Río Palagua, Upper & Lower, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

Class: V, IV; Flow: 200-800 cfs; Average Gradient: 22 m/km Upper, 13 m/km Lower; Portages: yes; Length: 5+5 km; Time: 4.5+2.5 hours

Season: June to October; rafts? no; Highlights: exciting canyons; Crux move: committing canyons

Put-In: below Guiper (510 m); Take-Out: Santa Rosita bridge (398 m), or highway bridge (335 m)

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

The Río Palagua is another adventurous and committing creek quite close to the new Canal Seco highway. It has refreshing water to enjoy and little wood to trip you up. Prepare to spend a lot of time scouting and portaging, and have your legs all scratched up.

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater El Salvador, Honduras, & Nicaragua guidebook.

Descent History: Nils Saubès and I ran this in September 2017, with 500 cfs at the start.