Río Chilax-Chicoy, Upper & Lower, Guatemala (area: Cobán; click here for the Guatemala table of rivers)

river photo

Class: III, IV; Ave. Gradient: 7 m/km; Portages: wood; Length: up to 17 km; Time: up to 5 hours

Season: June to December; rafts? no; Highlights: Las Islas balneario; Crux move: wood

Water Quality: decent; Water Temperature: cold

PI: Chilaxito bridge (1415m) or La Esperanza bridge (1360m); TO: Las Islas (1300m)

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

The Río Chicoy (a.k.a. Chilax in the upper part and Chió in the lower part) is a pretty little creek close to Cobán. It has too much wood in the Upper. The best part is the final 2 km of the Lower leading to the Las Islas balneario close to town, but watch out for wood! Contact me for more information.

Descent History: Maarten Bleijerveld, Alan Rasmussen, and I ran this in October 2007.

Flow Notes: The Chilax-Chicoy needs high water levels to go. The Renace I dam downstream reports an inflow estimate which is helpful. The Cobán rain gauge is also helpful.

Nearby Tourist Attractions: Cuevas de Rey Marcos in Chamelco.