The Salto de Chilascó is a waterfall of more than 130 metres in the cloud forest of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, in the municipality of Salamá, Baja Verapaz. The Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes directory (SIC) calls it the highest in Central America; CONAP, the protected-areas council, says one of the highest. CONAP describes the visit as a 3 km walk, 1 km of it on a high-difficulty trail. The SIC listing charges Q35 for foreign visitors, Q25 for Guatemalans and Q10 for children, Monday to Sunday.
This page is for a visitor deciding whether to fit Chilascó into a trip through the Verapaces: what it costs, how hard the walk is, where the turn-off is on the Cobán highway and who to call. It draws on the Ministry of Culture’s SIC directory and on CONAP’s SIGAP tourism page, read on 1 November 2026; the CONAP text is cited as it stood on about 26 October 2026.
Quick summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| What | Waterfall of more than 130 m in the Sierra de las Minas cloud forest (CONAP; SIC) |
| Where | Aldea San Rafael Chilasco, Salamá, Baja Verapaz (SIC) |
| Turn-off | CA-14 toward Cobán, km 144.5 (CONAP; SIC says about km 144), then 12 km of dirt road |
| From Guatemala City | 156 km, about 3 hours (CONAP) |
| Walk | 3 km: 2 km through crops and pasture, 1 km of high-difficulty trail (CONAP) |
| Entry | Q35 foreigners, Q25 Guatemalans, Q10 children (SIC) |
| Extras | Guide Q75, horse ride Q50 (SIC Sierra de las Minas listing) |
| Hours | Every day; closing time differs by source (table below) |
| Run by | ASOTUCHI, a local association (SIC); CONAP lists the Junta Directiva Sierra de las Minas |
| Phone | (+502) 4515-4958 (CONAP and SIC) |
Fees and hours by source
| Source (date) | Days and hours | Foreign visitor | Guatemalan | Child | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIC, Salto de Chilasco listing (last modified 26 March 2026) | Monday to Sunday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm | Q35.00 | Q25.00 | Q10.00 | Not listed |
| SIC, Sierra de las Minas listing (last modified 13 February 2025; credits CONAP’s SIGAP routes) | Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 17:00 | Q35.00 | Q25.00 | Q10 | Horse ride Q50; guide Q75 |
| CONAP SIGAP tourism page (copy of about 26 October 2026) | Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 15:30 | No fee given | No fee given | No fee given | — |
The entry prices agree across the two SIC listings. The latest closing time given is 17:00 and the earliest 15:30; CONAP’s own advice is to contact the administration before visiting.
The walk
CONAP’s tourism page describes the visit as 3 kilometres: 2 km between crops and pastures and 1 km of high-difficulty trail, and says good physical condition is required. It does not say whether the 3 km is one way. Its list of what to bring:
- Comfortable clothes and shoes for walking
- Waterproof boots in the winter season
- A cap
- A rain jacket
- Enough water
The SIC listing names the services on offer: the walk to the waterfall, horse rides, small waterfalls, forest rangers, food, lodging, camping and a green area. The Sierra de las Minas listing prices the guide service at Q75 and the horse ride at Q50; neither listing says whether those prices are per person or per group.
Getting there
CONAP’s directions from Guatemala City: take the CA-9 Norte and turn at km 85 (El Rancho) onto the CA-14 toward Cobán. At km 144.5 there is a signed junction for Chilascó, and from there 12 km of dirt road, which CONAP calls in good condition, leads to the information office. CONAP gives the distance from the capital as 156 km and the travel time as about 3 hours. The SIC listing places the turn-off at approximately km 144 of the CA-14 and the waterfall in the Aldea San Rafael Chilasco.
For buses and shuttles along the same highway, see Guatemala City to Cobán and Antigua to Cobán. Neither the SIC listings nor the CONAP page publish public transport from the junction to the village.
