Corazón del Bosque is a community-run ecological park and private nature reserve at kilometre 145 of the Pan-American Highway, in El Novillero, Santa Lucía Utatlán, Sololá. Its English page gives the entrance fee as 20Q for tourists and 10Q for locals. The park has a forest trail of 2.5 km (about 2 hours), a Mayan altar, a hilltop sanctuary, a restaurant open 08:00-17:00 every day, and cabins priced from Q120 (English page) or Q150 (Spanish offers page) for one person; neither page says whether the cabin price is per night.
Every price and detail on this page is from the park’s own website, parquecorazondelbosque.weebly.com, read on 31 October 2026. The site’s English page and its Spanish offers page disagree on cabin and sauna prices (see below), and only the English page gives an entrance fee, so confirm that fee by phone or WhatsApp before you rely on it.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | Km 145, Ruta Interamericana, El Novillero, Santa Lucía Utatlán, Sololá |
| Run by | A community association; founded 1990 |
| Size | 40 hectares of forest |
| Entrance (English page) | Q20 tourists / Q10 locals |
| Restaurant Utatlán | 08:00-17:00, Monday to Sunday |
| Office hours | Monday-Friday 8:00-17:00, Saturday 8:00-12:00 (contact page); the English page gives phone hours of 8:30am to 5pm |
| Phone | +502 7723 4140 |
| +502 3729 8929 | |
| Language | Spanish; English only through volunteers, when present |
| Where to sleep | At the park’s cabins or hostel, or Santa Lucía Utatlán |
What you pay
| Item | Price | Source page |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance, tourist | Q20 | English page |
| Entrance, local | Q10 | English page |
| Cabin, 1 person | Q150 | Spanish offers page |
| Cabin, 2 people | Q250 | Spanish offers page |
| Cabin, 3 people | Q375 | Spanish offers page |
| Cabin, 4 people | Q500 | Spanish offers page |
| Cabin, 5 people | Q625 | Spanish offers page |
| Temascal (sweat bath), per person | Q75 | Spanish offers page; request about 3 hours ahead |
| Camping, per night | Q15 | English page |
| Meeting hall, per day | Q600 | English page |
| Hostal Ecológico rooms | Price by phone | Spanish offers page |
| Swings and play area | No extra charge | Spanish activities page |
The two price lists
| Item | English page | Spanish offers page |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin, 1 person | Q120 | Q150 |
| Cabin, 2 people | Q200 | Q250 |
| Larger groups | Q80 per additional bed | Q375 for 3, Q500 for 4, Q625 for 5 |
| Mayan sauna (temascal) | Listed with the cabins (“with traditional Mayan sauna”), no separate price | Q75 per person, request about 3 hours ahead |
| Entrance fee | Q20 tourists / Q10 locals | Not listed |
| Contact phone | +502 7723 4140 | +502 3729 8929 (the number the contact page lists as WhatsApp) |
Both pages were live on 31 October 2026 and neither carries a date. Ask which price list applies when you book.
Trails and what is inside
| Feature | What the park says |
|---|---|
| El Sendero (forest trail) | 2.5 km, about 2 hours; guides at special prices for groups |
| Altar Maya | Inherited from the community’s grandparents; used for Mayan ceremonies (xukulem); 20-30 minute hike (English page) |
| Santuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe | At the top of the mountain, with two altars; 30-minute hike (English page) |
| Tikalito | A hill of more than 150 steps up to a viewpoint over El Novillero |
| Birdwatching | Along the forest trail, including the chipe de cabeza rosada |
| Área verde | Green area with a football pitch, games and covered barbecue grills |
| Piscinas bautismales | Small pool for religious and recreational use, with private changing rooms, water at ambient temperature |
The restaurant
The Spanish offers page lists Restaurante Utatlán, open 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Sunday, serving traditional dishes, especially rabbit from the community farm and caldo rojo with vegetables from the park’s garden, plus craft liquors and natural fruit drinks, with Wi-Fi and a fireplace. Prensa Libre reported on 17 January 2018 that a fire destroyed the park’s earlier two-storey restaurant; the restaurant on the current offers page has hours posted, as above.
Getting there
The park is beside the Pan-American Highway at kilometre 145. Its English page suggests it as a stop for lunch, coffee or a bathroom break on the way to Quetzaltenango. The contact page has a map with the location marked.
See our pages on Santa Lucía Utatlán and Sololá.
Where to sleep: the park or Santa Lucía Utatlán
The park rents cabins (each with a kitchen and beds for five) and rooms in a newer Hostal Ecológico, and allows camping, so the simplest base is the park itself. Otherwise look around Santa Lucía Utatlán, the municipality the park belongs to.
Live availability near Santa Lucía Utatlán:
Where to stay in Santa Lucía Utatlán
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A workable half-day
| Step | Time | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Arrive at km 145 | From 08:00 (restaurant opens) | Park |
| Forest trail with the altar and birdwatching | About 2 hours | Park |
| Optional climb: Tikalito or the sanctuary | 150+ steps / about 30 minutes | Park |
| Lunch at Restaurante Utatlán | Before 17:00 | Park |
More nearby
Sources
- Corazón del Bosque, Información en Inglés: https://parquecorazondelbosque.weebly.com/informacioacuten-en-ingles.html (read 31 October 2026)
- Corazón del Bosque, home, Ofertas, Actividades and Contacto pages: https://parquecorazondelbosque.weebly.com/ (read 31 October 2026)
- Prensa Libre, Incendio consume restaurante del parque ecológico Corazón del Bosque (17 January 2018): https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/solola/incendio-consume-restaurante-del-parque-ecologico-corazon-del-bosque/ (read 31 October 2026)
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- Faye: single-trip plans sold to residents of U.S. states (not U.S. territories); its FAQ lists emergency medical cover of up to $250K and emergency medical evacuation of up to $500K, and adventure and extreme activities need a paid add-on for medical cover.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance to Corazón del Bosque?
The park’s English-language page gives an entrance fee of 20Q for tourists and 10Q for locals (read 31 October 2026). Its Spanish pages do not repeat the entrance fee, and their cabin prices differ from the English page’s. Confirm by phone or WhatsApp.
Where is Corazón del Bosque?
At kilometre 145 of the Ruta Interamericana (Pan-American Highway), El Novillero, Santa Lucía Utatlán, Sololá, per the park’s contact page.
How much are the cabins at Corazón del Bosque?
The park’s two price lists disagree. The Spanish offers page lists Q150 for 1 person, Q250 for 2, Q375 for 3, Q500 for 4 and Q625 for 5, and charges Q75 per person for the temascal (sweat bath), which needs about three hours’ notice. The English page lists Q120 for one person, Q200 for two and Q80 for each additional bed, with a traditional Mayan sauna mentioned alongside. Each cabin has a shower, bathroom, kitchen and beds for five, and takes up to seven people, per the Spanish page. Ask which list applies when you book.
Who runs Corazón del Bosque?
A community association. The park says community leaders started it in 1990 and that its 40 hectares of forest are still run by the association they founded.
How long is the trail at Corazón del Bosque?
The park lists its forest trail at 2.5 km and about 2 hours, with guides at special prices for groups. Its English page puts the Mayan altar a 20-30 minute hike away and the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Guadalupe a 30-minute hike.
Do the staff speak English?
The park’s English page says it is best to communicate in Spanish, because the only English-speaking staff are volunteers who may not be in the park year-round.
