Finca Paraïso is a hot spring in the Rio Dulce region of Guatemala. Even though ‘Finca’ sounds like you’re about to visit a finca, right? It’s not. It is one of the most interesting, and maybe one of the most popular things to do in Rio Dulce town.
Let’s dive in right away: how should you go ahead in visiting Finca Paraïso from Rio Dulce?
What is Finca Paraïso?
Finca Paraïso is a place in the Guatemalan bushes where 2 rivers meet. One is cold and the other one is blistering hot. Together, they make a nice and warm combination.
But, it’s more than that! It’s also a waterfall: una catarata.
The water falls about 20 meters down over a beautiful rock formation, allowing the water to cool down a little bit.
Below the falls, there’s a natural pool where the water is nice and hot. It gets hotter when you move closer to the place where to falling water hits the surface (obviously).
Inside the rock formation, there are a few natural cave formations. We noticed men (or boys) sitting there when we were going through our pictures afterwards, which is a little bit disturbing, realising that you didn’t see them while you were there. But hey, I guess they had a nice and warm spot for watching tourists.
Also, there are tiny fish that pinch at your skin. It doesn’t hurt and it’s believed to be great as a skin treatment. But if you’re not aware, it might be heart attack material when you feel something nipping at your leg.
What to do there?
Locals and tourist come here to enjoy the hot water of the spring.
During the weekend, locals come here to meet up with family and friends, so it can be busy (and loud).
Enjoy the hot water
This is one of the things we spend the most time doing. Getting in the water, swimming up to the rocks, feeling the hot water falling on our heads, …
Then swimming up to the cold stream to feel exactly how cold it is, and back to the hot stream.
You know, relaxing!
Have little fish nibble at your skin
After a few minutes in the water, you’ll notice the small fish nibbling at your legs. In tourist destinations, travellers pay money to put their feet in the fish tanks to have these little fish nibble at their feet.
In Finca Paraïso, the skin treatment is included in the entrance fee.
Climb up the falls
You can climb up the rocks at the falls, as you will see a lot of young boys do. The local boys and men climb up the rocks in order to sit on top or to jump down from different heights.
There are quite a few places where you can sit, enjoying the hot water flowing by.
Soak in the mud pool
Well, we didn’t do this, but on the top of the falls, there’s a small mud pool where you can sit in.
I guess it might be good for your skin, I don’t know. I’m not that big a fan of mud pools. But we saw a few local women bathing in there.
Hike up on the other side
That, we did do. Hiking up the hill on the opposite side gives you a view over the rock formation and the falls. From here, you can see the mud pool on top and the different locations where you could sit to relax.
Where is it?
These hot springs are located on a day trip from Rio Dulce. We included it as one of the very best things to do in Rio Dulce, but of course, it’s not in the town of Rio Dulce itself.
The Finca Paraïso hot springs are located at 26km from the town of Rio Dulce. This results in a 35 minute car drive, for those who have their own car available.
We didn’t have our own car available, so we had to find a different way to get there. Keep reading to find out how you can get there.
How to get there?
So, the exact location of the hot springs doesn’t really have an address.
It’s located on the 7E road that connects Rio Dulce with El Estor.
As far as I remember, there’s not really something that stands out as a giveaway that you’re there. So, trust your GPS or driver!
If you have your own car
If you have your own car, you can just have Google Maps or a different GPS system lead you there. From Rio Dulce, drive along the 7E road, which is a neat and paved road, all the way to the hot springs.
If you’re not sure which road it is, then you might choose to follow signs leading you to El Estor, another village on Lago De Izabal.
If you don't have your own car
Most backpackers don’t have their own car. I know we didn’t. So, we had to get a collectivo, which is an adventure in itself!
Collectivo’s that drive to El Estor, pass by Finca Paraïso. To catch a collectivo, you can already walk in the direction of the hotsprings.
Walk away from the bridge until you reach a street on your left, at the dental clinic. You’ll see minibuses waiting there. Just talk to one of the drivers and tell them where you’re going. They will (most likely) respond positively and tell you the price for the ride.
The ride from Rio Dulce to Finca Paraïso should cost you around 20 to 30 Quetzales. The ride takes 45 minutes.
Once you get there
After a 45 minute drive, the collectivo will stop and the driver will yell something that resembles: Finca Paraïso. Or maybe he says something different in Spanish that you might not understand.
One thing is certain, you will know that it’s your stop, trust me!
The hot springs are on the right side of the road, but you need to walk a bit to get there. There is sign that tells you’re there, but it’s more to showcase the bungalows that are there as well.
The road to the thermal baths is a mud road and you’ll pass the bungalows on your way there. When we were there, there was a massive motorhome parked next to the hotel. An older Belgian couple was vacationing there and we were quite impressed with their gut to travel so far of the grid with their expensive looking motorhome.
Practical information for Finca Paraïso entrance
The hot springs are located about 500 metres from the main road. You have to walk there and the path can be slippery when it has been raining.
Once you start walking towards the hot springs, a guy will come over and ask you to pay the entrance fee. Apparently, the entrance fee can fluctuate and there is a chance that the guy asks for a little more than the official entrance fee.
