Chicabal Lagoon
The Lagoon is considered by the maya mam as an important center of the maya Cosmo vision. It is located at the top of the Chicabal Volcano at 2,700 meters above sea level.A steep ascent takes you from a small town to the entrance of Chicabal. The place is considered sacred so be respectful in every way and ask for permission before taking pictures of any religious ritual.
The entrance has some games for kids, nice grass, trees and bathrooms. A small store sells sodas and juices.
A trail goes deep into the forest where you will find a fork. One way takes you to the lookout and the other to the lagoon.
The view from the lookout is worth the walk as you can see the Chicabal Lagoon in all it's splendor.
Another trail takes you down to the lagoon, where the waters reflect the color of the sky and the forest. It is very frequent that a nice fog covers the waters making it look more mystical.
Always ask before putting up any camping gear. Although is not very common to get a permission to camp over there, some times you can find small groups camping on quiet and distant places from the lagoon.
What to expect at Chicabal?
- A nice and beautiful walk among the trees. Nice weather and landscape.
- The place is sacred so you can be lucky watching some religious rituals over there.
- The entrance is forbidden to the tourist on may, so take this in count when planning your trip to Chicabal.
How to get to Chicabal?
Reach Quetzaltenango via Panamericana CA1. From there is advised to ask for a tour or a bus reaching Chicabal Lagoon. The directions to get to Chicabal are somewhat complicated, so to avoid problems ask for the best transportation option in Quetzaltenango.Small buses reach the summit via a steep ascent. Kinda long to walk but worth trying it.
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