Río Shumuljá, Chiapas, Mexico (area: Palenque; click here for the Chiapas table of rivers)

river photo

Class: III; Ave. Gradient: 2 m/km; Portages: 0 or 1 (IV); Length: 14.5 km; Time: 2:30

Season: year-round; rafts? yes; Highlights: view of Agua Azul waterfalls; Crux Move: one big rapid

Water Quality: decent; Water Temperature: medium

PI: unnamed bridge (elev.: 97m); TO: Agua Clara

Description: (click here for general notes about my descriptions)

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater: Chiapas & Belize guidebook.

Flow Notes: There is a streamflow gauge downstream on the Río Tulijá, linked to below. I would guess that the Shumuljá at the TO has 1/2 to 2/3 of the gauge's flow. My impressions are with 2000 to 4000+ cfs at the TO. Below I also show historical flows at the Tulijá gauge.

click here for the height graph

Accommodations: Palenque town is the area's main tourist center, with many hotels and campgrounds. There are also cabañas at Agua Azul.

Nearby Tourist Attractions: This area has many natural and cultural tourist attractions, including the Falls upstream on the Agua Azul, the nearby Misol-Há waterfall, and the Mayan ruins at Palenque.