During our brief stay in Rio Dulce, we couldn’t miss one cool attraction the area has to offer. Only about 40 minutes away from town there is Agua Caliente – a hot waterfall.

What is Agua Caliente

Hot waterfall? I have seen many waterfalls, both large and small, the ones you admire from a distance and the ones you can climb, but never in my life have I seen a hot one. “Oh there are many!” one of the Rio Dulce residents said, “but this one is the closest. We go there all the time! We just take food and drinks and spend the whole day!”

Indeed, this is one of the many hot waterfalls, scattered around Rio Dulce area. The falls don’t really have any name, even though this one is called El Paraiso on Google, the locals don’t call it this way – they all are simply called Agua Caliente, which means “hot water” in Spanish. One can only imagine how wonderful it was to enjoy their soothing waters before modern times, before people got a chance to have hot water in their homes…

How to Get There

You can get to Agua Caliente by a colectivo bus from downtown Rio Dulce or by car. We didn’t find any indication of the falls on our GPS, so for reference we used the nearby village – Finca El Paraiso. The entrance is not very well marked; in fact, it  is not marked at all. You cross a bridge and see a bus stop and a dirt road veers to the right and into the woods.  Make sure you research the approach on the map before going, because it is very easy to miss!

Somewhere on this dirt road a guy will approach you and ask you to pay 10Q (Quetzal is Guatemalan currency) per person and 15Q to park the car (as of September 2018) – we were the only car at that time. There is a family at the parking lot cutting fresh coconuts for 5Q and apparently they also watch the vehicles.

After leaving the car you have to hike through the woods and eventually you end up at the bank of a small mountain spring-fed river. There are small wooden benches where you can leave your stuff, or you can simply put your bag between thick tree roots.

What to Do at Agua Caliente

There is usually a local guy there who helps you with everything you need: to climb on top, to watch for your safety and even to take your picture! He works for tips, but will not bother you if you tell him. He is really helpful, though.

So, take your clothes off and prepare for a real treat. Jump into the chilly spring water and swim to the hot shower of Agua Caliente! You can stand under the strong stream and massage your back. The experience is the best when the river is low during the dry season. There are some rocks behind the fall that you can climb on and find yourself in a small cave. Relax for a while, looking out through the water curtain. It feels hot and steamy there, almost sauna-like.

There are two ways up the fall: quick, but difficult and steep, or easier, but long. We took the steep way up. The local “lifeguard” guy assisted us in this undertaking, and we were very grateful. It is rather scary if you are not used to climbing vertical walls hanging only onto the tree roots!!

On the top, where the hot spring flows around the stones and forms small natural bathtubs, you can relax in the hot bubbly water like in a real Jacuzzi. And it is hot indeed,steaming in places! It is possible to soak there for hours!

On top, a bit up the creek you will find white clay to put on your skin,and have a real spa experience! It dries on your face like a real clay mask. When you finally wash it off, your skin feels like one of a baby…

We took the long way down. It led us through the bushes around the bend, and through the river (it was shallow there). It was pretty easy and safe.

The Best Time to Visit

If you come early on a weekday, before the buses, you can be completely alone. Later sometimes you can see a family or two, but it is amazing how non-commercial this place is, especially compared to the other waterfalls I’ve seen. No one is trying to sell anything, no one is in your way.

It is a true hidden treasure of the Izabal region, a wonderful natural spa in the woods, and a must-see if you are in the area. Treat yourself to Agua Caliente, you will not regret!