Wondering where to stay in Semuc Champey? I’ve got you covered! There are several options for Semuc Champey hostels and hotels in and close to Semuc Champey, so I’ve put together this list of what I think are the best hostels in Semuc Champey.
Is Semuc Champey Worth It?
Semuc Champey is the name of the natural park in the Alta Verapaz department of Guatemala. It is a special place and was one of the highlights of my trip to Guatemala. Limestone rock pools cascade through a canyon in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle, surrounded by lush greenery.
Unfortunately, Semuc Champey is pretty much in the middle of nowhere – at least an 8-hour journey from Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala City, or Flores, so it isn’t possible to visit Semuc Champey on a day trip. You might be wondering if visiting Semuc Champey is worth it at all, but I would say it definitely is – if you have enough time!
You need to stay at least two nights here, to allow for a day’s travel, stay overnight at Semuc Champey or nearby Lanquín, visit the pools during the day, stay overnight again, and then continue your journey elsewhere the following day.
Where to Stay at Semuc Champey
When you visit Semuc Champey, you could stay in a hostel within walking distance of the park, which is convenient for visiting the beautiful pools, but the nearest town is about 45 minutes away.
Lanquín is the nearest town to Semuc Champey and is where most of the hostels are. In this little town, there are a few shops and restaurants but not much else to see or do. Even if you stay in Lanquín, the hostels usually provide everything you might need.
Coban is a major town, which is about 2 hours’ drive from Lanquín, and a further 45 minutes or so to the park at Semuc Champey. If you are travelling by chicken bus, not with a tourist shuttle, you may need to break your journey here in Coban.
Otherwise, the shuttle buses from Flores, Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City will take you directly to Lanquín in one day.
The Best Hostels in Semuc Champey Guatemala
Quick Reference Guide:
-
- The Best Hostel Walking Distance to Semuc Champey: Greengo’s
- The Best Semuc Champey Hostel for Chilling Out: El Retiro Lanquin
- The Best Party Hostel in Semuc Champey – Zephyr Lodge
-
- The Best Semuc Champey Hostel with a Pool – Viñas Hotel
- The Best Hostel in Semuc Champey to Get Away from It All – Ch’i Bocól
The Best Hostel Walking Distance to Semuc Champey: Greengo’s
Greengo’s Hostel is just 500 metres from the entrance to the park, so is in a great location for visiting the pools at Semuc Champey. The hostel also emphasizes working with the local community and nearby dog shelter, so is a great choice for a sustainable hostel.
There are mixed dorms here and private rooms, many of which have balconies facing the creek which runs through the property. There is a volleyball court and a ping pong table to keep guests entertained, as well as an onsite bar and restaurant.
As it is quite a distance from town, Greengo’s makes sure you have everything you might need at the hostel which means you can sit back and relax! It is also the highest-rated hostel in Semuc Champey.
BOOK GREENGO'S NOW
The Best Semuc Champey Hostel for Chilling Out: El Retiro
I stayed at the more chilled out El Retiro Lanquín, which offers private rooms and dorms, and is right by the river so you can swim there instead of in a pool.
The dorms were basic, and smelled a little damp, but the setting was beautiful. The dorms were in individual hut-type buildings dotted around the hillside above the river. You can eat all your meals here and not need to leave the hostel grounds – there is a simple but well-selected breakfast & lunch menu, and a themed buffet dinner every night.
Breakfast & lunch costs around 25-30 quetzals, and the lunch buffet was 50-60 Q. The buffets included lots of vegetables too, so it was great to get some vitamins! They also have a bar on site with drinks offers and a ping pong table, pool table, and swings to relax on.
I really enjoyed my stay here, and at 50 Q a night for a dorm bed you can’t go wrong! Watch out for offers, sometimes they have a 241 or 342 offer on dorm night prices.
BOOK EL RETIRO NOW
The Best Party Hostel in Semuc Champey – Zephyr Lodge
Zephyr Lodge Semuc Champey in Lanquín is definitely more of a party hostel than the others, and it used to be legendary for the beautiful views and infinity swimming pool. However, lately the reviews are a mixed bag; travellers complain about bugs in the rooms and getting sick (possibly from the river or possibly from something at the hostel).
However, other reviews still rave about the social vibe and the location, so check out the recent reviews to decide for yourself before you book.
BOOK ZEPHYR LODGE NOW
The Best Semuc Champey Hostel with a Pool – Viñas Hotel
Viñas Hotel is one of the newer hostels in Lanquín, and one of the few which has a beautiful swimming pool and incredible views from all around the hostel. As far as I can tell it is the only hostel in Lanquín which is fully owned and operated by Guatemalans.
There are dorm rooms and private rooms, in the private rooms there are mosquito nets provided. As with the other hostels, there is a restaurant on-site and wi-fi available. The real draw is watching the sunset from the swimming pool!
BOOK VISTA VERDE NOW
The Best Hostel in Semuc Champey to Get Away from It All – Ch’i Bocól
Ch’i Bocól Community Hostel really is off the beaten track – the shuttles won’t drop you off here, it is a 30-minute hike from Lanquín to get to the hostel. However, once you are there, the pristine Guatemalan jungle surrounds the hostel, and you have gorgeous views of the mountainside. There is river access here too, so you can cool off after the hike here.
There is a kitchen where you can prepare your own food (if you can carry it there!) or there is a restaurant on site with reasonably priced cooked dishes to choose from. It is cash only, so take out any money you might need in Coban before you get to Lanquín. Most accommodation is in dorm rooms, but there are some private rooms available too.
