El Chiflón, Chiapas, México

August 23, 2014|Posted in: Nature

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For being a nature attraction, El Chiflón is probably the most developed nature site that we visited in Chiapas, with more of a park or even amusement-park feel to it than anything else. Many people come to swim, BBQ, zip line, and generally spend family time here. If you love nature, these waterfalls and river are absolutely worth the visit. We went during one of the busiest tourist weekends of the entire year, Semana Santa, and we still enjoyed ourselves even though we are not fans of huge crowds.

We came by way of San Cristobal de las Casas. There are two entrances into the area. If you arrive by rental (or your own) car, as we did, you will be waved down by one or more eager young men so that they can give you this information and you will then be asked for a propina (monetary tip) for said info. It felt like the youth whom we dealt with wanted to steer us in the direction of the second entrance for whatever reason, which appears to give you access to the less busy side of the river, but also the side of the river that does not give you access to certain viewpoints including the final viewpoint pictured in this article, for instance. We are not sure, though – we chose to continue on to the main parking lot and entrance, where the tour buses, collectivos, and most other people go, it being our first time here. We did see people on the other side of the river from us, so we assume they came in by way of the second entrance. With the exception of a one-way zip line, we did not see any other way people could have accessed that other side.

The parking area felt safe and secure. We did not get the feeling that we would have to be worried about the car or its contents, but as is our customary practice, we took the smallest and most valuable things in a small day bag with us.

Collectivos can bring you from Comitán de Dominguez. There are many and this should be a fairly easy trip to arrange.

You can walk from the parking area to the main entrance or you can catch one of the small three-wheeled motorized taxis up. The walk is not that long or strenuous, though. Along the way, there’s an “Iguana Area” just before the main entrance where, yes, you can see iguanas. While they are not always so easy to spot, look for them in the branches of the trees in the designated area, not on the ground.

At the main entrance, you’ll pay an entrance fee per person and you’ll get an entrance bracelet. Once inside, you’ll find bathrooms and stores selling the usual sodas and snacks, along with restaurants and stands selling services, including camping and cabaña rentals. Further inside the park, you’ll find covered BBQ areas, the cabañas, the camping area, and the first smaller zip line.

Continue along the concrete path up to the final cascades. Along the way, you’ll be treated to views of other smaller waterfalls and the river. You’ll quickly come to swimming holes as well and are free to jump in where it looks good to you. The water is cold and refreshing and amazing on a hot day. Just remember this is a river with cascades and rapids, so be safe and choose your swimming spot wisely. We left our day bag with valuables with our clothing on the river shore. We didn’t feel too concerned for our things while we were swimming but we kept an eye on them.

The final viewpoint is on a mound next to the largest of the cascades in the park. Once you start climbing the stairs, you will begin to get wet from the mist coming off the falls. Once atop the mound you will be on your way to getting soaked. It’s an incredible feeling.

In this general area where the path ultimately ends giving you views downriver as well, you’ll find another, larger zip line that will take you to the other side of the river. We can’t speak to cost as we didn’t try it.

All-in-all, you’ll want to spend a few hours here and if crowds aren’t your thing, go at a time that doesn’t coincide with a Mexican holiday.

{Last Visit: April 2014}