The reserve and the waterfall
CONAP and the SIC Sierra de las Minas listing describe the Sierra as a mountain range holding the most extensive cloud forests in Central America, with dry forest, pine-oak forest, cloud forest and summit forest along its altitude gradient. They say it protects 70% of the fauna species reported for Guatemala and Belize and has many endemic species, which earned it UNESCO recognition as a biosphere reserve. CONAP gives 1990 as the year the protected area was declared; the SIC listing cites Decreto Número 49-90 of the Congress.
Both describe the area around the waterfall as a nesting place of the quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird, and give the meaning of Chilascó in Poqomchi’ as dark mountains. The SIC Salto listing highlights orchids among the plants.
The same listing warns that the area is frequently hit by tropical storms that bring heavy rain and flooding, and by landslides that put the ground at risk. See also our Biotopo del Quetzal page and, for the rest of the region, things to do in Cobán.
Who runs it
The SIC listing says the waterfall is a community nature reserve whose administration and conservation are in the hands of a local association, ASOTUCHI (Asociación de turismo de Desarrollo Chilasco), and that tourism income is reinvested in the community. Its information comes from the treasurer of the Asociación de Chilasco. CONAP’s page names the Junta Directiva Sierra de las Minas as administrator. Contacts as published:
| Contact | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Junta Directiva Sierra de las Minas | (+502) 4515-4958 | CONAP |
| CONAP | (+502) 7941-6532 | CONAP |
| CONAP | (+502) 7947-2417 | CONAP |
| Salto de Chilasco listing contact | 502 4515 4958 | SIC |
Sources
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Sistema de Información Cultural (SIC), Salto de Chilasco listing: https://www.sicultura.gob.gt/directory-directorio_c/listing/salto-de-chilasco/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, SIC, Sierra de las Minas listing: https://www.sicultura.gob.gt/directory-directorio_c/listing/sierra-de-las-minas-2/ (read 1 November 2026)
- Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP), SIGAP tourism routes, Reserva de Biosfera Sierra de las Minas – Salto de Chilascó: https://turismo-sigap.conap.gob.gt/rutas-turisticas/ruta-aventura-dentro-de-la-selva-verapaces/reserva-de-biosfera-sierra-de-las-minas-salto-de-chilasco/ (search-index copy of about 26 October 2026, read 1 November 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to visit the Salto de Chilascó?
The Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes directory (SIC) lists Q35.00 for foreign visitors, Q25.00 for Guatemalans and Q10.00 for children (listing last modified 26 March 2026). Its Sierra de las Minas listing (last modified 13 February 2025) gives the same entry prices and adds Q75 for the guide service and Q50 for a horse ride.
How hard is the hike to the Salto de Chilascó?
CONAP describes the visit as 3 kilometres: 2 km between crops and pastures and 1 km of high-difficulty trail, so it says good physical condition is required. It recommends comfortable walking clothes and shoes, waterproof boots in the winter season, a cap, a rain jacket and enough water.
How do you get to the Salto de Chilascó from Guatemala City?
CONAP’s directions: take the CA-9 Norte and turn at km 85 (El Rancho) onto the CA-14 toward Cobán. At km 144.5 there is a signed junction for Chilascó, then 12 km of dirt road, which CONAP calls in good condition, to the information office. CONAP puts the waterfall 156 km from the capital, about 3 hours.
What are the opening hours of the Salto de Chilascó?
The sources differ. The SIC listing for the Salto says Monday to Sunday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm; CONAP’s tourism page says Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 15:30; the SIC listing for the wider Sierra de las Minas says 07:00 to 17:00. Arriving in the morning fits all three.
Who runs the Salto de Chilascó and how do I contact them?
The SIC listing says the site is a community nature reserve run by a local association, ASOTUCHI (Asociación de turismo de Desarrollo Chilasco), and gives the number 4515 4958. CONAP lists the Junta Directiva Sierra de las Minas as administrator at (+502) 4515-4958, plus CONAP numbers (+502) 7941-6532 and (+502) 7947-2417, and recommends contacting the administration before you visit.
