Lanquin is a small village hidden away in the Coban region of central Guatemala. An eight hour bus ride through curvy, mountain roads is necessary when coming to or leaving Lanquin from other popular destinations. Despite its remote location, thousands of backpackers flock here due to the natural wonder of Semuc Champey.
Semuc Champey Tour
Semuc Champey is a national park with many waterfalls and naturally created turquoise pools. There is also the K’an Ba Cave which is an adventurous experience any thrill seeker will relish. It is possible to experience the cave and park on your own, however, price wise it makes just as much sense to go on a tour. Every hotel in Lanquin will be able to sign you up for a Semuc Champey tour. I stayed at El Retiro lodge and booked my tour through them. For 185 Q ($23 USD) I got the full Semuc Champey experience.
K’an Ba Cave
The day started at 9 AM with an extremely bumpy 45 minute ride in the back of a truck. When we arrived we put our valuables in a group locker and got into our bathing suits. We were told to only bring a camera if it was waterproof, so I have no video or pictorial proof of the K’an Ba experience. Our group joined with the travelers from Zephyr Lodge and we followed our guide to the cave entrance. Once at the entrance he handed out long white candles and lit them for us. These candles would be our only form of light once we got inside. I did actually bring my headlamp because a friend that did the cave the day before told me his candle burned out before he got out of the cave and he had to blindly walk while holding a rope. I vowed to keep my headlamp off unless I desperately needed it, in order to have the full experience.
We waded into the cave, water quickly reaching our waists. We ducked down as the cave ceiling narrowed and when it opened up again we could no longer see the entrance. The only way to compare the sensation is to being on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. The main difference was physically being in the water instead of in a boat (also, no pirates). Flickering candle light revealed tentacle like waves on the limestone walls as we took in the musty smell of a forgotten world. We held onto a rope and bounced across it with one hand as the water reached chin level. There were occasionally metal ladders we had to climb and tiny holes we had to squeeze through. Eventually there was a deep swimming hole we could jump into and a natural slide made from glossy rock and propelled by a miniature waterfall. After an hour of testing our limits of claustrophobia, we came out of the cave and into the world of sunlight. There were dangerous moments as we climbed into the air on slippery ladders without harnesses. Part of what made it so thrilling was knowing that it wouldn’t be legal in the states without first signing many liability waivers.
Rope Swing
After our hour in the cave, the guide took us to a rope swing. This rope swing was set up to mimic an actual swing. We sat on a wooden plank and as it launched out over the river we had to release ourselves without doing a belly flop. Not many people accomplished the perfect pencil landing.
Waterfalls and Lunch
Next, the group walked through the jungle as our guide pointed out a pepper plant and a cacao tree. We ended up at two large waterfalls where we were shown different places that were safe for cliff diving. After a brief waterfall swim we were given a lunch break. I brought a “lunch box” from my lodge for 30 Q. There was also a small stand with food for 50 Q. Children offered us beer and chocolate and wrote down our names, saying we could pay later. 15 Q for a Brava was a surprisingly good deal.
The View Point
After lunch we were supposed to hike to the viewpoint that looked down on the turquoise pools. Our guide tried to cancel this part of the excursion as it was raining and too cloudy to see the pools. The group fervently fought him on this. With a total of 18 hours of combined bus time to get there, we sure as hell weren’t going to miss the aerial view of this natural wonder. Besides, even if they weren’t visible, physical fitness and a view of cloud shrouded mountains is better than nothing. After a 30 minute upwards hike we reached the lookout platform and had the pleasant surprise of a decent view. Clouds were occasionally in the way but it gave us a more unique view than the flawless pictures we had already seen that originally convinced us to come here.
The Pools
We hiked down from the viewpoint and had an hour and a half to swim around and enjoy the five pools. Waterfalls with naturally carved slides connected many of the pools. We jumped, slid and swam through a living postcard. Tiny fish nibbled on us but darted away before we could catch them. When we reached the last pool we had a magnificent view of the two large waterfalls we had cliff dived from earlier. There are lockers by the pools so you can bring your camera for some pictures and lock it up when you want to swim
We finished the day with a 45 minute bumpy truck ride to our lodge.
Semuc Champey Without a Tour
In many ways it might be more enjoyable to do this on your own. I could have spent half a day in those pools; lounging, having a picnic and hiking up the nearby rocks. Freedom to take your time would be a convincing argument. However, the caves were also fun and you do need a guide for that because there are many tunnels that twist off of the main path and you could easily get lost.
We payed 185 Q for the all inclusive tour. To do it on your own would be 25 Q each way for transport, a 50 Q park entrance fee, and there would also be a fee to hire a guide for a cave tour.
Our tour did not include river tubing. Other tours such as the ones booked through Oasis Lodge had a Tubing portion. Zephyr Lodge and El Retiro organize separate Tubing excursions which explains why they didn’t put it on the agenda for Semuc Champey.
El Retiro Lodge
Lanquin is a very tiny village and most backpackers spend the majority of their time at their lodge. I chose El Retiro because the dorm beds were 40 Q a night. The more popular Zephyr Lodge had dorm beds for 110 Q a night. I made a financial choice and I enjoyed my experience but I’m not going to recommend El Retiro Lodge for a solo backpacker. The dorm beds were damp and smelled like mold. This lodge has no kitchen which basically forces you to use their restaurant for every meal. You can go into town and buy fruit or pollo and papas from a street vendor but besides that the options are limited. El Retiro had a really cool river pool with a rope swing and there is a lot of potential there but Zephyr Lodge attracts all of the solo travelers wanting to socialize and I was the only person enjoying this natural pool. Zephyr Lodge has a river tubing outing that makes a stop at El Retiro and when the Zephyr kids arrive El Retiro played tropical house and acted like a vibey hostel. However, the moment they tubed away, all the music stopped. El Retiro has many private houses with hammocks on the porch. Many couples and families come here and I think El Retiro is really more for peaceful older vacationers.
Zephyr Lodge
I made friends at Zephyr Lodge and visited them one evening. It costs 50 Q to use their pool so that on top of the 40 Q to stay at El Retiro, you might as well just stay at Zephyr. The infinity pool is surrounded by mountains and you can see the aqua river in the distance. A bar is attached to the pool and there is also a jacuzzi. A friend showed me the dorm rooms and they are very modern and mold free. The beds are private little caves shooting into the walls. Metal wire cages for storing luggage were above the beds. Everybody at Zephyr was socializing and playing games. The games were a little obnoxious and included beer pong but the energy was social and inclusive.
It all just depends on what you are going for. El Retiro is great for families and couples that are satisfied with one another solely. If you would rather make friends that you will probably run into later on your travels, go to Zephyr.
There are other lodges as well such as Oasis and Vista Verde. I didn’t stay at these so I can’t attest to the vibe there.
Semuc Champey was a thrilling outdoor adventure with incredible views, heart racing adrenaline and many friends made. I’d recommend veering 9 hours out of the way and including this in your Guatemala experience.
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 