Las Lisas is a volcanic-sand beach in Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa, 161 km from Guatemala City’s central park. The Ministry of Culture’s directory lists public boats from 05:00 to 20:00 at Q.5.00 per person, with the beach open 24 hours (undated in the directory, checked 10 November 2026; call ahead).
In short: 161 km from Guatemala City, 46 km from Chiquimulilla town (Ministry of Culture). Public boats 05:00-20:00, Q.5.00 per person. Road: CA-1 to Cuilapa, highway 16 to Chiquimulilla, then a dirt road through Los Cerritos (ASOSURF). The boat landing is the embarcadero of caserío La Sarampaña, where a Q2 million dock and waterfront was under construction in May 2026. Few places to stay.
The public boats
The Ministry of Culture’s cultural information system (SIC) entry for Playa Las Lisas prints three lines under hours and fees:
| Item | What SIC prints |
|---|---|
| Beach | Horario de ingreso las 24 horas |
| Public boats | Servicio de lanchas públicas de 05:00 a 20:00 horas |
| Fare | Tarifa Q.5.00 quetzales por persona |
These are undated in the Ministry of Culture directory, checked 10 November 2026; call ahead. The entry gives Guatemala.com as its source. It does not say where the public boats run from and to, how often they leave, or whether the fare is one way. It lists no public-boat service outside those hours.
The landing the government names in Las Lisas is the embarcadero of caserío La Sarampaña, aldea Las Lisas. The Secretaría de Coordinación Ejecutiva de la Presidencia (SCEP) describes it as the place people use every day as a meeting point and for getting around, and quotes Chiquimulilla’s municipal planning director, Carlos Barrera, who said the La Sarampaña waterfront was the community’s welcome point and had been left abandoned.
Getting there by road
The Ministry of Culture’s entry puts Las Lisas 161 km from the central park of Guatemala City and 46 km from the town of Chiquimulilla, the municipal seat.
ASOSURF, the national surf association, publishes the route from Guatemala City:
- The CA-1 toward Cuilapa.
- Highway No. 16 from Cuilapa to Chiquimulilla.
- A dirt road (terracería) to the village of Los Cerritos, then on to Las Lisas.
ASOSURF’s page carries a 2025 copyright and gives no driving time. The Chiquimulilla municipality page has the town’s own details.
The new dock and waterfront at La Sarampaña
On 29 May 2026 technicians from SCEP and INGUAT supervised progress on the comprehensive improvement of the dock and tourist waterfront (muelle y malecón turístico) at La Sarampaña. SCEP’s report gives these figures:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Building | 330 square metres |
| Facilities | Waiting area with concrete benches, toilets, a viewpoint, and a commercial area on the second level |
| Total investment | Q2 million: Q1,993,400 from the Santa Rosa departmental development council (Codede), Q5,400 from the municipality of Chiquimulilla, Q1,200 from the community |
| People SCEP says it benefits | More than five thousand |
SCEP calls it one of the first projects built under the tourism-infrastructure category of Codede investment funds. The report describes supervised progress, not a finished building, and gives no completion date.
What there is to do
- Surf and diving. ASOSURF says surfing is strongly encouraged on this beach and that you can dive there; the Ministry of Culture’s entry also names diving, along with boat trips on the Chiquimulilla Canal.
- Food. ASOSURF says Las Lisas has a range of restaurants serving fresh seafood and traditional Guatemalan dishes.
- Birds and the estuaries. Las Lisas Ecoturismo is a community birdwatching plan based in aldea Las Lisas, working across Las Lisas, El Ahumado (including Los Macizos and San Cristóbal) and El Chapetón. It lists birdwatching, camping, paddleboarding and a turtle hatchery (tortugario), with paddleboards at El Ahumado on the Chapetón estuary, and weekend plans of one or two days. Its site prints no prices and carries a 2023 copyright.
- Local guides. WCS reports that on 18 August 2026, in Las Lisas, 13 people from communities in Santa Rosa and Jutiapa (nine women and four men) were certified as community tourist guides after three months of training with INTECAP. The training was run by Magdalena and WCS, with the municipality, CONAP, INGUAT, INAB and the fisheries directorate taking part. WCS publishes no contact or tour prices for the guides.
- Whales. Las Lisas appears as one of the Pacific departure points on the whale-watching guide.
Weather and where to stay
ASOSURF gives temperatures of 23 °C to 35 °C through the year and says accommodation is limited, recommending that you plan ahead if you want to stay. For rooms in Monterrico, see where to stay in Monterrico. Sea conditions for this coast, including the Las Lisas forecast point, are on the Pacific marine forecast page.
Related
- The beach to the west, with the ARCAS turtle park: Playa Hawaii.
- Holy Week lifeguards and beach notices: Holy Week beach safety.
Sources
- SIC, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes: Playa Las Lisas — undated, read 10 November 2026.
- SCEP: Obra del Codede transforma la vida en Las Lisas, 29 May 2026 — read 10 November 2026.
- ASOSURF: Las Lisas — read 10 November 2026.
- Las Lisas Ecoturismo — read 10 November 2026.
- WCS: Guías comunitarios se certifican en la costa del Pacífico de Santa Rosa y Jutiapa, published 22 August 2026 — read 10 November 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Las Lisas beach, how do the public boats work, and what do they cost?
Las Lisas is in Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa, 161 km from Guatemala City’s central park and 46 km from the town of Chiquimulilla. The Ministry of Culture’s directory lists public boats from 05:00 to 20:00 at Q.5.00 per person, and the beach open 24 hours. These figures are undated in the directory, checked 10 November 2026; call ahead. The landing named in a May 2026 government report is the embarcadero of caserío La Sarampaña.
How do you drive to Las Lisas from Guatemala City?
The national surf association ASOSURF gives the route: the CA-1 toward Cuilapa, then highway 16 from Cuilapa to Chiquimulilla, then a dirt road to the village of Los Cerritos and on to Las Lisas.
Is there anywhere to stay in Las Lisas?
ASOSURF says lodging options are limited and recommends planning ahead if you want to stay. The community project Las Lisas Ecoturismo offers weekend plans of one or two days, with camping among its activities, and publishes no prices.
What is being built at the Las Lisas boat landing?
A 330-square-metre dock and waterfront at the embarcadero of caserío La Sarampaña, with a waiting area with concrete benches, toilets, a viewpoint and a commercial area on the upper floor. The Presidency’s coordination secretariat (SCEP) reported progress on 29 May 2026 and put the investment at Q2 million.
What can you do at Las Lisas besides the beach?
The Ministry of Culture’s directory mentions diving and boat trips on the Chiquimulilla Canal. ASOSURF names surf and seafood restaurants. Las Lisas Ecoturismo’s site lists birdwatching, camping, paddleboarding and a turtle hatchery, under a notice that it will start operating soon (read 10 November 2026), so confirm before you go. WCS reports that 13 community tourist guides were certified at Las Lisas on 18 August 2026.
