Río Yaruca, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

(photo courtesy of Omega Tours)

Class: IV ; Flow: 150-600 cfs; Average Gradient: 15 m/km; Portages: maybe wood; Length: 7.5 km; Time: 2 hours

Season: ; rafts? with water; Highlights: fun, fast run; Crux move: bad road to PI

Put-In: soccer field before El Urraco (395 m); Take-Out: Yaruca (280 m)

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

The Río Cangrejal is formed by four creeks near Río Viejo. The Río Yaruca is the middle-right creek and has the most continuous gradient and a rough but usable access road. It is a fun little run when the Cangrejal is too high for the regular stretches, at least for most of us paddlers! It is a beautiful ride up the valley to the end of the road and the last village of El Urraco.

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

Descent History: Udo Witteman explored this in the 90s.