The Kan'Ba Caves And Semuc Champey

On a tour organized by El Retiro Lodge, the group was herded into the back tray of a truck and headed to the Kan'Ba Caves. We each stripped down to our swimming gear, were given candles, and followed our guide into the cave where an underground river flowed. We started by wading about single file in candlelit darkness, but soon, the floor dropped and we found ourselves swimming with one hand in the freezing water while trying to keep our candles aloft.

Submerged rocks scratched at our feet, but it was all worthwhile to be able to bomb dive into limestone pools, slip down into the water on a smooth limestone slide, scramble over rocks and scale a wall with a rope against a waterfall. We emerged from the cave shivering and pleased with the little adventure.

After that, we did a bit of tubing in the Cahabón River, all linked up and giggling. Then, it was a short trip to Semuc Champey, the reason we had come to Lanquín in the first place.

There was a difficult hike up to the mirador, where the trail consisted mostly of steps, wooden, soil or cobbled. I was still sore from Volcán Pacaya, but fortunately, this one was only a short hike and certainly worth it for the mountain top view of Semuc Champey.

Semuc Champey is a set of terraced limestone pools of clear turquoise water, under which a raging river crashes. We descended to tiptoe over a limestone overhang and observe the river as it started aboveground and headed into the mysterious depths of underground caves, having passed beneath the limestone overhang we had just been walking on. The river was such a powerful sight that it scared me to think of how an unfortunate person's body would be flung about if they happened to slip and fall over the distinctly unrailed edges and into the melée.

Further on, we got to the terraced pools that we had seen from the mirador and went for a swim. The water was chilly but so fresh and clean. The whole tour was definitely a highlight of my trip.