One of the most beautiful places in all of Guatemala is also one of the hardest to get to, but well worth the trek AND the hype. And that is Semuc Champey, a jungle oasis located in the mountainous Alta Verpaz region of Guatemala. It is here you can find cascading pools and waterfalls galore, lush forest, rivers, and caves. Ideally you will want to spend 2 or 3 days of adventure in Semuc Champey to make the most of your time here.
Getting to Semuc Champey
The closest city to Semuc Champey is Lanquin, a small town about 10km (or 6 miles) or 45 min away on a very bumpy dirt road. The journey in getting here is no joke! Whether you’re coming from Guatemala City, Antigua or even Lake Atitlan, it’s a LONG, windy, bumpy drive. We traveled from Panajachel, outside of Lake Atitlan and it took us over 10 hours with stops for bathroom and food.
but offers stunning mountain views.
The drive from Guatemala City or Antigua (which is the route most people come from) isn’t much quicker or closer either, so either way, be prepared for a long trek in getting to Semuc Champey and if you get motion sickness easily, pop those Dramamine pills beforehand.
Unless you rent a car to get there, you will need to take a shuttle bus or hire a private van. We took the a shuttle bus and it was great (included air conditioning and plenty of room for luggage). Shuttle vans typically cost about $25-35/person (and obviously more for a private van).
There are tons of companies that offer shuttle service from all of the major cities to Lanquin, but the one we went with was Sunrise Travel. They don’t operate a website, but are based in Antigua and offer shuttle services all over the country. You can also look up GuateGo, which offers all kinds of transportation services.
Where to Stay in Semuc Champey
As mentioned earlier, the closest town to Semuc Champey is Lanquin and let me tell you, your lodging options are limited. However, you’ll be happy to know that almost all of them are super budget-friendly as most offer eco or hostel style lodging. We read lots of reviews on Trip Advisor, and ended up choosing Hostal Oasis The Traveler (for like $18 USD/night) because they had Wifi and we needed to be able to connect to the internet for work. It was also in a good location to town and right on the river!
Other good lodging options to consider in or near Lanquin are El Retiro, Zephyr Lodge, El Portal de Semuc (closest hotel to entrance of park), and Utopia Eco Hotel. It really depends on your budget and if you want to be closer to Semuc Champey or to town (for more food options), as well as availability/time of year you go. Make sure to use Booking.com to guarantee the best rates.
3 Day Semuc Champey Itinerary
Get ready, because the next 3 days will be jam-packed with adventure in Semuc Champey! (Mixed with some relaxation too.) We spent 2 full months in Guatamala and I can honestly say that our time at Semuc Champey was one of our favorite highlights and experiences. Not to mention, SO beautiful!
Day 1: Go on a guided tour
There is a big debate over if you should do Semuc Champey on your own or with a guide. We believe you should do BOTH! Why? Because only with a guide can you go to the famous Kanba caves and that alone is worth paying the relatively small fee for a full day of adventure in Semuc Champey!
With a guided tour, you start the day in the morning with a hike to El Mirador, a steep but short hike to the top of a vista point overlooking Semuc Champey. Only from this vantage point, can you get a good view of the pools from above.
The views are breathtaking and the trail is beautiful and lush. After you finish the hike, your guide takes you back down to the pools where you spend the next couple of hours–swimming, relaxing, sliding and jumping off rocks and waterfalls. So fun! It’s the perfect place for kids too because there are plenty of places where the water is super shallow. We suggest wearing good water shoes or sandals though, it can be slippery walking across the rocks!
Once you finish up at the pools, your guide will take you to El Portal de Semuc, where you will get lunch (not included with the tour). After lunch, the real fun begins! You will then go to Kanba caves with your guide. It might seem a little sketchy when all they hand you is a candle, but trust me, it’s an adventure! (Note: You can always bring a headlamp if you don’t feel comfortable with a wax candle.)
It felt like we were straight out of Indiana Jones holding candles as we walked through water in this very deep cave! We climbed up and down ladders, shimmied through some tight spaces, and waded (and sometimes even swam!) through this cave. It was definitely the highlight of the day for our kids! Also, make sure to wear water shoes or sandals as it can be slick. We also wouldn’t recommend taking young/small children through the caves.
You will feel like Indiana Jones!
It takes about an hour to get through the cave, but once you’re done, then it’s time to float the river! Right outside the entrance of the cave is the Cahabón River where they give you inner tubes (the locals will try to sell you a beer!) while you lazily float down the river.
You get done with the full day tour late in the afternoon, at which point the guides will take you back to your hotel. The best and cheapest way to book a tour is through your hotel/hostel when you get there (no need to schedule ahead of time!). They arrange everything for you, including transportation to Semuc Champey and back. The cost for the tour was $25/person (again, not including lunch), but totally worth it even for just the caves.
of the tour in Semuc Champey!
Day 2: Explore Semuc Champey on your own
Now that you’ve done the guided tour and have gotten the “lay of the land” in Semuc Champey, it’s time to go back and explore on your own. The reason we advise this is it gives you the opportunity to go at your own pace, without a group, to enjoy the beauty of this jungle oasis a little more.
We recommend that you go early and get there as soon as the park opens, so you can have the entire place to yourself for a bit, which is what we did. Head to the big waterfall first (take a left on the trail where it forks once you enter the park), so you can enjoy jumping off the rocks and swimming in the cave before anyone else gets there.
After swimming under the big waterfall, head up to the main pools where you can spend several hours relaxing, swimming and getting all the photos you want. Make sure to check out where the river flows under the limestone pools of Semuc Champey too!
Tip: Because you want to go early (before the tours arrive), we would suggest asking your hotel how they can arrange a driver to take you. We ended up paying a little more, but it was well worth it to be able to enjoy Semuc Champey without many people around.
Day 3: Go river rafting on the Cahabón River
Technically you could just spend 2 days in Semuc Champey since that is adequate time to explore the park. However, if you have a third day to spend here, we would recommend going on a whitewater rafting trip down the Cahabón River, which offers Class III and IV rapids.
Most trips begin at a put-in spot near Lanquín. From here, expect wild rides on the Upper Cahabón, including the rapids of Rock and Roll, Entonces, and Las Tres Hermanas. There are several companies you can book a trip with, but we would recommend Maya Expeditions or for a fun, multi-day raft trip combined with Semuc Champey and some caves, look into Jungle Tours.
If you have more time in the area, you could head to the city of Coban, about an hour away where plenty of outdoor recreation awaits or even just explore the town, which is full of culture and sights!
Conclusion
Semuc Champey is not to be missed when you come to Guatemala! You will love connecting to nature and seeing one of Guatemala’s most beautiful places! And if you’re like us, combine it with the 8 best outdoor activities in Lake Atitlan and/or Hiking Volcano Acatenango for one epic trip!