Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
may reassure potential campers, but you should keep your valuables with you. A simple
restaurant at the parking area serves OK meals (including
cack'ik -
turkey stew; Q45), but
is a long way from the pools. It's a better idea to bring a picnic.
Activities
CAVE
K'anba Caves
(admission Q60; 9am-3pm, tours 9am, 10am, 1pm, 2:30pm & 3pm)
About a kilometer before Semuc
Champey, just before the large bridge crossing the river, you'll see a turnoff to the right
for these caves, which many find to be much more interesting than Grutas de Lanquín.
Bring a flashlight (torch) for the two-hour tour or you'll be stumbling around by candle-
light.
A half hour of river tubing costs an extra Q10. There have been reports of serious over-
crowding on these cave tours. If you can, arrive for the 9am tour, before the tour groups
start showing up. And, as always, evaluate the conditions before setting out.
Sleeping
El Portal $$
( 4091-7878;
www.hostalelportaldechampey.com
; dm Q40, r with/without bathroom Q200/100; )
About
100m short of the entrance to Semuc Champey, this is the obvious choice for convenient
access to Semuc. There's only daytime electricity (thanks to a generator), but the well-
spaced wooden huts built on the bank sloping down to the river are by far the best accom-
modation deal in the area. Meals and tours are available.
HOSTEL
Utopia $$
( 3135-8329;
www.utopiaecohotel.com
; camping per person Q25, hammock/dm Q30/45, r with/without bathroom
Q400/150; )
Set on a hillside overlooking the small village of Semil, 3km from Semuc
Chapey, this is the most impressive setup in the area. Every range of accommodation ima-
ginable is available, from luxurious riverside cabins to campsites. The restaurant/bar
(serving vegetarian family-style meals) has fantastic valley views and the stretch of river
that it sits on is truly idyllic.
HOSTEL, BUNGALOW
