All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Semuc Champey
Trekking / Hiking in Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey is a natural limestone bridge in the jungle of Alta Verapaz near Lanquin, where a staircase of turquoise pools sits above the Cahabon river that runs hidden through a cave beneath, reached on a steep guided walk to the El Mirador viewpoint.
Why here
Semuc Champey is one of those places that looks invented. In a fold of Alta Verapaz jungle, the Cahabon river disappears underground into a limestone cave, and over the top runs a 300-metre natural bridge holding a staircase of pools in every shade of turquoise and green. The classic day combines a short, steep hike up to the El Mirador viewpoint, where the whole ladder of pools opens up below the forest, with hours of swimming and pool-hopping down the terraces. Most people add the K'an Ba caves, a river cave explored on foot and by swimming with only a candle in hand, plus a rope swing and tubing on the river outside. It is remote and takes effort to reach, which is part of why the pools stay so clear and the crowds stay small.
Best months
Semuc is good year round, but the pools are clearest and most vividly coloured in the drier months from November to April; heavy rain upstream can turn the water milky and raise the river. The hike to El Mirador is short but steep and often slippery, so proper shoes help. The water is cool and refreshing rather than cold. The candle-lit K'an Ba cave involves swimming through narrow passages and is not for the claustrophobic.
Getting there & around
Semuc Champey sits about forty-five minutes by rough road from Lanquin, the nearest town, reached by shared pickup or a lodge shuttle. Lanquin is around five to six hours from Guatemala City or Antigua on winding roads, so most people stay a night or two at a jungle lodge and book the guided Semuc and cave trip through it. Bring water shoes or sturdy sandals, swimwear and a dry bag; the standard tour runs most of the day and includes park entry, the cave, the viewpoint and the pools.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Utopia Eco Hotel
OutfitterUtopia Eco Hotel has operated since 2012 on the Cahabon river at Semil, in the jungle below Semuc Champey, and arranges guided day trips to the natural pools and the K'an Ba caves from its riverside base. The lodge runs on vegetarian and vegan food, keeps a working cacao farm where guests join chocolate-making, and offers yoga and river swimming. Its office in the centre of Lanquin coordinates pickups for the Semuc tour, giving a quieter base than the party hostels.
Zephyr Lodge
OutfitterZephyr Lodge sits in the hills above Lanquin and runs the standard full-day guided trip to Semuc Champey and the K'an Ba caves, a candle-lit river cave entered on foot and by swimming. The tour includes park entrance, a licensed English-speaking guide, the cave, a rope swing and river tubing, and the climb to the El Mirador viewpoint above the turquoise pools. It runs daily from around 9am to 5pm, and the lodge is regularly rated among the best hostels in Central America.