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

river photo

(photo by Rocky Contos)

Class: III; Ave. Gradient: 9 m/km; Portages: 1; Length: 10 km; Time: 2.5 hours

Season: mid-June to December; rafts? no; Highlights: pretty, and close to Palenque; Crux Move: portage

Water Quality: decent; Water Temperature: medium

PI: Babilonia (elev.: 147m); TO: Nututun

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

The Chacamax is a small friendly creek conveniently close to Palenque. It features a straightforward portage around a beautiful waterfall and otherwise offers a chance to exercise your paddling muscles, see a lovely waterway, and check your boat's rock-worthiness. Plus it's got a cool name.

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

Flow Notes: There is no useful online gauge, so you'll just have to gauge it for yourself at the highway. It's usually a tad low for boating so you'll need some luck with the rains. My impressions are with 300 cfs in the creek.

Accommodations: Palenque town is the obvious staging point, with many hotels and campgrounds.

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.