Visit the hot waterfalls & cool pools of Finca Paraiso:
Hail yourself a tuk tuk or take healthy stroll across the Rio Dulce bridge & catch one of the frequent mini buses for a visit to the beautiful and unique falls of Finca Paraiso. A definite Must See in the Rio Dulce area. Once on the bus, the newly paved road leads through quaint rural villages where the friendly & smiling locals board and exit along the way. The scenic views include green rolling landscapes, grazing horses & livestock, brightly colored laundry strewn over fences and the majestic foliage that makes Guatemala such a magical place to visit. Once you arrive, it’s a short walk to pay a small entrance fee, (around 10Q – about $1.25 US) and take the mild and lovely hike to the falls. Along the way, you will likely see local villagers in the streams washing dishes & clothes, laughing children frolicking in the water and a family or two of forest swine foraging for their daily meal.
What makes Finco Paraiso so special is that although the clear, green pool of water at the bottom is crisp and cool, the waterfalls themselves come cascading down from the Hot Springs above, making the contrasting temperatures a real treat. After a hot falls massage and some exploring, you can make the quick climb to the top. Here at the source, you can lather on the healing mud, bask in the sun to let it dry & extract some impurities, take a soak in the hot springs, and then a dip back down below to wash off, creating a sublime and relaxing Spa Day in the Rain Forest! If you’re the adventurous sort, you can actually forgo the climb back down to wash off and include some cliff diving to your day as well! It is best to go early in the morning so as to enjoy the sun beaming through the beautiful pools and get the most out of a full day, but even an hour or two in the afternoon is well worth the glorious trek to Finca Paraiso.