Río Cahabón, below Semuc Champey, Guatemala (area: Cahabón-Polochic; click here for the Guatemala table of rivers)

river photo

Class: III-; Ave. Gradient: 3 m/km; Portages: one III+; Length: 5.5 km; Time: 1:30

Season: year round; rafts? yes; Highlights: pretty water and travertine; Crux move: not missing the TO

Water Quality: decent; Water Temperature: warm

PI: Semuc Champey (260m); TO: Sejchilil (245m)

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

There is a nice stretch of mostly flat water on the Río Cahabón starting below Semuc Champey. It has pretty, class II+ to III+ travertine drops and some easy play waves. The jungle scenery provides an impressive background. Plus it starts at Semuc Champey, which you are probably visiting anyway.

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater Guatemala guidebook.

Descent History: Probably, locals in inner tubes were the first to run this. I first ran it in March 2011 with Marco Dolcetta from Italy.

Flow Notes: This run can be enjoyed year-round at almost any water level.

Nearby Tourist Attractions: Semuc Champey, duh.