Los Aposentos is a small lake park just outside the town of Chimaltenango where entry costs Q5, parking Q5 and a boat ride on the Laguna de los Cisnes Q5 per person; the Ministry of Culture’s SIC directory lists it open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The fees are from that undated directory listing, checked 9 November 2026, and match Guatemala.com’s October 2024 report of Q5 per person. To drive there, Deguate says to turn left near kilometre 55 onto avenida La Alameda; the entrance is about 2 kilometres further on the right.
In short: three Q5 charges (entry, parking, boat), daily 7:00-18:00 on the SIC listing, about 5 km from central Chimaltenango per Guatemala.com. Pools, a small zoo, trails and a canopy line over the lagoon. Deguate’s older page gives 6:00-19:00, so confirm the closing time if you plan a late visit.
Quick summary
| Item | Detail | Who publishes it (date read) |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Interior Los Aposentos, municipio de Chimaltenango, Chimaltenango | SIC directory (undated, read 9 Nov 2026) |
| Distance from town | About 5 km from the centre of Chimaltenango | Guatemala.com (Oct 2024) |
| Turn-off | Near km 55, left onto avenida La Alameda, entrance about 2 km on the right | Deguate (updated Dec 2019) |
| Hours | Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. | SIC directory |
| Hours (older figure) | Monday to Sunday, 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. | Deguate (updated Dec 2019) |
| Entry | Q5.00 | SIC directory; Guatemala.com (Oct 2024); Deguate (2019) |
| Parking | Q5.00 | SIC directory |
| Boat ride | Q5.00 per person | SIC directory; Deguate gives Q5.00 for the pedal boats |
| Area | About 0.15 km² | SIC directory |
| Food | Food and drinks on sale; restaurants serving traditional dishes | Guatemala.com; Deguate |
Getting there by road
Deguate’s directions, last updated December 2019, start from Guatemala City: take the highway west through San Lucas Sacatepéquez and pass El Tejar, Chimaltenango. Near kilometre 55, cross to the left onto avenida La Alameda; roughly 2 kilometres later the entrance to Los Aposentos is on the right-hand side. The same page places the park a few kilometres south of the town of Chimaltenango, on the old road from Chimaltenango to Antigua Guatemala.
Guatemala.com’s October 2024 article puts it at 5 kilometres from the centre of the municipality and says the park has its own private parking.
By bus: neither the SIC directory, Deguate nor Guatemala.com describes a bus route or stop for Los Aposentos.
What is inside
The SIC listing describes a balneario and tourist park surrounded by pine and cypress forest, with these attractions:
- The Laguna de los Cisnes, with rides by small boat and kayak. Deguate describes pedal boats it calls bici-lanchas and rowing boats.
- Swimming pools. Deguate counts two and says the water is fresh, clear and generally cold.
- A zoo with various species; Deguate’s page names a coyote, a lagarto, ducks, geese and a white swan.
- Bird-feeding at the lagoon. Deguate’s tip: feed the ducks bread crumbs only.
- A canopy line that crosses the lagoon, giving a view over the park.
- Green areas, trails, picnic spots and viewpoints.
Deguate gives the park 28 manzanas of land and the lagoon a depth of 4 metres, and says sweets, wooden toys and bracelets are sold in the centre of the park, with most restaurants on the other side.
Guatemala.com advises comfortable clothes, suitable shoes and a sweater, because afternoons tend to turn cold.
From washing stones to presidential bath
The history in the SIC listing goes back to 1929, when the land belonged to the Finca La Alameda. Water was driven by a large water wheel, and women from the town came to wash their clothes on the stones where the lagoon’s spring now rises. That same year the site began operating as the balneario Las Peñas, a place for recreation and swimming.
In 1955, the SIC listing continues, the site became known as the Baño Privado Presidencial, after a bath was built for the exclusive use of the president of Guatemala and his companions. Deguate and Guatemala.com both say the lagoon picked up the nickname Lago de los Cisnes in the 1960s; Deguate links it to the swans, geese and ducks introduced there, and Deguate adds that a giant fibreglass swan was placed in the middle of the lagoon in April 2006.
The national-park date is disputed. Deguate says Los Aposentos was declared a national park in 1955, under the government of Carlos Castillo Armas. Guatemala.com says the declaration came in 1995. The SIC listing, which names it Parque Nacional Los Aposentos, does not give a date for the declaration.
Nearby
- Chimaltenango, the municipality the park sits in.
- Laguna Chichoy, a trout-pond ecopark off the CA-1 at km 102 in Tecpán.
- Iximché ruins, what the archaeological park charges and when it opens.
- Chimaltenango department.
Sources
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Sistema de Información Cultural (SIC), listing Parque Nacional Los Aposentos, undated, read 9 November 2026.
- Guatemala.com, Los Aposentos en Chimaltenango, published 18 October 2024, read 9 November 2026. Travel site, secondary.
- Deguate, Los Aposentos, published September 2012, updated December 2019, read 9 November 2026. Travel site, secondary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Los Aposentos cost and when is it open?
The Ministry of Culture’s SIC directory (undated, checked 9 November 2026) lists general entry at Q5.00, parking at Q5.00 and a boat ride at Q5.00 per person, with the park open Monday to Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Guatemala.com (October 2024) also gives Q5.00 per person and an opening time of 7:00 a.m. every day.
How do I get to Los Aposentos?
Deguate (updated December 2019) says to take the highway west through San Lucas Sacatepéquez and El Tejar toward Chimaltenango; near kilometre 55 turn left onto avenida La Alameda, and about 2 kilometres later the entrance is on the right. Guatemala.com puts the park 5 kilometres from the centre of Chimaltenango.
What can you do at Los Aposentos?
The SIC listing names boat and kayak rides on the Laguna de los Cisnes, trails, picnic areas, swimming pools, a small zoo, feeding the lake’s birds and a canopy line that crosses the lagoon. Deguate also describes pedal boats and food stalls selling traditional dishes and sweets.
Why is it called the Lago de los Cisnes?
Deguate and Guatemala.com both say the lagoon earned the nickname Lago de los Cisnes (Swan Lake) in the 1960s. Deguate says swans, geese and ducks were introduced and the swans became the main attraction; Guatemala.com says swans and geese were the main attraction at the time. Deguate adds that a giant fibreglass swan was placed in the middle of the lagoon in April 2006.
When did Los Aposentos become a national park?
The sources disagree. Deguate says it was declared Parque Nacional Los Aposentos in 1955 under the government of Carlos Castillo Armas; Guatemala.com says it was officially declared a national park in 1995. The SIC listing gives 1955 as the year the site became known as the Baño Privado Presidencial but does not give a declaration date.
