San Cristóbal de las Casas: 5-Day La Venta River Rafting …｜Mexico

Embark on a 5-day rafting adventure along the La Venta River, which spans 89 km through the Ocote Biosphere Reserve. Witness the magnitude of landscapes and rock formations that this journey has to offer.

Day 1:
Depart from San Cristóbal de las Casas and head towards El Aguacero. Descend 900 steps to reach the riverbank and embark on inflatable rafts to paddle approximately 20 km to the first camping spot. Witness the canyon narrowing, navigate Class II rapids, and visit La Conchuda waterfall. Paddle for 2 more hours to reach Camp 1.

Day 2:
Set off and paddle 13 km to the endpoint of the river journey. Navigate Class III rapids and visit the La Media Luna archaeological site. After another hour of paddling, reach Camp 2.

Day 3:
Break camp and start paddling. By noon, encounter a landslide where you'll have to portage all equipment. Further along, as the canyon narrows, camp on a riverside beach in tents.

Day 4:
Continue the descent on the raft and witness the water seeping through the walls, creating fantastic limestone formations known as "Christmas trees," with cascading drops covering the riverbed. At midday, the canyon walls start to converge until they close entirely, turning the canyon dark and devoid of vegetation. Slowly, the canyon transforms into a gigantic cavern, approximately 100 meters high and 400 meters long, filled with the chatter of hundreds of parrots. About 500 meters ahead, encounter the "great landslide," where you'll portage all equipment for two hours. Camp in the afternoon in a hollow in one of the river walls.

Day 5:
Continue the rafting descent and arrive at a wall where ancient rock paintings are visible. By midday, reach a location known as "La Junta," where the rafting journey ends. Here, a motorboat picks you up and takes you through the entire Malpaso Dam to the village of Raudales. Transfer by van to San Cristóbal de las Casas, arriving around 8 pm.