Semuc Champey, a natural limestone bridge known for its series of pools of stunning turquoise water, is one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala. But visiting this remote spot isn’t exactly easy—from how to get there to what to bring as you explore its pools and caves. So here’s everything you need to know about visiting Semuc Champey that I wish I had known before our visit!
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What is Semuc Champey?
Semuc Champey is a limestone bridge along the Cabahón River that cuts through a dense section of jungle in central Guatemala.
The river mostly actually flows under this limestone platform, but, over the millenia, the water that does spill over the rock has carved a series of cascading pools into the limestone, filled with crystal clear turquoise water and countless waterfalls. Between the pools and the unique rock formations in this area, it’s the perfect spot to go swimming, tubing, or caving.
It’s absolutely GORGEOUS—so much so that it was named a Natural Monument of Guatemala in 2005!
Where is Semuc Champey?
Semuc Champey is located about 10 kilometers from the Q’eqchi’ Mayan town of Lanquin, deep in the mountains of central Guatemala.
Lanquin doesn’t sound like it’s that far from other destinations in Guatemala—for example, it’s technically only 75 miles from Guatemala City.
Still, given Guatemala’s limited roadways, Lanquin is a bit of a trek from most of the other major tourist destinations in Guatemala—approximately a 10 hour drive from both Antigua, Flores, and Panajachel.
It’s kinda sorta located between the popular destinations on the country’s southern side, like Antigua or Lake Atitlan, and Flores, considered to be the gateway to the famed Tikal ruins, to the north. Accordingly, most travelers frequently make a detour to stop at Semuc Champey for a few days as they’re headed from the southern attractions to Flores or vice versa.
This is exactly what my husband, Justin, and I did—we headed from Panajachel on Lake Atitlan to Semuc Champey for two days before we our final destination of our Guatemala trip, the Tikal ruins.
Things to do in Semuc Champey
To be honest, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect before we got here (what the heck is a limestone bridge anyway?!). But, as it turns out, there’s actually a LOT of things to do in Semuc Champey!
In fact, I’d recommend budgeting at least one full day to enjoying everything Semuc Champey and the surrounding area has to offer.
1. Hiking to the Mirador Semuc Champey
As soon as you get to the park, I’d suggest first hiking up to its mirador. This viewpoint provides a birds eye view over its turquoise pools and waterfalls that cut through the jungle.
To get here, you’ll walk about 500 or so feet past the entrance and find a well-signed trail, leading up into the forest, on the left hand side.
Follow this trail uphill, which turns into a series of steep wooden stairs. After climbing up this pathway for about 40 minutes, you’ll eventually reach a wooden platform that overlooks Semuc Champey below.
To be honest, the climb up to the mirador was definitely not my favorite part of the park—the climb up was steep and, between the elevation gain and the hot, humid environment of the jungle, I was SO sweaty by the time we got to the lookout. Thankfully, the view is ABSOLUTELY worth it and it makes swimming in the cool pools afterwards feel that much nicer!
Just make sure to wear hiking sandals or proper boots, because the stairs and stones can be quite slick and steep—it would be super easy to fall and hurt yourself!
Insider tip: The platform overlooking Semuc Champey is POPULAR—there’s often a queue to take photos by 10 AM, so I’d suggest getting here as early as possible to avoid standing in a long line!
2. Swimming through the pools
The majority of people coming to Semuc Champey primarily just explore its series of pools and cascading waterfalls. And I don’t blame them—it’s the best part, in my opinion!
There’s two tiered wooden platforms that you can use to access the water, but the area of the pools is actually quite massive—980 feet long, to be exact! So be sure to explore beyond the pools that you can immediately access with the platforms—there’s even a few downstream have a natural waterslide you can go down!
Insider tip: I would not recommend walking in the pools unless you’re wearing some kind of hiking sandals with good grip, like my beloved Tevas—they’re SO slippery and have lots of stabby areas of limestone that would be extremely easy to hurt yourself on.
3. Exploring K’anba Cave
The most adventurous thing to do in Semuc Champey is to explore K’anba Cave, which is an underground cave that’s carved deep into a limestone cliffside in the jungle for about a mile.
This stop is included on any tour around Semuc Champey, like this one.
