Getting here

 
 

  • The easiest and least expensive way to get here from any other major tourist destination in the country is by shuttle bus. The most reliable way to reserve your space on one of these buses is to book it directly with the hostel you are staying in. Please be aware that Lanquin is easily an 8-10 hour ride from any of these cities, and anyone that promises you a 4-6 hour ride is just telling you what you want to hear so that they can take your money. It is also important to know that there are scam artists who sell fake tickets to shuttle companies that do not exist, so always book your transportation with a reliable vendor. Please make sure that your shuttle departs no later than 8am. As we are remote location, you will have a 20-30 minute hike to get here once you arrive, and you don't want to do it in the dark! Please read below for instructions on how to get to Ch'i Bocól once your shuttle arrives in Lanquin.

  • There are shuttle buses that depart from both San Pedro and San Marcos, however we recommend the 8AM shuttle from Panajachel. The reason is that the Panajachel shuttle is the only shuttle that takes the northern route to Lanquin, which will save you a couple of hours worth of travel time (you would have to depart San Pedro at 4:30AM to arrive in Lanquin at the same time as the 8AM from Panajachel). You will be able to take the ferry from San Pedro or San Marcos over to Panajachel in the morning in time to make the departing shuttle. Please be aware that we will not be able to receive any guests that depart from San Pedro or San Marcos later than 4:30AM. As we are a remote location, you will have a 20-30 minute hike to get here once you arrive, and you don't want to do it in the dark! Please read below for instructions on how to get to Ch'i Bocól once your shuttle arrives in Lanquin.

  • There are two different companies that run collectivo shuttles from Coban and between the 2, there is a departure every hour. The bus will not be as nice as a shuttle bus, and it will also be more cramped as they sometimes pack in as many people as will possibly fit. No reservation is needed in order to take a collectivo, and any taxi driver in Coban will take you to the correct station (Q20 for the taxi) to depart on the next collectivo. As we are a remote location, you will have a 20-30 minute hike to get here once you arrive, and you don't want to do it in the dark! Please read below for instructions on how to get to Ch'i Bocól once your shuttle arrives in Lanquin.

 

arriving in Lanquín…

30 min hike through the jungle to reach paradise…

So, you have been on the shuttle all day, tired and weakened by eating nothing but junk food from the gas stations, and you are finally about to be in Lanquin. We apologize for the welcome you are about to receive. When you exit your shuttle you will be greeted by a small crowd of local people all yelling and shouting the names of different hotels at you, trying to get you to go with them so they can get a small commission for bringing you. As we are backpackers ourselves, we know that this can be a bit overwhelming. Therefore we have decided to not hire anyone to do this for us. Instead, we will have our driver waiting calmly for you in the back (as long as you have told us which shuttle you be arriving on). Tell the mob that you are going to "Ch'i Bocól" or "Mike's Place" and they will point you in the direction of our truck driver (if they tell you we are closed, or full, or that no one is coming to pick you up, or any other thing - don't listen).

Depending on how many arriving guests we have, you may be asked to sit in the bed of the truck, which is the custom for all of the local people in the area (don't worry, its safe...ish, and fun). Our driver will drive you 30 minutes or so down the dirt road toward Semuc Champey and will stop to drop you off at "Tienda Juanita". This tienda is run by our local family who sold us the land that our hostel is on and continue to work with us to this day.

We will have someone at the tienda waiting for you who can assist you with your bags on the 30ish minute hike to get to us. We realize that the combination of the shuttle bus, truck ride, and final hike can make for a long day, but trust us, it is worth it, and we'll have cold drinks waiting for you!