Laguna Lachua

Laguna Lachua sits in lowland forest in northern Alta Verapaz, an almost circular lake of about five square kilometres and considerable depth, formed by karst processes in the limestone and fed by underground water, which is why it is exceptionally clear and slightly sulphurous. The shape is so regular that an impact origin was long suggested and is still repeated locally, though dissolution of the limestone is the accepted explanation. The national park around it protects one of the last blocks of lowland forest in the region, with jaguar, tapir and howler monkeys present. Access is a four-kilometre walk in from the road, and there is simple accommodation and camping at the shore.

What you actually see

• An almost circular lake - the shape that prompted the impact theory.
• Exceptionally clear water - fed from below through limestone.
• Lowland forest around the shore - one of the last blocks in the region.
• The four-kilometre walk in - the approach through the forest.

When to go

The driest stretch, January to April. A day, better overnight to be there at dawn. Everything must be carried the four kilometres in from the road.

Honest expectations

The walk in and out with luggage is hot and takes over an hour each way. Facilities are simple bunk rooms and camping with no shops. Mosquitoes are heavy. The road out to Playa Grande is long and rough.

Nearby

Playa Grande is north-east; Coban lies south-east.