cultural Patrimony of Guatemala (APANAC) and the Global Heritage Fund (GHF).

FARES, while actively exploring and researching the ancient Mayan sites of Carmelita's nearby Mirador Basin, believes that the only way to save the Peten rainforest and preserve these historic sites for future generations is through the creation of eco-tourism programs. These programs will generate the economic incentive that surrounding communities need to justify the preservation of these resources.

FARES is a non-profit organization based out of the United States that works with the Guatemalan and foreign governments as well as other agencies and organizations to investigate and protect Guatemala's Mirador Basin.