Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Río Usumacinta
This mighty river is Central America's longest and harbors the remains of at least two
important Mayan cities along its banks. Ten-day rafting trips once made their way down
this waterway starting at Yaxchilán and putting out at the Mexican town of Tenosique, but
these have been suspended for the time being because of robberies. The robberies seem
to occur downstream from Yaxchilán on a very remote stretch of the river on the way to
Piedras Negras. It's really a shame, as the stretch harbors some truly spectacular banks of
riverside rainforest on the Guatemalan side protected as the Sierra del Lacandón National
Park. On the Mexican side, there are a variety of communities and some bad deforestation,
thoughtherearesomebeautifulwaterfallsdownstreamfromPiedrasNegras.Allisnotlost,
however, as you can still reach
Busiljá Falls
from Mexico. Willy Fonseca, the friendly
owner of
Restaurante Vallescondido
(Km. 61 on the Palenque- Comitán Road, tel. 916/
348-0721), can get you there and also offers trips to Piedras Negras.
Farther downstream, the river leaves Guatemala behind and narrows into the impressive
Cañón de San José,
where there are Class III rapids flanked by 1,000-foot canyons.
While it is entirely possible to dopart ofthe trip bymotorboat, as opposed to slow-mov-
ing inflatable rafts, it seems even these vessels are occasionally shot at from the riverbank
in an attempt to make them stop. Much of the boat traffic here pertains to the transport of
illegal immigrants crossing international borders on their way north, and thieves are only
too eager to rid them of their money. Drug smugglers also use the river as a highway for
transporting their merchandise. It really makes you long for the “good old days” when the
Guatemalan ORPA guerrillas patrolled the banks, at worst flagging you down from the
shoreforalectureonthejusticeoftheircause.IftheMexicanscangettheirsecurityissues
straightened out, white-water rafting trips may once again be a viable recreational option
here. But don't hold your breath.
