Welcome to the relaxing Garden

Semuc Champey (where the river hides under the stones), is a natural enclave located near the municipality of Lanquin (12 km approx. South of Lanquín), in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. In the same, in the middle of a thick tropical forest is a natural limestone bridge of about 300 meters of length by which flows the river Cahabón and in whose surroundings are a great amount of pools of 1 to 3 m of depth , whose turquoise color or jade color changes throughout the year varying with climate, sun and other natural factors. At the end you can see the river Cahabón as it enters a limestone cavern.
From the Hotel Casa Gaia in Cobán, take the route to Lanquín (50 km of asphalt + 12 km of dirt road) and then take the dirt road from Lanquín to Semuc (another 12 km). The trip total takes 2h 47.

The entrance to the park costs Q 50 (fifty quetzales). It has parking and hotels nearby, where you can eat.

There are shuttles every day to Semuc and they have a cost of Q 350 per person (includes guide, entrances to the park, lunch). The service provided by third parties, who have no business relationship with Casa Gaia. But as a service we can make reservations with them for you.

The King Marco natural caves (Cuevas del Rey MArcos)  are located in the municipality of San Juan Chameldo, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. At a distance of 11 km from Cobán (21 min).

The Caves are located six kilometers from San Juan Chamelco (10 min more) that since its discovery in 1988 have been considered by the inhabitants as a sacred place. They are a series of vaults of various sizes, inside it exists an underground river that crosses them. They also have natural stone formations that water has formed with the minerals of the region (Masaya, 2014).

There is a short course and a longer one and to do them it is necessary to do it with special equipment, which consists of helmet lamps and rubber boots.

Among the activities that can be carried out on site are fishing, rowing and camping.

The coffee tour of the Cooperativa Agrícola Chicoj offers you an unforgettable experience. The tour allows the visitor to coexist with the members of the community and to know the techniques of coffee production and processing, as well as the conservation of nature.
During the Chicoj coffee tour, friendly and knowledgeable staff will guide you through our coffee plantations and forests. You will be able to know and obtain information on the following topics:
The story about the arrival of coffee in Guatemala and the cooperative.
How did Q'eqchi' culture adopt the production of coffee and the enrichment of productive processes?
The management of plantations (varieties, harvest times, need for shade, etc.)
Processes of coffee production (classification of grains, pulping, fermentation, washing, drying and commercialization).
Includes an exciting canopy tour of coffee plantations and forests, as well as an artificial lagoon.
Our staff will provide you with all the equipment necessary to live this experience.

From Casa Gaia Hotel you can reach Chicoj by a Taxi (20 min). That cost about 50 quetzales.

This is the only tea tour in northern Guatemala, where qeqchies producers, both men and women, are engaged in the production and industrialization of TE CHIRREPECO. We are sure that your experience with us will be unforgettable.

The Chirrepeco Tea Ecotour includes:
Visit to the tea plantations and the industrial plant.
Description of the process of planting, care, harvesting, processing and marketing of tea.
A visit to the museum, which has machines and facilities that were used more than 90 years ago to process the tea.
Visit to the sacred caves, which play a very important role in the cosmovision of the Q'eqchi 'Maya culture.
Of course, a tasting of the delicious Chirrepeco Tea and the opportunity for visitors to buy it in their different presentations to continue enjoying it at home or to take it as a gift.
If the visitor wishes to have lunch with a local family, it is advisable to advise 24 hours before. Our staff will prepare a very special typical dish.
Prices:
Foreigners Q60.00
National and NGO Q50.00
University Students Q45.00
Average travel time one hour with thirty minutes
We offer short and long TOURS (according to your time arrangement).
To get there, you can take a taxi from Casa Gaia. The place is located 5 km on the road that leads to San Juan Chamelco.

The Candelaria caves are a large natural caves system located in the transition between the highlands and lowlands of the province of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala between the municipalities of Chisec and Raxruhá, in the region called the Transverse Northern Strip. They are famous for their beauty and for their importance to the history of the Maya.
The main gallery has a total length of 22 km, of which 12.5 km follow the underpass of the Candelaria river. Adding the adjacent caves this extension reaches 80 km, which is the largest underground network in Latin America.
The Caves of Candelaria are part of the Cuevas de Candelaria National Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. Located in the department of Alta Verapaz, one of the richest department in aquatic tourist destinations, offering activities for the whole family; Candelaria is no exception. From their caves and the tubing activity inside them make it an unforgettable experience. The community of Candelaria Camposanto offers a visit to two impressive dry caves and an exciting aquatic tour, floating on tubes, in an underground section of the Candelaria River. On May 17, 1974, a French topographer, for the first time, entered Cuevas de Candelaria, organizing 25 families from the community who are responsible for working on the project, providing various services.

To get there, take the route to Chisec and after passing through the village, turn right on the Transversal del Norte road just before Rahuxa. There are visitor centers.

