Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
organize yourself. Tours take about two hours to reach Lanquín from Cobán; the price in-
cludes a packed lunch.
Buses operate several times daily between Cobán and Lanquín, continuing to Cahabón.
There are eight buses to Cobán (Q30, three hours) between 6am and 5:30pm. Shuttles for
Semuc Champey (Q30 return) leave at 9:30am (book at your hotel) and pickups (Q10 to
Q15) leave whenever they are full, half a block from the main square.
If it's been raining heavily and you're driving, you'll need a 4WD vehicle. The road
from San Pedro Carchá to El Pajal, where you turn off for Lanquín, is paved. The 11km
from El Pajal to Lanquín is not. You can head on from Lanquín to Flores in 14 to 15 hours
via El Pajal, Sebol, Raxrujá and Sayaxché. The road from El Pajal to Sebol was being
paved at time of research. Or you can head from Lanquín to Sebol and Fray Bartolomé de
Las Casas and on to Poptún.
If you're heading towards Río Dulce, a back road exists, although it's unpaved for most
of the way and gets washed out in heavy rains. Transportation schedules along here are
flexible at best. Ask around to see what the current situation is. A daily shuttle (Q150, 6
hours) runs on this road and is the most reliable, easy option. Book at any of the hotels lis-
ted here.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Semuc Champey & Around
Eleven kilometers south of Lanquín, along a rough, bumpy, slow road, is
Semuc Champey
(ad-
mission Q50; 8am-6pm)
, famed for its great 300m-long natural limestone bridge, on top of
which is a stepped series of pools with cool, flowing river water good for swimming. The
water is from the Río Cahabón, and much more of it passes underground, beneath the
bridge. Though this bit of paradise is difficult to reach, the beauty of its setting and the
perfection of the pools, ranging from turquoise to emerald-green, make it worth it. Many
people consider this the most beautiful spot in all Guatemala.
If you're visiting on a tour, some guides will take you down a rope ladder from the low-
est pool to the river, which gushes out from the rocks below. Plenty of people do this and
love it, though it is a bit risky.
It's possible to
camp
(campsite per tent Q50)
at Semuc Champey, but be sure to pitch a tent
only in the upper areas, as flash floods are common down below. It's also risky to leave
anything unattended, as it might get stolen. The place now has 24-hour security, which
