Central & Eastern Guatemala - Guatemala - page 389

WORTH A TRIP
LAS CONCHAS
From Fray you can visit Las Conchas (admission Q15), a series of limestone pools and waterfalls on the Río
Chiyú, which some say are better than those at Semuc Champey. The pools are up to 8m deep and 20m wide and
connected by a series of spectacular waterfalls, but aren't a turquoise-color like those at Semuc.
You can stay right by the pools at the rustic but charming Oasis Chiyu ( 4826-5247;
www.naturetoursguatemala.com ; r per person Q120) - make reservations well in advance, or in nearby Chahal at
the clean and comfortable family-run Villa Santa Elena ( 5000-9246; www.hotelvse.com ; Ruta 5, Km 365 ;
s/d Q150/175, campsite per person Q10; ) . Both of these hotels have restaurants.
Regular minibuses (Q12, one hour) leave Fray for Chahal when full. From there you must change buses for Las
Conchas (Q8, one hour). If you're in your own vehicle, look for the marked sign to Las Conchas, 15km east of
Chahal. If you're coming south from El Petén, get off in Modesto Mendez (known locally as Cadenas), catch a
Chahal-bound minibus to Sejux ( Say -whoosh) and walk or wait for another minibus to take you the remaining
3km to Las Conchas. Whichever direction you're coming from, travel connections are easiest in the morning and
drop off severely in the late afternoon.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Raxruhá
POP 35,000
A sleepy little crossroads town, Raxruhá provides a good base for exploring the nearby at-
tractions of Cancuén and Cuevas de Candelaria. Services are few - Banrural at the main
intersection changes cash but not traveler's checks and the nearest ATMs are in Chisec or
Fray Bartolomé. Reasonably fast internet access is available in the Hotel Cancuén.
The best hotel in town is a family-run affair just on the outskirts of town (a two-minute
walk from the center). Rooms at Hotel Cancuén ( 7983-0720; www.cuevaslosnacimientos.com ; s/d
from Q100/140, without bathroom Q35/70; ) are clean and well decorated, and there's a good
little comedor (cheap eatery) on-site. It has good information about visiting Cancuén. You
can arrange walking/tubing tours (Q125 per person, four to six hours) of the nearby Cueva
los Nacimientos, the northernmost point in the Candelaria complex.
With large, vaguely clean rooms around an oversized parking lot, Hotel El Amigo (
5872-4136; r per person Q60; ) has great potential but is terribly rundown - it may have
been fixed up by the time you get there.
Both of the hotels listed serve basic meals and there are good-value comedores around
the market/bus terminal area. The best eating for miles around is oddly located a few kilo-
meters west of town on the road to the Candelaria caves. The small French-inspired menu