Río Jataté, Bottom Valley*, Chiapas, Mexico (area: Southeast; click here for the Chiapas table of rivers)

river photo

Class: II; Ave. Gradient: 1.4 m/km; Portages: none; Length: 36 km; Time: 6 hours

Season: year-round; rafts? yes; Highlights: mid-elevation jungle; villages; Crux Move: getting permission to float

Water Quality: good; Water Temperature: cool

PI: La Soledad (220 m); TO: Las Tazas El Avellanal

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

This final section of the Jataté is a mellow float through a tropical valley that may be paddled by beginners, open canoeists, or those making a complete journey down the Jataté-Lacantún-Usumacinta. The biggest potential problem in this section is running into community members who are suspicious of outsiders, so expect to be stopped and questioned. However, residents are usually civil and will let tourists go on their way. The leader of the Zapatista uprising, “Subcomandante Marcos,” is known to reside in the area between the river and Lago Miramar.

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

*note* This run is marked politically sensitive due to encounters with Zapatistas along the way. If you do get urgently “asked” to stop by the locals, usually your politeness and willingness to have your boat searched will cause you no more problem than a short delay.

Flow Notes: The closest online gauge is way downstream on the Río Lacantún; the readings are unverified. The Bottom Jataté provides about 40% of the water for the Lacantún.

click here for the height graph

Nearby Tourist Attractions: Laguna Miramar near San Quintín.