Laguna Magdalena is a small mountain lake in the municipality of Chiantla, Huehuetenango, high in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. Soy502 (23 April 2026) reports entry at Q15 for Guatemalans and Q25 for foreigners, cabins for eight people at about Q300, and a final stretch of about 18 km of dirt road where a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, then a walk of about ten minutes. The lake has lost its water before: Prensa Libre reported it had turned into a swamp in June 2016, and Emisoras Unidas reported tourists saying it had disappeared in June 2024.
INGUAT’s 2026 Huehuetenango guide calls Laguna Magdalena a popular attraction for its colour and mountain setting and warns that the weather can be cold and damp. This page sets out what each source says about the fee, the road, the walk and the water level, with the date of each, as of 1 November 2026. For the rest of the department, see things to do in Huehuetenango.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Cantón La Magdalena, aldea Chancol, Chiantla, Huehuetenango (Soy502, 2026) |
| Elevation | More than 3,000 m (Soy502, 2026); 2,800 m for the lake’s micro-watershed, per an environmentalist quoted by Prensa Libre (2016) |
| Entry | Q15 Guatemalans, Q25 foreigners (Soy502, 23 April 2026; newspaper report, not an operator tariff) |
| Overnight | Cabins for eight people, about Q300 (Soy502) |
| Road | Past the Juan Diéguez Olaverri viewpoint, about 2 km to a signed turn-off, then about 18 km of dirt road; 4x4 recommended (Soy502) |
| Walk | About 10 minutes (Soy502, 2026); 1.8 km in a 2011 report |
| From Chiantla | 1 hour 45 minutes (AGN, 16 September 2022) |
| Weather | Cold and damp (INGUAT, 2026) |
| Swimming | Bathing prohibited by local tradition (Soy502) |
| Water level | Dry or swamp episodes reported in 2016 and 2024 |
Laguna Magdalena, Huehuetenango, 2018.
Where the lake is
INGUAT places Laguna Magdalena in Chiantla and puts the Juan Diéguez Olaverri viewpoint in the Chiantla area on the road to Todos Santos Cuchumatán. Emisoras Unidas (June 2024) locates the lake on the dirt road that leads to Todos Santos Cuchumatán. Soy502 (April 2026) calls the viewpoint the first obligatory stop and gives the arrival point as cantón La Magdalena, in aldea Chancol. A 2016 Prensa Libre archive piece, recounting a Revista D report of 25 September 2011, put the lake between the municipalities of Chiantla and San Juan Ixcoy, 280 km from Guatemala City.
For the bus or drive to Huehuetenango itself, see Guatemala City to Huehuetenango.
Getting there: four descriptions, four dates
The three sources that describe the road all call for a four-wheel-drive vehicle on the last part. They differ on the walk and on travel time, and each is dated.
| Source and date | Route | Vehicle | Walk | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soy502, 23 April 2026 | Inter-American Highway to Huehuetenango, on to Chiantla and the Juan Diéguez Olaverri viewpoint; about 2 km further to a turn-off marked with signs made by local residents; about 18 km of dirt road | Four-wheel drive recommended | About 10 minutes from cantón La Magdalena, where vehicles are left | Not stated |
| AGN, 16 September 2022 | Sierra de los Cuchumatanes | Not stated | Not stated | 1 hour 45 minutes from Chiantla |
| Emisoras Unidas, 2 January 2021 (guide Marlon Vásquez, Caza Aventuras Guatemala) | From central Huehuetenango to the Diéguez Olaverri viewpoint, then the signed road to the lake | 4x4 needed | Not stated | Not stated |
| Prensa Libre archive piece, 8 June 2016, recounting a Revista D report of 25 September 2011 | Chiantla, then a paved road climbing to 3,300 m; at km 276 a booth on the right marks the turn onto a rough track | Four-wheel drive, as parts of the road are too poor for a two-wheel-drive car | 1.8 km on an ecological trail | 3.5 hours by microbus from Chiantla, 2 hours by private vehicle |
The 2011 report also advised hiring a guide. If you are driving yourself, read our driving in Guatemala guide before taking a rental car onto mountain dirt roads.
Entry fee and cabins
Soy502’s April 2026 report gives the fee as “Q15 para nacionales y Q25 para extranjeros” (Q15 for Guatemalans and Q25 for foreigners). It says tourist infrastructure is limited, so visitors should bring food and clothing for cold and rain. For an overnight stay it reports cabins with capacity for eight people at an approximate cost of Q300, without saying whether that is per night or per person.
The 2011 report described solar-powered cabins built for visitors who want to camp. Emisoras Unidas (2021) listed the lake among the Huehuetenango lakes where you can camp, and the guide it quoted said visitors should carry a rubbish bag and take their waste home.
When the water disappears
Laguna Magdalena’s level is not stable. The reports below are the ones that give a date; they do not agree on the cause.
| When | Source | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| May 2002 | Prensa Libre archive piece, 8 June 2016 | Warnings that the lake was at risk of disappearing; the causes cited then were deforestation and pumping tanks built on the streams that feed it |
| 2009 | Person in charge of the lake, quoted by Emisoras Unidas, 2024 | The same loss of water as in 2024 |
| June 2016 | Prensa Libre, 8 June 2016 | The lake had become a swamp, the second that year after Laguna de Ordóñez in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, attributed to lack of rain and a sinkhole; an environmentalist said rainfall in the area had fallen from 800 to 700 mm a year over the previous 10 years |
| June 2024 | Emisoras Unidas, 8 June 2024 | Photos of the lake drying up circulated online; a Prensa Comunitaria Km169 post embedded in the article says tourists reported on social media on 2 June that the lake had disappeared; the person in charge, Reinaldo Alba, blamed natural leaks that had been draining it for 20 days, ruled out lack of rain, and said the area where the leaks occur is private |
| April 2026 | Soy502, 23 April 2026 | Describes water that shifts between blues, turquoise and dark tones with the light |
None of these sources gives a current reading of the water level. If you are travelling from Guatemala City or Antigua, ask in Chiantla or at Chancol about the lake before you commit to the dirt road.