I suggest you see what you can do.
If you want to make sure that you don’t pay too much, you can always ask for a ticket. Then the price will probably be correct. Otherwise, you might sponsor the guy for a few quetzales.
Since the entrance fee might change over time, I will add the years for reference 🙂 .
In 2020, the entrance fee was 15 Q for adults.
In 2023, entrance fee was (is) 20 Q for adults.
It might be a little more once you visit.
You can also camp at the hot springs, or get a bungalow. I think the cabanas are a little bit expensive at 800 Quetzales per night.
What else you should know
So, this is a bit of a difficult topic, but I think you should know before you go. In this part of Guatemala, as goes for most parts of the country, most people aren’t too rich, but they do get by. This results in children begging. You will see them in larger cities and they’re also at Finca Paraiso.
They will follow you from the street, all the way to the hot springs and they’re quite persistent. This is a difficult one for me, as I would like to give them a little money, but I also believe that giving them money, keeps them from doing things that will help them in the future.
Anyway, that’s a completely different discussion and it is not what this website is for. I’m just writing it here, so you would know.
We didn’t know in advance, but it helped us to change our methods for the future.
Ever since we visited Finca Paraiso, we kept a dozen of pens in our backpacks. Each time children came up to us, asking for money, we would give them pens and sometimes a notebook. That made them happy as well!
How to get back?
If you don’t have your own car, getting back, is similar to getting there, but without collectivo’s waiting for you. This time, you’ll be waiting at the side of the road for the collectivo’s to pass by.
In our case, we waited quite a while. We actually waited so long, that we were starting to worry if something would come at all.
In this region, at the time we were visiting, it gets dark around 6 or 6.30 in the evening. And while we were waiting for a collectivo to come, night started to fall. I guess, as a tourist, that feels a little bit awkward.
Then the collectivo arrived and it started raining, almost at the same time.
The minibus was already full of locals, so the driver sent a few young boys up to the roof to make room for us. These boys sat in the rain on the roof of the riding van for quite a while, just so that we could sit inside.
What to bring to Finca Paraïso?
We suggest you come a little bit prepared. There is a finca nearby, but it’s not the best idea to rely on that.
- lunch, picnic, or something to eat
- water or other drinks
- cash money (collectivo, entrance fee)
- pens or other things to give to the children
- bathing suit
- towel
- decent shoes to hike to the river
Where to stay? (in Rio Dulce)
Even though there is a lodge at the hot springs, we recommend getting back to your lodging in Rio Dulce.
We returned home in the dark, so lodging in town or near town is recommended.
What else to do in the area?
The Rio Dulce area has a lot to offer. We enjoyed our visit a lot and we visited quite a few other places in the region.
Rio Dulce region
We also wrote an article about the things you can do in the Rio Dulce region. Finca Paraïso is just one of those activities.
There’s the town of Rio Dulce, which is a great hub to visit the region and there are the river lodges, which also are great hubs for exploring the area.
Livingston
From Rio Dulce town, you can easily pay a visit to Livingston, the Caribbean town at the end of the river. This laid back village is a great place to relax and enjoy the Afro-Caribbean and Garifuna atmosphere for a few days.
Semuc Champey
For us, Semuc Champey was the next destination, after visiting Rio Dulce. We first went back to the village and spent more time there. But, actually, when visiting Finca Paraïso, you’re already half way to El Estor. After that, Semuc Champey is only a few hours drive.
If you want to visit Semuc Champey before or after Rio Dulce, we still recommend getting transportation from Rio Dulce town.
Flores and the Mayan ruins of Guatemala
For us, Flores and the Mayan ruins was one of the stops before Rio Dulce.
We explored the region around Lage Pétén Itza and visited Yaxha ruins. We didn’t go straight to Rio Dulce, but we stopped in the small village of Poptun for a while. It’s not a touristy place, but still, we managed to stay for more than 10 days in Finca Ixobel in Poptun.
Add Rio Dulce and Finca Paraïso to your Guatemala Itinerary
If you’re backpacking in Guatemala, you should probably think about your Guatemala itinerary. Which places to you want to visit and how will you travel from one place to the next?
We used mostly local transportation and learned a lot about how to get around in this beautiful country.
Read our guide on public transportation in Guatemala. Also, find out about the best places to add to your Guatemala itinerary.
Rio Dulce to Finca Paraïso - a local adventure
Even though you might think: these hot springs might not be worth the hassle… Think again! Getting there and getting back alone was such an incredible adventure for us! I know that locals see things as their normal, every day life. Getting a collectivo and being dropped of, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
We enjoyed our trip a lot and I believe that doing things like this, on your own, without a tour guide leading you to an air conditioned van, that’s what travel is all about. Being in a world you know nothing about and opening up to the local community, trusting someone to show you their country and help you out. These are the travel experiences we will never forget.
So, that’s my conclusion! If you really want to step into Guatemala and get to know the country and the people, try something like this! Visit Finca Paraïso from Rio Dulce.
