Discover Laguna Lachua National Park

Laguna Lachuá is a karstic lake—almost certainly a cenote or doline—nearly perfectly circular, approximately 5 km across at its widest point and 220 m (720 ft) deep. Its striking turquoise color results from an exceptionally high concentration of dissolved calcium carbonate: tree branches that fall into the lake are rapidly encrusted in white calcite, and the northern rim where water exits the lake produces classic tufa deposits. The lake also has a faint sulfurous smell, which is thought to result from petroleum deposits beneath the lake bed. This sulfur is the origin of the Q’eqchi’ name “la chu há”—”the fetid water”—shortened to Lachuá.

The Peyan River is the primary water inflow; the Lachuá, Tzetoc, and Del Altar rivers drain the lake. The lakeshore in places appears to be a white sand beach but is actually calcite mire—unstable ground that can be deceptively dangerous. No sunscreen is permitted in the lake, and park management actively enforces water chemistry protection rules. The lake is excellent for swimming; the water temperature is comfortable year-round at this low elevation (~180 m) and the water clarity is exceptional.