Alternatively, if you decide to head to the park by yourself, you can exit the Semuc Champey park, walk about 5 minutes north to this yellow bridge, and continue up the north side of the river to the cave’s entrance to join a tour. These are offered from 9 AM to 3 PM, last for around an hour, and should cost around 60Q.
To explore the caves, you’ll be walking, swimming, jumping, and climbing through a dark, narrow cave, most of which has a river running through it. There’s no lights in the cave, so the only things illuminating your path will be a lit candle that you’ll be holding (and, I suppose, the candles from the other 100 visitors in the cave with you).
Exploring the cave, at times, can be nerve-wracking and slightly claustrophobic, but SO much fun if you’re an adrenaline junkie!
Coming from the litigious land of the United States, it honestly felt borderline dangerous to me—we climbed through the cave without a helmet or head lamp and were encouraged to jump off cliffs into pools that we could not see or have any idea how deep they were.
So proceed with caution if you’re a scaredy cat, like me, and wear hiking sandals or some kind of shoes that strap to your feet—flip flops will be promptly swept away by the water.
4. Check out the waterfall
Just a short walk upstream from the entrance of the cave, there’s a large waterfall that’s formed where the limestone platform of Semuc Champey ends and the water returns to the Cabahón River. If you aren’t part of a tour group, you’ll need to pay a small entrance fee (around 20Q) to the owners of the property.
You used to be allowed to scale up the waterfall and jump off it—but I’m guessing too many people got hurt as it’s no longer allowed!
However, there is a manmade pool that’s built right along the river, where you can take in the views of the waterfall, and a rope swing that’s a bit downstream that you can launch yourself into the river from. The current is SUPER strong here, though, so I’d only recommend doing this if you’re a confident swimmer.
5. Tubing down the Cabahón River
One of the most popular things to do in Semuc Champey—and usually visitors’ last activity here—is to float in an innertube down the river for anywhere from half an hour to two hours. If you go on a longer float, you’ll usually encounter rapids along the way, which can actually be surprisingly intense!
If you want to get real crazy, there’s a few restaurants nearby that sell beer right by where you get into the river (and sometimes, locals literally float past you in the river selling alcohol!) so you can casually sip on a cold one as you let the current carry you downstream.
If you go on a tour to Semuc Champey, tubing will be included.
Alternatively, you can exit the park and walk about 5 minutes north to the yellow bridge, where there’s usually a couple of local guides that will take you out on the river to float.
I’ve read reports online that locals will rent inner-tubes here for as little as 50Q per person, but when Justin and I went, the locals insisted that we had to go with a guide and quoted us around 100Q per person. So don’t be surprised if there’s a pretty wide range of how much you’ll be charged for this activity!
There’s actually certain lodging options right along the river that you can literally float all the way back to, like Utopia Eco Hotel or Chi Bocol Community Hostel.
Insider tip: If you plan on bringing any electronics, like a camera, or valuables with you, I’d strongly suggest bringing a dry bag , so you can take your items with you on your float. The locals renting out the tubes will offer to watch your things for you, but I generally wouldn’t recommend leaving your valuables with a stranger, regardless of where you are on the planet.
How Much Does Semuc Champey Cost?
The entrance fee for the mirador and pools for Semuc Champey is 50Q, which you can pay via cash or credit card.
All of the other activities that are associated with Semuc Champey—caving, tubing, or the waterfall—are actually outside the park itself and have their own associated fees, all of which only take cash. So if you want to do activities outside of Semuc Champey, I’d recommend bringing plenty of extra quetzales!
When is Semuc Champey open?
The park is open from 8 AM to 4 PM everyday.
How to get to Semuc Champey from other destinations in Guatemala
The best way for most travelers to get from pretty much any destination around Guatemala to Lanquin—and, ultimately, Semuc Champey—is on a tourist shuttle.
Depending on where you’re coming from, these can be on the pricier side for Guatemala, ranging in price from around $40-80 per person one-way, but they are a straightforward and reliable method of transportation. Justin and I took one of these shuttles from Lake Atitlan to Semuc Champey and, while it was a long day, it was a totally easy and painless experience.
