Chicovix is a thermal-spring tourist centre in aldea Chicovix, Cantel, Quetzaltenango, with water at about 40 °C. The Ministry of Culture’s directory lists it open 365 days a year from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm, with a thermal bath at Q.15.00 an hour (Q.40.00 for a family bath), the pools at Q.5.00 and the canopy at Q.25.00 per person (undated in the directory, checked 10 November 2026; call ahead).
In short: Open every day, 5:00-21:00. Thermal bath Q.15.00 an hour, family bath Q.40.00 an hour; pools, green area, baptistry and Maya altar Q.5.00 each; canopy Q.25.00; vehicle entry Q.5.00 (Ministry of Culture, undated). Water about 40 °C. Phone (502) 5724 3660. Older 2019 reports gave different pool and bath prices and a weekend-only canopy.
Prices and hours
| Service | Ministry of Culture directory (undated, checked 10 Nov 2026) | ActivaTv, 18 August 2019 | La Voz de Xela, 28 December 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal bath, normal | Q.15.00 per hour | Q15.00, 4 to 5 people | Q 10 (thermal baths) |
| Thermal bath, family | Q.40.00 per hour | Q40.00, up to 6 people | — |
| Pools | Q.5.00 per person | Q15.00 per person | Q 5 entry, pool included |
| Canopy | Q.25.00 per person | Q25.00 per person; weekends from 10 a.m., suspended in rain | Q 25; Friday to Sunday, 9:00-17:00 |
| Opening hours | 365 days, 5:00 am to 9:00 pm | Baths and pool 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., every day | Monday to Sunday, 6:00-20:00 |
| Green area, baptistry, Maya altar | Q.5.00 each | Games and trails free | — |
| Vehicle entry | Q. 5.00 | — | — |
| Events hall | Q. 350.00 | Bookable through the administrator | — |
The directory’s figures are undated in the Ministry of Culture directory, checked 10 November 2026; call ahead. ActivaTv quoted a Chicovix worker, Ramos García, and said in 2019 that the pool, bath and canopy prices were the same for Guatemalans and foreigners. La Voz de Xela’s figures come from a December 2019 list of seven Quetzaltenango destinations promoted by INGUAT’s Region VI office. The two 2019 sources disagree with each other and with the directory on the pool and bath prices; ask which prices apply when you call.
Phones
| Number | Who publishes it |
|---|---|
| (502) 5724 3660 | Ministry of Culture directory (with the email tamat717@gmail.com) |
| 5305-1454 and 3293-6620 | La Voz de Xela, December 2019 |
| 4335-5189 (administrator, events hall bookings) | ActivaTv, August 2019 |
The baths, pools and trails
The directory lists an adult pool, a children’s pool, a children’s play area, the canopy, an ecological trail, an events hall, a baptistry (bautisterio), a Maya altar, and kiosks for resting and waiting your turn for a bath. ActivaTv described the thermal baths on the ground floor with the events hall above, remodelled the year before according to the worker it interviewed, and said the first canopy platform is a ten-minute walk away.
The 2024 municipal cultural policy for Cantel describes freshwater pools of warm water from natural springs, the canopy with panoramic views, and ecological trails where you can hear birdsong. ActivaTv reported October, November and December as the busiest months, along with public holidays.
A sacred site and Cantel’s identity icon
Cantel’s municipal cultural policy, approved by the municipality in 2024 (Acta Municipal 44-2024) and published by the Ministry of Culture, names Chicovix the municipality’s icono de identidad and describes it as a sacred site for Maya ceremonies, with spaces for ceremonial, cultural and spiritual practices. The Ministry’s directory entry adds that women from Cantel and neighbouring municipalities come for postpartum baths, accompanied by a midwife (comadrona) who gives them massages and a drink made from plants.
SEGEPLAN’s municipal development plan for Cantel lists the turicentro as one of the most visited sites by national and international tourists, and as a place where infrastructure could be improved.
Getting there
ActivaTv puts Chicovix 208 km from Guatemala City. SEGEPLAN gives 209 km from the capital to the town of Cantel, by the CA-1 Occidente to the main entrance of the city of Quetzaltenango, then the main road toward Retalhuleu. The 2024 municipal cultural policy places Chicovix between the municipalities of Zunil and Cantel. None of these sources prints a bus route or fare from Xela; for the city’s buses see Xela transportation.
Related
- The other hot springs on the Zunil side: Zunil hot springs and Fuentes Georginas.
- The national overview: hot springs in Guatemala.
- Town data: Cantel. More around the city: things to do in Xela.
Sources
- SIC, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes: Centro Turístico Chicovix, Cantel, Quetzaltenango — undated, read 10 November 2026.
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes: Política Cultural Municipal, Cantel, Quetzaltenango, 2024 (PDF) — read 10 November 2026.
- SEGEPLAN: Plan de Desarrollo Municipal y Ordenamiento Territorial, Cantel (PDF) — read 10 November 2026.
- La Voz de Xela: Siete destinos turísticos de Quetzaltenango, 28 December 2019 — press, read 10 November 2026.
- ActivaTv: Turicentro Chicovix, belleza natural de Cantel, Quetzaltenango, 18 August 2019 — local news blog, read 10 November 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much are the thermal baths, pools and canopy at Chicovix, and what are the hours?
The Ministry of Culture’s directory lists a normal thermal bath at Q.15.00 an hour, a family bath at Q.40.00 an hour, the pools at Q.5.00 and the canopy at Q.25.00 per person, with the centre open 365 days a year from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm. These figures are undated in the directory, checked 10 November 2026; call (502) 5724 3660 ahead.
How many people fit in a Chicovix thermal bath?
The Ministry of Culture’s listing does not say. ActivaTv’s August 2019 report gave the family bath a maximum of 6 people and the smaller bath 4 to 5 people.
When does the Chicovix canopy run?
The Ministry of Culture’s directory gives no separate canopy hours. In 2019 ActivaTv reported it ran at weekends from 10 a.m. and was suspended in rain, and La Voz de Xela, listing INGUAT’s December 2019 promotion, gave Friday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00. Ask before you go.
How hot is the water at Chicovix?
About 40 °C, according to the Ministry of Culture’s directory.
Where is Chicovix?
In aldea Chicovix, in the municipality of Cantel, Quetzaltenango, which Cantel’s 2024 municipal cultural policy places between the municipalities of Zunil and Cantel. ActivaTv puts it 208 km from Guatemala City.
