Laguna Chicabal is the crater lake of Volcán Chicabal, at 2,712 metres in San Martín Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango, and a sacred site for the Mam Maya — swimming is forbidden. No government body publishes the entry fee; the most recent reports put it at Q75 for foreigners and Q20 for Guatemalan adults, cash, collected by the local association that manages the lake.
It is a half-day trip from Xela: a truck ride or a climb up the volcano, a viewpoint over the crater, a long staircase down through cloud forest and a quiet walk around the shore. What makes it different from a scenic hike is that people still come here to pray, and the rules follow from that.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | Volcán Chicabal, San Martín Sacatepéquez (San Martín Chile Verde), Quetzaltenango |
| Lake | 2,712 m; elliptical, about 750 × 500 m (Ministerio de Cultura) |
| From Xela | 30-40 minutes by car to La Estancia (Soy502) |
| Up the volcano | Torito truck (Q30 per person) or walk |
| Down to the lake | About 600 steps (Soy502) |
| Entry | Not published by any public body — reported Q75 foreigners / Q20 Guatemalan adults, cash |
| Swimming | Forbidden — sacred lake |
| Hours (reported) | 6:00 or 7:00 to 17:00 |
| Where to sleep | Quetzaltenango (Xela) |
Location, dimensions and access from the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes’ cultural information system, read 24 September 2026. Fees and times as reported by the sources named in each row below.
What you pay (and why the figure is soft)
The lake is managed by a local farmers’ association, ASAECO, which, as Agencia Ocote reported in 2023, obtained government permission to administer it; three association workers and three CONAP rangers control entry. The association collects the fee at a booth by the dry lake (laguna seca), but neither CONAP nor the Ministerio de Cultura publishes it. So every figure below is a report, not an official tariff:
| Item | Reported price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign visitor | Q75 | guatemala.com (2025 prices); a travel blog, which adds cash only |
| Guatemalan adult | Q20 | guatemala.com (2025 prices) |
| Child | Q10 | guatemala.com (2025 prices) |
| Parking | Q20 | guatemala.com (2025 prices) |
| Camping | Q20 | guatemala.com (2025 prices) |
| Entry (no category given) | Q20 | Soy502, August 2026 |
| Torito truck up the volcano | Q30 per person · Q220 per group of about 12 | Soy502, August 2026 |
In 2023, Agencia Ocote reported Q5 for residents of the municipality, Q15 for Guatemalans and Q50 for foreigners, so the fee has risen. Carry cash, including small notes for the torito.
Getting there from Xela
- By car or taxi. Soy502 puts it at 30-40 minutes from Quetzaltenango on the road toward the boca costa, to the village of La Estancia; from there, signs lead to the toritos’ parking area, where you leave the car. A travel blog put an Uber from Xela at about an hour, Q70-130 depending on time and traffic.
- By colectivo. The same blog’s overview gives 50 to 90 minutes from Xela to San Martín Sacatepéquez by colectivo or Uber; its own first-bus colectivo ride took 90 minutes.
- Up the volcano. Ride a torito — the four-wheel-drive trucks that carry visitors to the top — or walk the same road. The blog reports about 2 hours to walk the 3 km to the crater top.
- The walking route from San Martín Chiquito. The Ministerio de Cultura describes a walk of about 5 km heading south, 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the path and your pace.
At the top there is a viewpoint over the crater. From there Soy502 counts about 600 steps down through the cloud forest to the lake (guatemala.com says more than 500). The trail around the shore takes about 20 minutes, per Soy502.
The rules at a sacred lake
- No swimming. Soy502, guatemala.com and Agencia Ocote all report it, and Ocote notes wooden signs at the lake saying the lake is sacred and swimming is forbidden.
- Ceremonies. The Ministerio de Cultura’s listing says the volcano and the lake have long been considered sacred spaces for local communities, with a small indigenous oratory at the highest point, and asks visitors to respect ceremonial practices and spaces.
- May closure. A travel guide reports that the lake closes to tourists for a few weeks in May — usually starting forty days after Easter — for the rain-request ceremonies. No official calendar exists that we could find; ask before a May visit.
When to go
Go early. The travel blog notes that clouds commonly shroud Chicabal from around 10 a.m., so the crater view is best in the morning. Soy502 recommends warm clothes, shoes with good grip for the steps, a rain jacket in the rainy season and enough water; the blog found nowhere to refill water bottles on the way.
Where to sleep: Quetzaltenango
- It is a half-day from Xela. Every route above starts there, 30-40 minutes away by car.
- Morning matters. With clouds rolling in around 10 a.m., sleeping in Xela lets you be at the crater early.
- Xela is your base for the rest of the area, including Fuentes Georginas and the other trips in our Xela guide.
If you want to wake up at Chicabal, Agencia Ocote reported in 2023 that the association rents bunks in a bungalow (Q75) and a room with bathroom in its eco-hotel (Q100) — the cabins are at the entrance by the laguna seca, where the ticket booth is — and that you can camp around the lake.
Live availability in Quetzaltenango:
Where to stay in Quetzaltenango
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A workable morning
| Step | Time | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Xela → La Estancia / toritos parking | 30-40 minutes | Soy502 |
| Torito to the top (or walk) | ~15 minutes by torito · ~2 hours on foot | Travel blog |
| Down the steps to the lake | About 600 steps | Soy502 |
| Loop around the shore | ~20 minutes | Soy502 |
| Back in Xela | Leave the crater before the clouds settle in | Travel blog |
More around Xela
- Fuentes Georginas hot springs — another half-day from Xela.
- Things to do in Xela · Hiking Guatemala’s volcanoes.
- San Martín Sacatepéquez · Quetzaltenango department · all activities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance to Laguna Chicabal?
No government body publishes it — we checked the Ministerio de Cultura’s cultural information system and CONAP on 24 September 2026. The fee is collected at the gate by the local association that manages the lake. The most recent reports: Q75 for foreigners, Q20 for Guatemalan adults and Q10 for children (guatemala.com, 2025 prices), with Q20 for parking and Q20 to camp; a travel blog also reports Q75 for foreigners, cash only; Soy502 (August 2026) lists Q20 entry without a category. Bring cash.
What are Laguna Chicabal's hours?
Soy502 (August 2026) lists 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; a travel blog reports the ticket office open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Neither is an official source, so aim to arrive after 7:00 and leave before 5:00.
Can you swim in Laguna Chicabal?
No. The lake is sacred to the Mam Maya people and swimming is forbidden; wooden signs at the lake say so, per Agencia Ocote’s reporting. The Ministerio de Cultura’s listing asks visitors to respect the ceremonial spaces and rules.
How do I get to Laguna Chicabal from Xela?
About 30-40 minutes by car from Quetzaltenango to the village of La Estancia, then follow signs to the parking area of the toritos, the four-wheel-drive trucks that carry visitors up the volcano (Q30 per person or Q220 for a group of about 12, per Soy502). From the top it is about 600 steps down to the lake. Walkers can instead start from San Martín Chiquito: about 5 km, 1.5 to 2 hours, per the Ministerio de Cultura.
Is Laguna Chicabal closed in May?
It can be. A travel guide reports the lake closes to tourists for a few weeks in May, usually starting forty days after Easter, so the most important Maya rain-request ceremonies can take place in private. We found no official closure calendar — if you are going in May, ask in Xela before you set off.
Where should I stay to visit Laguna Chicabal?
Quetzaltenango (Xela). It is a half-day trip from the city, and clouds often cover the crater from about 10 a.m., so a Xela bed lets you leave early. There is also basic lodging at the entrance (the laguna seca), and camping around the lake.