Altitude, cold and what to bring
Soy502 puts the lake at more than 3,000 m above sea level with a cold climate; the environmentalist quoted by Prensa Libre in 2016 gave 2,800 m for its micro-watershed. The 2011 report said the temperature on the plateau at aldea La Capellanía often falls to 0 °C. INGUAT’s advice is not to turn up dressed for the beach. If you are coming from the coast or from sea level, read our page on altitude and elevation in Guatemala.
From the sources: warm and waterproof clothing (Soy502), comfortable walking shoes (Emisoras Unidas, 2021), your own food (Soy502), and a bag for your rubbish (Emisoras Unidas, 2021). The 2021 guide said the clear water comes from the Río Quisil and that there are trails around the lake.
Why you should not swim
Soy502 reports that, according to oral tradition, the lake began when a young woman named Magdalena, who used to collect water from a spring, disappeared and the spring grew into the lake. Residents say her figure can be seen on the shore on days of thick fog, and the lake is considered a sacred place where bathing is prohibited.
Nearby
- Things to do in Huehuetenango: Zaculeu, Chiantla and the Cuchumatanes viewpoint.
- Todos Santos Cuchumatán horse race: Emisoras Unidas (2024) places the lake on the dirt route that leads to Todos Santos Cuchumatán.
- Laguna Brava (Yolnabaj), Nentón: a lake in Nentón, where Prensa Libre describes the climate as warm.
- Laguna Chicabal: another sacred lake with a no-swimming rule, near Xela.
Sources
- Soy502, El secreto mejor guardado de Huehuetenango: Aguas de colores y leyendas antiguas (23 April 2026): https://www.soy502.com/articulo/laguna-magdalena-tesoro-escondido-huehuetenango-conocer-101999 (read 1 November 2026)
- INGUAT, Huehuetenango: What to see, what to do and how to get there (17 September 2026): https://visitguatemala.gt/en/blog/what-see-do-huehuetenango/ (read 1 November 2026)
- AGN, Huehuetenango, destino para este fin de semana largo (16 September 2022): https://agn.gt/huehuetenango-para-este-fin-de-semana-largo/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Emisoras Unidas, Fugas naturales causan falta de agua en Laguna Magdalena (8 June 2024): https://emisorasunidas.com/2024/06/08/fugas-naturales-causan-falta-de-agua-en-laguna-magdalena/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Emisoras Unidas, Tips para disfrutar de un campamento a la orilla de una laguna en Huehuetenango (2 January 2021): https://emisorasunidas.com/2021/01/02/tips-para-disfrutar-de-un-campamento-a-la-orilla-de-una-laguna-en-huehuetenango/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Prensa Libre, Laguna Magdalena se convierte en pantano (8 June 2016): https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/huehuetenango/laguna-magdalena-se-convierte-en-pantano/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Prensa Libre, Laguna Magdalena, otra víctima de la sequía (8 June 2016, reprinting a Revista D report of 25 September 2011): https://www.prensalibre.com/hemeroteca/laguna-magdalena-huehuetenango-se-seca/ (read 1 November 2026)
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Limits, prices and the altitude rules side by side: travel insurance for Guatemala · insurance for volcano hikes
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance to Laguna Magdalena?
Soy502 (23 April 2026) reports Q15 for Guatemalans and Q25 for foreigners. That is a newspaper report, not a tariff published by whoever runs the site, so carry cash for at least that amount and confirm on arrival.
Do I need a 4x4 to reach Laguna Magdalena?
Soy502 (April 2026) says the last stretch is a dirt road of about 18 km and recommends a four-wheel-drive vehicle. A guide quoted by Emisoras Unidas in January 2021 said a 4x4 is needed, and a 2011 Revista D report recounted by Prensa Libre said parts of the road are too rough for a two-wheel-drive car.
Can you swim in Laguna Magdalena?
Not according to Soy502, which reports that local oral tradition links the lake to a young woman named Magdalena who disappeared, and that residents consider it a sacred place where bathing is prohibited.
Has Laguna Magdalena dried up?
It has lost its water more than once. Prensa Libre reported in June 2016 that it had become a swamp, blamed on lack of rain and a sinkhole. In June 2024 Emisoras Unidas reported photos circulating online of the lake drying up, and embedded a Prensa Comunitaria Km169 post saying tourists had reported on 2 June that it had disappeared; the person in charge of the lake blamed natural leaks, not drought, and said the same happened in 2009. Soy502’s April 2026 report describes the colours of its water. Ask about the water level before a long drive.
Can you stay overnight at Laguna Magdalena?
Soy502 (April 2026) reports cabins that sleep eight people at about Q300; the article does not say whether that price is per night or per person. Emisoras Unidas (January 2021) listed it among the Huehuetenango lakes where you can camp under starry nights.
