I wasn't going to go to Semuc Champey even though I heard many other travelers talk about. I wasn't going to go until I met a Mormom Missionary named John, from Aiea (at the center of all cogintive dissonance, that Israeli hummus restaurant). He talked me into going, so I made a quick change of plans and decided to stop at Semuc Champey near Coban-Lanquin on my way up to the Mayan Ruins at Tikal.
It was probably the best decision I've made so far. Semuc is unbelievable. When I finally got there, I realized I had no idea what to expect, I literally didn't know what to expect because I never saw pictures or got a good description of the pools at Semuc. I just knew that the place was a must-see destination so I went.
I took a guided tour the first day i went out. The guide started us off with swinging into a river from a rope swing. It was a solid 15 feet at the apex of the swing into the river. Then he took us into an underground cave-river system. This part I did hear about earlier so I was looking forward to it. It was probably one of the hightlights of my trip. It involved swimming/wading up an underground river with only a candle as our light source. At some points, the water was knee deep, at other points, we literally had to swim with one hand and keep our candle above water with the other hand. There were bats at the entrance of the cave. further in we had to climb up a small waterfall, at the end of the trek we jumped off a cliff into a tiny underground pool. It was a trip.
after the cave expedition, the guide took us to a big yellow bridge and jumped off it. it was 10 meters to the water. the other guys in the group jumped it, but I learned my lesson from the basketball incident. I decided that jumping off it would have been a stupid risk, as much as i wanted to do it.
after the bridge we walked to Semuc Champey proper. we hiked up a mountain to a lookout and I saw semuc for the frist time and i realized then that it was a series of terraced, cascading, turqoise pools. We hiked back down and got to the pools. You could start at the highest pool and swim your way down to the end. you could jump, dive, swim, crawl, walk your way down all the seperate pools. It was nestled in a moutain ravine, the water was clean and cool. it was amazing.
It was probably the best decision I've made so far. Semuc is unbelievable. When I finally got there, I realized I had no idea what to expect, I literally didn't know what to expect because I never saw pictures or got a good description of the pools at Semuc. I just knew that the place was a must-see destination so I went.
I took a guided tour the first day i went out. The guide started us off with swinging into a river from a rope swing. It was a solid 15 feet at the apex of the swing into the river. Then he took us into an underground cave-river system. This part I did hear about earlier so I was looking forward to it. It was probably one of the hightlights of my trip. It involved swimming/wading up an underground river with only a candle as our light source. At some points, the water was knee deep, at other points, we literally had to swim with one hand and keep our candle above water with the other hand. There were bats at the entrance of the cave. further in we had to climb up a small waterfall, at the end of the trek we jumped off a cliff into a tiny underground pool. It was a trip.
after the cave expedition, the guide took us to a big yellow bridge and jumped off it. it was 10 meters to the water. the other guys in the group jumped it, but I learned my lesson from the basketball incident. I decided that jumping off it would have been a stupid risk, as much as i wanted to do it.
after the bridge we walked to Semuc Champey proper. we hiked up a mountain to a lookout and I saw semuc for the frist time and i realized then that it was a series of terraced, cascading, turqoise pools. We hiked back down and got to the pools. You could start at the highest pool and swim your way down to the end. you could jump, dive, swim, crawl, walk your way down all the seperate pools. It was nestled in a moutain ravine, the water was clean and cool. it was amazing.
These pictures don't really do the place justice.
The waterfall at the end of the pools
the last pool, the edge of this pool is the waterfall two pics up.
one of the pools. 
view of the pools from the lookout.
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