Río Almandro, Top, Chiapas, Mexico (area: north central; click here for the Chiapas table of rivers)

Class: II/III; Ave. Gradient: 5 m/km; Portages: none; Length: 11 km; Time: 2 hours

Season: June to December; rafts? yes; Highlights: colorful villagers; a few rapids; Crux move: villagers

Water Quality: good; Water Temperature: cool

PI: Puente El Pozo (830 m); TO: Puente Tzajalchen

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

This is the uppermost section of Río Almandro that is worth an effort to float (upstream it has some wickedly steep parts that are likely portage-fests). Being close to San Cristóbal on a good road with an easy shuttle, it may see some visits in the future in its own right. Otherwise, it’s a nice warm-up to the difficult Travertine Canyon section downstream, which you might consider doing as a multi-day trip, continuing through the lower reaches.

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

Descent History: First descent by Rocky and Boris Trgovcich, December, 2011.

Flow Notes: There are no online gauges nearby, but the limestone geology of the drainage probably signifies consistent runnable flows June–December most years.

Nearby Tourist Attractions: San Cristobal de Las Casas.