Agua Azul and Misol-Ha

The rivers of northern Chiapas run over limestone and carry so much dissolved calcium that they build their own terraces, and Agua Azul is the result at its most extreme: a kilometres-long staircase of cascades over travertine steps, the water an opaque milky turquoise in the dry season, with pools between the drops that people swim in. Misol-Ha, closer to Palenque, is the opposite shape, a single thirty-five metre curtain into a round pool with a ledge running behind it so you can walk between the rock and the falling water. Both are on communally owned land and run by the local ejidos, which collect the entry fees directly.

What you actually see

• Agua Azul - a long staircase of turquoise cascades and swimming pools.
• Misol-Ha - a thirty-five metre curtain with a walkway behind it.
• The travertine terraces - the mineral steps the river builds for itself.
• The jungle setting - dense forest on the road between Palenque and the highlands.

When to go

November to April is the dry season, when the water is at its most vivid blue; after heavy rain both go brown and Agua Azul loses the colour that is its whole reputation. Early morning avoids the tour groups from Palenque. Swimming is safest at the marked pools in low water.

Honest expectations

The blue disappears entirely in the wet season and after storms, which catches out a lot of visitors. Currents at Agua Azul are stronger than they look and there have been drownings; stay in the marked pools. Roads here sometimes have community roadblocks collecting informal tolls, which is normal locally but unsettling if unexpected, and travel after dark on this road is unwise.

Nearby

Palenque is one to two hours north; San Cristóbal is four hours south.