Guatemala is known for its diversity of climates and micro climates in which inhabit multiple species of flora and fauna. One of its major attractions to see the fauna is the Quetzal, bird endemic to the Mesoamerica region. Many people travel to see the quetzal in the Biotope, and sometimes it is very difficult to observe it inside their habitat. One option is to visit Ranchitos del Quetzal (Kukumatz Reserve), to the vicinity of the Biotope, to be sure to see the quetzal.

That is why they create a place where the tourist can spend a good time inside the facilities and satisfy their illusion of being able to observe this magnificent bird in a natural environment and still be able to photograph. For more than 20 years Ranchitos del Quetzal has opened its doors providing tourists with a new experience, with a humid and cold climate due to its location inside the cloud corridor, which makes the ranchitos extremely welcoming.

Observing the Quetzal has a cost of Q40 and is an ideal option for the person who does not have a lot of time or is going through the place. Its location is strategic and extremely busy.

The Kukumatz reserve of Ranchitos del Quetzal is located on the CA-14 highway, at kilometer 160.5 (51.1 kms before reaching Cobán). You can pass on your way to Cobán or when leaving Casa Gaia heading to the Capital of Guatemala.

Laguna Lachuá is a cenote in Guatemala. It is located in the rain forest in the municipality of Cobán, Alta Verapaz. The lake has a circular shape and is probably a flooded dolina. The water of the lake has a sulfuric odor, which explains the origin of its name: "Lachuá" is derived from the kekchí words "li chu há" whose meaning is "fetid water". The water contains a high degree of calcite, and branches of fallen trees in the lake quickly cover a layer of white calcite.
The lake is located in the center of Laguna Lachuá National Park, which was created in 1976. The park covers an area of ​​145 square kilometers and contains more than 220 species of plants and 210 species of mammals and birds.
It is ideal for those who want to escape the routine, the noise of the city; or who wants to live an adventure. A destination for all types of people from those who like to swim, to camp, to enjoy animals, nature and much more. Many questions arise when you think of being in the middle of the jungle, there are no stores in which to buy food, so each tourist must bring their own food; take care of the animals and respect the rules that make Lachuá a harmonious coexistence.
To reach. Drive along the road to the Atlantic CA-9, when you reach the rancho continue to the left the road to Cobán approximately 210 km from Guatemala City. You will stay at the Casa Gaia Hotel. Then follow the route to Chisec, which is located at km 300. After Chisec you will find signs, driving for them the road to the left, if you continue straight (the road leads to Petén). When passing Chisec you should drive about 64 km most of the road is asphalted.
From Casa Gaia, in Cobán, it takes 3 hours to get to Lachuá.

360 km from the capital of Guatemala (148 km from Cobán -2h 30-), in Alta Verapaz, in the direction of the Franja Transversal del Norte Road, is the information center of the caves of Se'tzol, a small paradise full of nature, beauty and vegetation.
The Se'tzol caves are located two and a half kilometers after the information center, a place where you can only get there after a walk that lasts about 30 minutes.
The route for the caves is mountainous and humid so their visitors are advised to arrive with comfortable clothes and shoes, as well as clothes that can get wet due to the fact that inside the caves the Chiyú River passes.
Adventure
The trip to the caves of Se'tzol is an experience that one could take a day to explore. Of the nearly 25 caves that make up this complex, only five have been explored and therefore open to the general public.
The caves were discovered in 1932 by residents of the nearby Maya Q'uechi 'community, who see this place as a place of worship and pilgrimage.
Se'tzol, which in Spanish means "in a row", is specifically located in the municipality Chahal, founded 108 years ago. In the middle of a regularly tropical climate, but changing according to the time of year.

Se'pemech, better known as "Las Conchas," is a place located in the municipality of Chahal, in Alta Verapaz. Its name comes from the Q'eqchi 'language, which means "Shells." It is called that because at the bottom of the river you can see fossils of shells and snails.

The place has several pools of different depths, there are some very deep and others smaller for those who do not know how to swim or for children to have fun. You can also see a waterfall that has a height of approximately 10-15 meters. Although the color of the water is not turquoise, like that of Semuc Champey, it is clear and allows visibility.

To see the place in all its splendor you have to climb the viewpoint, a structure made of wood where you can appreciate the panorama of the place.

You can reach the shells from Cobán and the Rio Dulce side. The distances are almost the same from the two points, approximately 365 km. Las Conchas is located 15 minutes from the municipal head. And from Cobán to 153 km (2h 50).

The cost to enter Las Conchas is between Q20 - Q30.

An attraction are the caves of Se'tzol and it is recommended to get a guide to visit them.

For the more adventurous tourists you can camp and admire the stars. There is a place to make bonfires, so you can take food to cook, or book a bungalow in advance, this can be booked at the Villa Santa Elena Hotel, 30 minutes from the place.

This is a recommended place for the whole family, from the entrance of the place you only have to walk about 5 to 10 minutes to reach the river.