Río Huixtla, Lower, Chiapas, Mexico (area: Pacific coast; click here for the Chiapas table of rivers)

Class: IV-; Ave. Gradient: 9 m/km; Portages: 1st IV?; Length: 7 km; Time: 1:15

Season: June to October; rafts? yes; Highlights: short and sweet; Crux move: 1st rapid

Water Quality: so-so; Water Temperature: cool

PI: "El Material" bridge (elev: 130m); TO: "Nuevo Milenio" bridge

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

The Río Huixtla is the stream that follows the border road that descends to the Pacific coast from Motozintla through a gorgeous valley. It is one of the larger streams on the Chiapas coast, and the Lower section offers a short but reliable and accessible bit of fun at the end of river canyon as it opens up onto the coastal plain. The Upper section, described on another page, is quite a bit more challenging.

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

Flow Notes: There is a gauge near Huixtla town, linked to below. The gauge reads low (when it's working at all), about half of real flow. This run should usually have enough water in the rainy season. My impressions are from a run with 1300 cfs. The river passes the coastal highway at km 249.8.

Accommodations: There are basic hotels in Huixtla.

Nearby Tourist Attractions: not much in this area.