Where We Be
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| It's a long, bumpy journey to get to the tiered turquoise pools of Semuc Champey, but you'll never forget it if you take the full-day tour, including Kanba Water Caves |
| Semuc Champey, Guatemala |
| The jungle scenery along the way is beautiful. As the map shows, we're smack-dab in the middle of Guatemala and there's not much else around. |
| We returned to El Retiro Lodge in time for a tasty dinner. The lodge is ideally situated along the river and offers a rustic retreat. |
| Our group stood in the back of a pickup truck holding onto an iron bar at waist level as we drove over bumpy roads for 45 minutes to the park entrance. Even getting to Semuc Champey is something of an adventure! |
| We walked back to our pickup truck along this beautiful stretch of river. By now it was late afternoon. What a memorable day! |
| We emerged exhilarated from the water caves. In case you're wondering, a fellow adventurer smeared celebratory "war paint" on our faces (candle soot from the caves). Afterwards we had one more chance to swim near this lovely waterfall. |
| The Cahabon River actually passes BELOW these pools. The tiered pools sit atop a natural limestone bridge. The name Semuc Champey means "where the river hides under the stones." |
| You can see why this is such a popular spot for a swim. The only reason it isn't completely overrun with tourists is because it's so hard to get to. It took us 10+ hours on a crowded shuttle from Lake Atitlan -- and another 8 hours to Flores (near Tikal). |
| You can't fly here so you have to earn your swim with one helluva commute! But those long hours fade away as you paddle around in the refreshing waters. |
| We meandered from pool to pool -- there are six altogether, several deep enough to dive into |
| Our guide paused to open a cacao pod and gave us each a taste of the chocolate nibs within |
| The climb to the top of the mirador is short but steep: it takes about 30 minutes. For this unforgettable view we would have hiked much further. |
| In this vertical image you can see how the stepped pools are situated at the base of a lush green canyon. What a setting! |
| This has got to be one of the most beautiful spots in Central America. It's listed as one of the top things to do in Guatemala on Trip Advisor. |
Semuc Champey is simply gorgeous: blue pools
cascading one into another, set inside a deep
green canyon. It's a hidden gem in the midst of
the Guatemalan jungle. We think it's worth the
long ride to get here. We did the full-day tour
with Retiro Lodge at a cost of 185 Q (~$25) pp.
Our guide led us steeply uphill to a mirador
where we got fantastic views of the pools (left).
Then we spent a relaxing hour or so swimming
in the refreshing water. Afterwards, as a group,
we rode a natural water flume into a pool and
ducked into an extremely small water cave.
After lunch we began the second part of our
adventure: exploring Kanba water caves. The
entire route was through water, sometimes to
your ankles and other times to your neck -- or
beyond! Going through an extensive water
cave with just tallow candles was quite an
experience! A lot of the way we clung to ropes
or climbed iron ladders up to higher levels. A
highlight was jumping from a high ledge inside
the cave into a deep, black pool of water. We
also had to sandwich ourselves into a narrow
gap, position ourselves just so, then let go and
fall blindly into another pool. Hands down it was
an excellent adventure! We're so glad we did
the full trip and not just the cascading pools.
cascading one into another, set inside a deep
green canyon. It's a hidden gem in the midst of
the Guatemalan jungle. We think it's worth the
long ride to get here. We did the full-day tour
with Retiro Lodge at a cost of 185 Q (~$25) pp.
Our guide led us steeply uphill to a mirador
where we got fantastic views of the pools (left).
Then we spent a relaxing hour or so swimming
in the refreshing water. Afterwards, as a group,
we rode a natural water flume into a pool and
ducked into an extremely small water cave.
After lunch we began the second part of our
adventure: exploring Kanba water caves. The
entire route was through water, sometimes to
your ankles and other times to your neck -- or
beyond! Going through an extensive water
cave with just tallow candles was quite an
experience! A lot of the way we clung to ropes
or climbed iron ladders up to higher levels. A
highlight was jumping from a high ledge inside
the cave into a deep, black pool of water. We
also had to sandwich ourselves into a narrow
gap, position ourselves just so, then let go and
fall blindly into another pool. Hands down it was
an excellent adventure! We're so glad we did
the full trip and not just the cascading pools.
| The second half of our adventure started after lunch: exploring Kanba Water Caves. Picture holding a tallow candle in one hand, hot wax dripping on your wrist, while wading through neck-deep water and grasping a rope with the other, and that will give you a good idea of this awesome experience! Don't miss it! Since my camera isn't waterproof I have no pictures of my own so have borrowed one from a fellow traveler with a Go Pro (Americo Alvez from Uruguay). |
| Lanquin is the nearest town to Semuc Champey |
| We hiked down a different way than we came up. At this point we were primed for a swim. |
| He also showed us where the Cahabon River disappears underground for 1000 ft before re-emerging past the pools |