BOOK CH'I BOCOL NOW
Airbnb in Semuc Champey
In addition to the hostels in Semuc Champey, there are also several options for Airbnb in Semuc Champey. Some of the Semuc Champey hostels have simply listed their available rooms on Airbnb, or there are a few different private options as well.
Things to Remember for Visiting Semuc Champey
Wherever you choose to stay to visit Semuc Champey, remember that the reason you are there is for the pools in the natural park. The location is rural, so most of the accommodation options here are quite rustic but certainly beautiful.
Most of the Semuc Champey hostels run on generators, so may turn off the electricity at certain times of the day or night. A portable charger is handy if you don’t want to risk running out of battery for your phone. Most hostels have wi-fi, which again may be switched off at certain times of the day.
READ MORE: Backpacking Guatemala Travel Guide
There is a cash machine in Lanquín, but it is best to bring cash with you for your stay. Due to the remote location a lot of the hostels are cash only, or should they have problems with their credit card machine you will want to be prepared.
Every hostel will be able to arrange a Semuc Champey tour for you, or you may choose to visit independently, especially if you are walking distance away from the park. Check out this post for full details about Semuc Champey, and whether it is better to go with a tour or visit Semuc Champey independently.
How to Get to Semuc Champey Guatemala
The easiest way to get to Semuc Champey is to take a tourist shuttle. Shuttles run every day from Flores to Lanquín, and from Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala to Lanquín, where pick-up trucks will then drop you off at your hotel or hostel.
All shuttles stop off briefly in Coban, then carry on to Lanquín. With prices starting from 100 quetzales it doesn’t work out much more expensive than taking the chicken buses, and it is a lot quicker. Even so, it still takes at least 8-9 hours from either city, and the shuttles always travel by day.
I left Flores at 8am and arrived in Lanquín (the closest town to Semuc Champey) at around 5pm, and when travelling on to Antigua, I left Lanquín at 8am, and arrived in Antigua at 6pm. Take the earliest possible shuttle to get to Semuc Champey hopefully before it goes dark. As a lot of the hostels are quite remote, getting there if you arrive in Lanquín too late will be very difficult, or even impossible.
***WARNING: ONLY BUY YOUR ONWARD SHUTTLE TICKET FROM YOUR HOTEL OR HOSTEL IN LANQUÍN. THERE ARE SCAMMERS ON THE SHUTTLES FROM FLORES TO LANQUÍN WHO WILL SELL YOU FAKE TICKETS FOR YOUR ONWARD JOURNEY, BUT NO SHUTTLE TURNS UP***
Bear in mind that the road in both directions is very windy almost all the way. If you suffer from motion sickness, like I do, I recommend taking tablets or another method of reducing the effects, made worse by crazy drivers! I had 2 of my tablets, wore my acupressure bands, and managed to negotiate a seat at the front, which helped a lot.
On the plus side, some of the views of the Guatemalan countryside from Flores to Semuc Champey are quite spectacular!
Have you been to Semuc Champey? Which is your favourite hostel in Semuc Champey? I’d love to hear your views in the comments below.
Want More Hostel Posts?
Check out these blog posts to learn more about staying in a hostel, and some tips for working in a hostel as a volunteer or click here to read all of my accommodation posts.Like this post? Pin it to read later:
The Zephyr lodge looks amazing! would be worth the trip alone just to see the lodge! So strange to think that some places are still run by generators, even in this day and age
Yeah its quite rustic but certainly beautiful. Also, true that the place is pretty and relaxing and worth visiting too. Really love the awesome pictures. Thanks for the nice post.
As someone that stays in a lot of hostels, this is a great list you’ve put together. I want to visit Guatemala at some point and Semuc Champey looks like an incredible place to visit. I will make sure to stay at one of these hostels when I do get there!
Semuc Champey looks so surreal and pristine. The hostels look so exotic and they are sure to give many of the star hotels a run for their money. I think it would be absolute bliss to wake up in one of those cottages of El Retiro cottages.
Guatemala isn’t somewhere I’d think of visiting, but I don’t know why – your pics are beautiful. It’s good to see a range of accommodation near Samuc Champey. I love the look of the pool at Hostal Vista Verde – so serene!
My choose would be Ch’i Bocól Community Hostel if I ever go to Semuc Champey. I already imagine chillin’ in pool and looking for sunrise. Also, the place where you stay look cool, with this huts.
Stayed at chi bocol for a month. The scenery and the people were absolutely amazing. Didnt want to leave after finding it. Good hike in but well worth the journey…
Incredible photos!! The Zephryl Lodge is unbelievable! I will remember your post when we go to Guatemala. How many weeks – or months rather – you stayed there?
This is so helpful. We popped over to Guatemala on a visa run run from Mexico last year but didn’t get as far as this because the monsoon rains where literally washing roads away. I really like the look of Hostal Vista Verde. And even better that it is owned & operated by Guatemalans. Bookmarking this for next time. Thanks!
I would love to stay at the Hostal Vista Verde, the sunset view looks amazing and I would love to sit here and chill out after a day’s exploring. Great post, hopefully I get out to Guatemala soon.
Didn’t know that it takes 8 hours to get to Semuc. Such an important info when planning a trip to Guatemala. Good to know, thanx.
And that lavish surroundings look so beautiful that it would probably be very hard to choose an accommodation. So nice of you to scale hostels down to important stuff. I’d probably go for every one of them given the fact that they have such a nice view. 🙂
Hostal Vista Verde looks lovely with that pool, which is probably a welcome retreat from what I assume is a hot and humid place. I’ve never stayed in a hostel and I’d definitely need a private room if I ever considered one. My concern would be if the scene around the pool turns in to a party scene.