Laguna Magdalena

Laguna Magdalena sits in a limestone hollow in the Cuchumatanes at around two and a half thousand metres, a small lake of striking turquoise water enclosed by pine-covered slopes and rock, fed and drained underground through the karst so that its level rises and falls with the season. It is reached on a rough track from the plateau road above San Juan Ixcoy and then a walk in, with community guides from the village managing access. The country around is the high pastoral landscape of the Cuchumatanes: sheep, stone walls, scattered pines and rock outcrops, cold at night and bright in the day, and unlike anywhere else in the country.

What you actually see

• Turquoise water in a limestone hollow - the colour of the karst lake.
• Underground drainage - the water level rising and falling with the season.
• Cuchumatanes pasture - sheep, stone walls and scattered pines.
• Community-managed access - guides from the village below.

When to go

November to April, once the rains have stopped. A day from Huehuetenango. It is cold at altitude and the walk in takes time; start early. Guides are arranged with the community.

Honest expectations

Getting in means a rough track and a vehicle that can handle it. The lake is small and the visit short relative to the travel. It is cold and exposed at 2,500 metres. Facilities are none; bring everything.

Nearby

San Juan Ixcoy is east; Todos Santos lies west across the plateau.