Things to do
3-
El Mirador de Semuc Champey
Wooden stairs and roots climb roughly forty minutes up the valley wall to a platform above the pools, and the view from it is the image the place is known for. The ascent is humid and steep, with ropes on the last section. Going up first and swimming afterwards keeps the sweat in the right order.
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Grutas de Lanquín
Bats leave this river cave in a column at dusk, which is the reason most visits are timed for late afternoon. Inside, lit walkways run a few hundred metres past formations over wet and uneven rock, and the Lanquín river emerges from the mouth at the bottom. Handrails are limited and the rock underfoot stays slippery all the way through, so the footing needs care.
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Semuc Champey
A natural limestone bridge carries the Cahabón river underground for 300 metres while a staircase of turquoise pools runs across the top of it, warm enough to swim in and shallow enough to wade between. The trail to the Mirador is steep and slick. Reaching the pools means a long day from Lanquín on a road that punishes vehicles.