Additionally, there are a handful of tours that will provide roundtrip transportation to and from some of the larger cities, like Guatemala City and Antigua, to Semuc Champey.
I’d just strongly caution against joining any kind of day trip here from anywhere in Guatemala (other than the nearby city of Cobán), given you’ll basically need to spend almost 20 hours aboard a bus for approximately one hour at the pools themselves—definitely not worth it!
Finally, if you’re on a SUPER tight budget, you could theoretically take the more affordable chicken buses—however, you’d have about a trillion transfers and it would take a loooong time. I’d really only recommend doing this if you’re fluent in Spanish, have all the time in the world, and don’t mind being on a hot and crowded bus (…possibly with chickens) for 12+ hours.
Here are some transportation options to consider.
Getting from Antigua to Semuc Champey
- Shared shuttle from Antigua to Semuc Champey
- 3-day tour from Antigua to Semuc Champey and the city of Cobán, which is home to the famous cloud forest (and birders’ paradise) of Biotopo del Quetzal
Getting from Guatemala City to Semuc Champey
Getting from Flores to Semuc Champey
Getting from Panajachel to Semuc Champey
- Shared shuttle from Panajachel to Semuc Champey Option #1
- Shared shuttle from Panajachel to Semuc Champey Option #2
How to get from Lanquin to Semuc Champey
If you take a shuttle or bus to Semuc Champey, you’ll be dropped off in the town of Lanquin, about 10 km (or about a three hour walk) from the entrance of Semuc Champey.
So, unless you want to make the REALLY long walk, you have a few options of how to get from Lanquin to Semuc Champey.
Taking a public camioneta
The cheapest way to get to the park is by taking a camioneta from the main square of Lanquin.
A camioneta is essentially a pickup truck that’s been retrofitted to have benches in its bed that can typically fit around 20 people in the back (or more, depending on how squished in you all are!).
There’s usually not a set schedule for camionetas, although they don’t start leaving Lanquin until 8:30 AM or so. They typically take about 45 minutes to get to Semuc Champey, although it can sometimes be significantly longer, depending on how long you need to wait for the camioneta to fill up with other passengers and how many stops it makes along the way.
This is how locals get around and typically costs around 30Q.
Taking a guided tour
On the other end of the budget spectrum, the most popular way to get here is on a guided tour, where you’ll be picked up from your hotel and taken to Semuc Champey. From here, your guide will take you swimming through its pools, tubing down its river, and canyoneering through its caves.
You’ll typically get the best price on these tours by booking through your hotel when you get there. Alternatively, if you’re visiting during a particularly busy period (like December through April) or just prefer to have things booked ahead of time, you can reserve a tour, like this option, online.
Taking a private camioneta
If you don’t want to go on a tour, you can book a private camioneta through some accommodations. Most of the time, you’ll just be thrown into a camioneta with a tour group, but separate from them once you get to the entrance.
These are typically a bit more expensive than public camionetas (expect to pay about 50-60Q), but are typically quicker and less crowded.
Staying at one of the hotels near Semuc Champey
Finally, there’s a handful of hotels, including Greengo’s Hotel, that you can stay at that are just a 15 minute or so walk from the entrance to Semuc Champey.
These accommodations typically have shuttles that will pick you up at the Lanquin bus stop when you initially arrive and make the 45 minute drive into the jungle to your hotel. From here, it’s just a short walk to Semuc Champey.
There’s a pretty HUGE benefit to this approach. Semuc Champey opens at 8 AM, but the camionetas do not typically start arriving until around 9:30 AM—meaning, if you walk from one of the nearby hotels, you’ll have the pools to yourself for almost an hour and a half before the masses start arriving.
This is what Justin and I did—we stayed at Greengo’s Hotel, a hostel with a mix of shared and private rooms and LOVED it. It felt like a little oasis in the jungle, complete with a nice pool and onsite restaurant, and we got to be literally the first people to enter Semuc Champey for the day!
Can you drive to Semuc Champey?
If you have a rental car, it’s possible to drive most of the 10 kilometers to Semuc Champey.
The first 6 kilometers are paved and the last 4 kilometers are hard-packed gravel. However, the very last stretch of road, from the aforementioned yellow bridge to the parking lot for Semuc Champey, is extremely bumpy and steep. Accordingly, I’d recommend parking at one of the hotels before the bridge, like Pachamaya River Hostel (ask if it’s okay first!) and walking the 10 minutes or so up to the entrance.
