Finca El Paraíso, in the municipality of El Estor, Izabal, is a hot waterfall: hot water from the mountains mixes with the cold río San Antonio, and a fall of about eight metres forms natural pools where you can swim. The Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes directory (SIC) calls it one of the few waterfalls of its kind in Guatemala and lists entry at about Q20 per person; Boatique Hotel and Marina in Río Dulce lists the same Q20 park fee. The SIC gives the hours as 7:00 to 17:00 every day, Boatique as 9:00 to 16:00 every day. From Río Dulce, Boatique’s directions are a colectivo heading to El Estor from below the bridge.
This page is the practical side of the visit: what you pay, when it opens, how to get there by colectivo from Río Dulce, what is on site and how to fit in the nearby Canyon de Boquerón. Sources are the Ministry of Culture’s SIC listing, Boatique’s own activities page and a dated 2021 Emisoras Unidas report, all read on 1 November 2026. For how the falls compare with Guatemala’s other hot springs, see our hot springs guide.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| What | Waterfall of about 8 m where hot spring water meets the cold río San Antonio (SIC) |
| Where | Municipality of El Estor, Izabal (SIC); on the shore of the lake, per Emisoras Unidas (2021) |
| Entry | About Q20.00 per person (SIC); Q20 per person park fee (Boatique) |
| Hours | 7:00-17:00 Monday to Sunday (SIC); 9:00-16:00 daily (Boatique) |
| From Río Dulce | Colectivo heading to El Estor, from the colectivo area below the bridge (Boatique) |
| Pay | At the gate (Boatique) |
| On site | Pools, trails, restaurant, camping, lodging, toilets, security (SIC) |
| Nearby | Canyon de Boquerón, Q100 per person park fee (Boatique) |
Entry and hours by source
| Source (date) | Days and hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| SIC listing, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes (last modified 31 July 2026) | Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Approximately Q20.00 per person |
| Boatique Hotel and Marina, What to do (read 1 November 2026) | Open daily, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Park fee Q20 per person |
The two sources agree on the price and disagree on the hours. Plan to be there between 9:00 and 16:00, the window both give.
Getting there from Río Dulce
Boatique, a hotel in Río Dulce, publishes self-guided directions on its activities page. All its self-guided outings start the same way: at the colectivo area below the bridge, across from Bruno’s Restaurant. For Finca Paraíso, as Boatique calls it, you take a colectivo heading to El Estor, tell the driver where you are going and pay the entrance fee at the gate. Boatique does not give a fare, a distance or a journey time, and the SIC listing gives no directions.
To reach Río Dulce itself, see Guatemala City to Río Dulce and Antigua to Río Dulce.
What is there
The SIC listing describes the waterfall as about eight metres high, forming natural pools of clear water where visitors can swim, surrounded by abundant vegetation, with trails to walk the area. Services listed: restaurant, camping area, lodging, toilets and security. Near the finca there is a lagoon with recreational activities such as banana-boat rides.
The 2021 Emisoras Unidas report adds details that the SIC listing does not carry. Read them as a description from that date:
- The finca covers 18 caballerías.
- It gives the height of the fall as between 8 and 10 metres.
- From the fall you can walk upriver to a cave that you enter by swimming.
- Forest walks look over the banana-growing landscape; it says the trails are carpeted with bougainvillea from May.
- Lodging is in ranchos typical of the area, with a camping site and a restaurant serving home cooking.
- A beach with eateries, sports courts and green areas is five minutes away by vehicle.
Why the water is hot
The SIC listing explains the phenomenon as hot water springing from the mountains and mixing with the cold water of the río San Antonio. In the 2021 Emisoras Unidas report, tourism authorities explained that the land lies on the Polochic geological fault and that under the stream there is a crack through which heat from the earth escapes.
Pairing it with Canyon de Boquerón
Boatique suggests combining Finca Paraíso with Canyon de Boquerón for a full day, leaving its hotel at 7:00 AM. It describes Boquerón as towering limestone walls over calm green water, with a canoe that takes you between the rock faces to a place quiet enough to swim. Its listing: open daily 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, park fee Q100 per person, colectivo toward El Estor, ask for the Boquerón entrance. The 2021 Emisoras Unidas report describes a site called El Boquerón on the río El Sauce, near the finca, where the river runs between rock walls up to 100 metres high and community hosts rent out cayucos.
For the rest of the area, see things to do in Río Dulce, the Castillo de San Felipe and the boat from Río Dulce to Livingston.
Sources
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Sistema de Información Cultural (SIC), Finca El Paraíso listing: https://www.sicultura.gob.gt/directory-directorio_c/listing/finca-el-paraiso/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Boatique Hotel and Marina, What to do: https://www.boatiquehotelandmarina.com/what-to-do (read 1 November 2026)
- Emisoras Unidas, Conozca la paradisíaca finca de El Estor, Izabal (27 September 2021): https://emisorasunidas.com/2021/09/27/conozca-la-paradisiaca-finca-de-el-estor-izabal/ (read 1 November 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance to Finca El Paraíso?
About Q20.00 per person, according to the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes directory (SIC), last modified 31 July 2026. Boatique Hotel and Marina in Río Dulce lists the same Q20 per person park fee on its activities page, read 1 November 2026, and says the fee is paid at the gate.
What are the opening hours of Finca El Paraíso?
The SIC listing says Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Boatique’s activities page says open daily, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Both read 1 November 2026; a visit between 9:00 and 16:00 falls within both.
How do you get to Finca El Paraíso from Río Dulce?
Boatique’s self-guided directions start at the colectivo area below the bridge, across from Bruno’s Restaurant: take a colectivo heading to El Estor, tell the driver where you are going and pay the entrance fee at the gate. Neither Boatique nor the SIC listing gives the distance or the travel time.
Why is the waterfall at Finca El Paraíso hot?
The SIC listing says hot water that springs from the mountains mixes with the cold water of the río San Antonio. In a 2021 Emisoras Unidas report, tourism authorities explained that the land sits on the Polochic geological fault and that a crack under the stream lets heat from the earth escape.
Can you stay overnight at Finca El Paraíso?
The SIC listing says the finca offers lodging, a camping area, a restaurant, toilets and security. Emisoras Unidas reported in 2021 that the lodging is in ranchos typical of the area. Neither source publishes room prices.
Can you combine Finca El Paraíso with Canyon de Boquerón?
Boatique suggests pairing the two for a full day by leaving its hotel at 7:00 AM. It lists Canyon de Boquerón as open daily 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with a park fee of Q100 per person, reached by colectivo toward El Estor, asking for the Boquerón entrance.
