From one Guatemalan highlight, Lake Atitlan, to another…the pools of Semuc Champey. Turquoise pools open to swim in with beautiful scenery – count me in! They’re stunning and I loved my visit there!
I went to the pools with a great Dutch couple (Eva and Ties) from my hostel. We didn’t go with a tour as we only wanted to visit the pools, not the caves. Going independently gave us greater freedom and was cheaper.
If you would like to do a tour, they usually cost 160Q (£18 approx) and include transport, entrance fee and the caves. For the caves, you get a candle and you climb, swim, walk through them. They wouldn’t pass health and safety regulations in the UK, but lots of people enjoy the experience.
I personally wasn’t interested in scrambling through them! There are some tours which cost a bit more and include tubing and lunch.
Trucks leave from Lanquin at 9am (with tours) and we got a lift. It’s a fun bumpy ride, around 40 minutes, standing up in the back of the truck and the scenery is stunning. I really enjoyed it!
Truck cost: 25Q one way, 50Q return. You might be able to get a ride for 20Q but negotiations weren’t happening for us.
We got dropped off the entrance and told a truck would be leaving at 3pm back to Lanquin. We paid the 50Q entrance fee to Semuc Champey and headed first to the viewpoint.
The walk up to the viewpoint took us 20 minutes. There’s lots of steps and I was surprised at how slippy it was. I was stepping carefully! The view was lovely and reminded me of Las Aguas Turquesas in Peru.
Tip: Walk to the viewpoint first, then go swim in the pools! First activity, then relax!
Tip: If you have walking sandals, I’d wear them! They can do the walk to the viewpoint and are great around the pools and water.
Note: Only seven people are allowed on the viewing platform at a time. If there’s a big group, you’ll have to take turns and wait.
I was happy to find out the path down to the pools was different. I much prefer a round trip! It took us half an hour to get down and there were lots of slippy steps and rocks. Again, I was watching my step!
Time to swim! The pools were really refreshing and once I got in, they were hard to leave! Lots of tiny fish were swimming around and nibbling skin – a natural fish spa!
We stayed longer than I expected and moved on to the second (or first depending which way you arrive) lower down pool. This was my favourite with mini waterfalls flowing into the turquoise pool! Really pretty!
Tip: There are small lockers where you can leave your valuables. Bring your own padlock! I actually left my stuff out and it was fine, but it was in easy eyesight.
We caught a truck back to Lanquin around 3pm and it was another fun journey with a bit of rain thrown into the mix.
Back at the hostel, we went to the swimming pool which was kinda infinity styled and had great views. It was also just us three which was cool!
Where to stay
When visiting Semuc Champey, you can either stay in Lanquin, the nearest town, or stay somewhere closer to the pools.
Shuttles drop you off in Lanquin, so if you’re staying closer to the pools, you’ll need to add on a half an hour journey to your accommodation. Most accommodations will have a truck waiting to pick you up, you just need to let them know what shuttle you’re taking.
The bonus of staying closer to the pools is that you can walk to them! I know several people who have stayed at Greengo’s and said it’s nice. As with most remote places, you’ll be spending money on meals at the hostel.
That said, I chose to stay in Lanquin and I’m glad I did. Being on the edge of town meant I was close to places to eat and also where the shuttles leave from.
Plus, I really enjoyed the truck ride to and from the pools – I felt it was all part of the day trip! I stayed at Vista Verde hostel and it was good. The pool was fab and because there were so few people, it was basically private.
It was pretty quiet (only one in my dorm!) and had a slightly odd atmosphere. I was very happy I met Eva and Ties there to hang out with; otherwise, I would’ve felt a bit lonely I reckon.
If you’re looking for a party hostel, Zephyr Lodge is the place!
How to get to Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey is a pretty remote place to get to, far from Guatemala’s other popular destinations – Antigua and Lake Atitlán.
For these long journeys, shuttles are by far the easiest way to travel. I’m usually up for taking chicken buses; however, this time I decided I didn’t need to make a 10hr journey from Lake Atitlán any longer than it already was.
Shuttles from Lake Atitlán’s Panajachel leave daily at 7.30/8am, take 10/11hrs and cost in the region of 200-300Q (approx £20-30) depending who you book with. I booked through my hostel (Selina) and paid 232Q (£25 approx).
Tip: Atitlán has many lakeside towns to stay in. If you’re staying in San Pedro or San Marcos, I recommend taking a boat back to Panajachel and taking a shuttle from there. Shuttles do leave from San Pedro and San Marcos, however the roads around the lake aren’t great and will add several hours to your already long journey. The boat is quicker!
From Antigua, shuttles leave in the morning, take 8hrs approx and cost around 150Q.
From Flores, shuttles leave in the morning, take around 10hrs, cost from 100Q.
If you are planning on taking chicken buses, your best bet is to first go to Coban and from there get a 3-4hr bus to Lanquin, the closest town to Semuc Champey.
Final thoughts
Semuc Champey isn’t the quickest of places to get to. It’s not a complicated journey, but it is long and bumpy!
I had a great day at the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey. The water is a stunning colour and swimming in them is fab! I’d definitely say they’re worth the visit!
I’m really glad we didn’t do a tour, so we could spend as much time as wanted chilling at the pools. Turns out most of the day!
Next and last stop in Guatemala is Flores and the Tikal ruins!