I have heard they’re in the process of completely paving this road, so please let me know in the comments below if you visit and it’s ready to be driven on!
Do you need to go on a tour to visit Semuc Champey?
No, you definitely don’t need to go on a tour to visit Semuc Champey, especially if you primarily want to go to enjoy the activities inside the park (i.e., hiking to the mirador and enjoying the pools).
Justin and I didn’t go on a tour and, in some respects, I really enjoyed it. We got to explore places on our own and based on our own schedule.
That being said, the area outside of the park isn’t well-signed and it’s honestly a little confusing to find the caves and waterfalls. Additionally, we definitely were cited TOTALLY different fees for the waterfall and tubing activities from locals than we had originally read online.
So, if you’re like us and not particularly confident in your Spanish skills and are interested in doing any of the activities outside of the park, joining a tour might be worth it!
Is visiting Semuc Champey worth it?
Given its remote nature and the logistical challenges of visiting, many people question whether it’s worth it to make the trek to Semuc Champey. And, in my opinion, the truth is….
It depends!
Semuc Champey is BEAUTIFUL. When we visited, the turquoise water was the perfect temperature and we had an ABSOLUTE blast exploring the pools and caves here.
Still, visiting Semuc Champey essentially takes at least three days—one to get there, one to enjoy it, and one to head to your next destination.
If you’re headed between Antigua or Lake Atitlan to Flores (or vice versa), I think stopping at Semuc Champey is totally worth it. Given Semuc Champey’s location between these two destinations, stopping here will essentially just add one day of extra travel to your itinerary, which, in my opinion, is worth it.
On the other hand, if you’re primarily staying around Lake Atitlan or Antigua and are making a trip up north only for Semuc Champey, I may recommend skipping it. You’ll essentially need to spend 20+ hours on a shuttle bus to get to and from this area and you’ll likely only spend one day at Semuc Champey—so the juice may not be worth the squeeze.
When to visit Semuc Champey
The best time to visit Semuc Champey is during Guatemala’s dry season from November through April, when the skies are clear, illuminating the clear and turquoise water, and the temperature is pleasantly warm.
During heavy rainfall, which can occur from May through October, Semuc Champey’s famously turquoise pools can turn brown, due to mud and other debris in the runoff, and the current in the river can get dangerously swift for tubing. So, if you’re visiting during this timeframe, you might want to take a peek at the weather the week or so before your trip to ensure it’s still worth heading there!
Finally, if you can time your visit for early in the morning (like as soon as Semuc Champey opens at 8 AM) and on a weekday, I’d highly recommend it to avoid the crowds. The wooden platform at the mirador and even the pools themselves can get quite busy—and it’s way more enjoyable to soak in Semuc Champey’s unparalleled natural beauty in relative peace and quiet.
Where to stay for Semuc Champey
You have two options of where to stay when you’re visiting that will have a pretty big impact on your experience—in the town of Lanquin or near Semuc Champey.
Staying in Lanquin
Staying in Lanquin has some major benefits—primarily that you can walk around town, allowing you to shop for groceries, go to restaurants, or walk to other attractions, like the Lanquin Caves.
The accommodations here are also significantly cheaper than near Semuc Champey. It’s not uncommon to be able to get a private hotel room for $25 USD here!
On the downside, it has less remote, jungle-y vibes that you get at the lodges in Semuc Champey and, at times, Lanquin can feel a bit sketchy. Plus, given how far away from Semuc Champey it is, you generally won’t be able to get to there until later in the morning, when it’s already getting a bit crowded.
Some of the best options in Lanquin are:
- El Retiro: If I had to pick one place to stay in Lanquin, it would be this adults-only property, with a little beach area that you can swim along the river and an onsite restaurant. It’s inarguably the most modern and well-equipped place to stay in Lanquin.
- Hostal Vista Verde: This option has a fun, social vibe (without feeling too much like a “party hostel”) and an epic pool, with incredible views of the surrounding mountains.
