Río Chalchuapa, El Salvador (click here for the El Salvador table of rivers)

river photo

Class: IV ; Flow: 150-400 cfs; Ave. Gradient: 11 m/km until confluence Río Paz; Portages: yes; Length: 26 km; Time: 4-5 hours

Season: June to October ; rafts? bottom; Highlights: technical class IV; Crux move: careful scouting

PI: San Lorenzo (515 m); TO: Chinamas border (300 m)

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

The Río Chalchuapa is tough to catch but rewards the paddler with some spirited sections of technical low-volume creeking in small gorges that are a fun counterpoint to the longer class III sections and help distract you from the unsightly trash seen along the banks.

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

Descent History: I ran this in October 2022, with 150 cfs at the PI.

Flow Notes: The Río Chalchuapa rarely has a lot of water. You will want to see at least 2.1 on the Río Paz El Jobo (Chinamas) gauge, a helpful but imperfect guide.