- Yaxlike River Lodge: This property feels very peaceful, with plenty of swaying hammocks right along the river. The host family is friendly and offers delicious and affordable options for breakfast and dinner.
Staying near Semuc Champey
Alternatively, most of the accommodations near Semuc Champey have eco-lodge vibes, tucked deep into the remote jungle.
Our biggest reason for staying at one of these is that you’re within walking distance of Semuc Champey, meaning you can beat the masses there and can easily visit more than once, if you so choose.
On the downside, they’re quite remote—meaning you’ll be eating and drinking here (which can definitely be pricier than a standard Guatemalan restaurant), as well as spending all of your time not at Semuc Champey at your accommodations.
We’re usually not hang-out-by-the-pool kinda people, but certainly were during our stay here, given there were really not a ton of other things to do! It actually was a nice reprieve from our usually busy schedule, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re staying for longer than a handful of days.
Additionally, you’ll need to get a shuttle from Lanquin to your accommodations on the first day, which takes about 45 minutes—it’s kind of annoying to have been sitting on a cramped shuttle bus for 10 hours and then have to get on yet another shuttle to your hotel.
Some of the best options near Semuc Champey are:
- Greengos: This is where we stayed during our time here and really enjoyed it. It’s one of the closest options to Semuc Champey (just a 10 or so minute walk) and has everything you need for during your stay, including an onsite bar and restaurant, nice pool, and plenty of social activities you can join in. I’d just recommend ponying up for a private room—I’ve heard some not so nice things about the dorm options.
- Utopia Eco Hotel: Utopia feels less like a hostel than the other options around Semuc Champey, given they exclusivley offer private rooms. The vibe is definitely more chill than Greengo’s, with a place to swim in the river, lots of hammocks to relax in, and an onsite vegetarian restaurant. If I were to come back to this area, I’d probably stay here—it sounds SO fun to float all the way back to your accommodations! Just be aware that it’s about a 45 minute walk to the entrance of Semuc Champey.
Tips for Visiting Semuc Champey
Plan to stay for three nights
While you really only need one day to enjoy Semuc Champey and the surrounding attractions, I’d actually recommend staying here three nights.
- It takes all day to get to Semuc Champey, regardless of where you’re coming from, so, on the first night, you won’t get there until 5 pm or so.
- You’ll spend the second day enjoying the pools of Semuc Champey and the other activities around it.
- Instead of getting right back on a crowded shuttle the third day, I’d recommend just relaxing and enjoying the pool or the river at your accommodations here.
Don’t leave your valuables laying about
Like any good tourist, you’re going to want to bring your camera or cell phone to get photos and videos of the beautiful blue water while you’re visiting the pools.
There are wooden platforms near the swimming area, but I wouldn’t recommend just leaving your valuables here, as it gets busy and it would be SUPER easy for someone to just walk away with your stuff.
Truth be told, I did leave a dry bag full of our valuables on one of these platforms while we went swimming—and it was ultimately fine. However, that was admittedly super dumb of me.
Instead, there are lockers here that you can actually use for free, but there’s no padlocks. So be sure to bring your own!
There’s no food in the park
There’s a couple of simple restaurants right outside of the entrance of the park that offer lunch buffets of traditional Guatemalan food for around 70Q per person.
Additionally, there are local families stationed in the parking lot and along the trail to the mirador, selling cold drinks, coconuts, mango, and other small snacks (including these DELICIOUS little discs of chocolate that I still dream about).
Accordingly, if you want to have a full blown meal in the park itself, I’d suggest bringing along your own.
I’ve heard that you are allowed to leave and re-enter the park if you’re just getting food from one of the restaurants by the entrance, but I’d definitely double check before leaving!
Come prepared with cash
There’s one lone ATM in all of Lanquin, which frequently isn’t working or is out of cash. Plus, if you’re staying at one of the eco-lodges in the jungle, you won’t even have time to stop at the ATM before the shuttle for your accommodation picks you up from the bus stop.
You’ll need money for drinks and snacks at Semuc Champey, as well as any of the other activities around the park. Most of the eco-lodges near the park do take credit card, but typically charge a 5-7% fee for using it.
Phew—that’s everything you need to know about Semuc Champey! Do you have any questions about visiting this beautiful place? Let us know in the comments below!
