Lagos de Montebello | Guide to Visiting the Colorful Lakes

If nearly sixty sparkling lakes of all different shades of blue dotted among the pines and clean mountain air sounds dreamy to you then you need to visit Lagos de Montebello! You can find all of this and more in the vast, nearly 16,000 acre Lagunas de Montebello National Park in Chiapas, way down south in Mexico near the Guatemala border.

Just an hour from Comitan, at around 5,500 feet elevation, there are around a dozen of these magical lakes that are relatively easy to access. And you will quickly see why the Lagos de Montebello are known for their unique, striking colors. These blue, turquoise, emerald, indigo and other hues are said to be a result of the waters mineral content, the sediment at the bottom, surrounding vegetation and light refraction. Whatever the reason, the lakes are beautiful!

Lagunas de Montebello National Park has several great options for exploring these lakes. And you can’t miss the cave and nearby rock arch! Below you’ll find a mix of how to visit Lagos de Montebello, what I wish I knew before visiting, and a recap of our actual experience. Hopefully this information and the tips that I mention make your visit to Lagunas de Montebello even more incredible! (It would be hard to have a bad time here…)

Table of Contents

• How to Get to Lagunas de Montebello via Public Transportation
• Lagunas de Montebello Entrance Fee
• Map of Lagos de Montebello
• Arriving at Lagunas de Montebello
• How to Explore Lagos de Montebello
• Our Driving Tour of Main Lagos de Montebello
  • Laguna de Montebello
  • Cinco Lagos
  • Laguna Pojoj
  • Laguna Tziscao
  • Lago Internacional
• Our Walking Tour of Lagos de Montebello
• Exploring Lagunas de Colores on Foot
• Hiking to an Arch and Cave in Lagunas de Montebello: Sendero Las Grutas
• Quick Information for Visiting Lagos de Montebello
• Best Lakes in Lagunas de Montebello
• Thanks for Reading!

How to Get to Lagunas de Montebello via Public Transportation

Lagunas de Montebello National Park is about an hour drive from Comitan and three hours from San Cristobal. Of course you can get to the park by renting a car or joining a tour. But you can also visit Lagos de Montebello using public transportation.

From Comitan, you can get a collectivo to Lagos de Montebello from this location: Avenida 2a Poniente Sur near Calle 2a Sur. The ride will likely take more than an hour due to the number of stops. We paid 50 pesos per person each way – 50 pesos there and 50 pesos back – so 100 pesos per person round trip.

Lagunas de Montebello Entrance Fee

Part of Lagunas de Montebello National Park is managed by the local Tziscao Community and some is managed by the government. So you may be asked to pay two separate entrance fees to see certain areas of the park. In Mexico, we have found that the enforcement of rules and fees can be unreliable… But from our experience:

• 30 pesos per person covers: Montebello, Cinco Lagos, Pojoj, Tziscao, Internacional (Tip: Make sure you receive a paper ticket! The names of the lakes that this ticket is good for are listed at the bottom – see photo below. This will also prevent you being charged a additional fee at each entrance booth to each lake! That can add up!)
• Additional fee for Lagos de Colores (five separate lakes) and Grutas San Rafael de Arcos (a really cool cave!) We weren’t actually charged this additional fee, not sure why, so from our experience, I can’t report the true cost.

Map of Lagos de Montebello

Arriving at Lagunas de Montebello

From Comitan, we got a collectivo to take us to take us to go explore Lagos de Montebello. After about an hour, we entered Lagunas de Montebello National Park. That’s when the driver of the collectivo asked us if we wanted to get off here. We were caught off guard because it sounded as though this wasn’t the only option of where we could be dropped off within the park. And I didn’t know where we wanted to be dropped off! So we said yes, and we got out near the entrance. But once we were out of the collectivo we were unsure of what to do!

Turns out the collectivo continues on to the village at Laguna Tziscao. So if you take a collectivo to Lagunas de Montebello, know that you can get off anywhere between the main entrance and Laguna Tziscao.

At the entrance, we started looking at the map of the Lagos de Montebello. And that’s when we were approached by a man offering to drive us from lake to lake. Before we got here, the plan was to visit the lakes independently, by foot. But it now seemed like that would be a lot of walking. Trust me, we’re no stranger to long walks but it might also limit how many of the lakes we would get to see. For instance, from Laguna Montebello to Lago Internacional was 5 miles one way! So we realized a vehicle might be necessary since we only had one day to explore Lagunas de Montebello National Park.

How to Explore Lagos de Montebello

Now, in hindsight, I think there are a couple different ways to ensure you get the most out of a visit to Lagunas de Montebello. And it’s weird for me to write this but walking to explore the Lagos de Montebello may not be the best way. Here are a few options to consider:

• Rent A Car: So far, we have never rented a car to go an adventure. And if I were to be reading this advice on a blog I would definitely skip over it. Renting a car would make getting around Lagunas de Montebello National Park a breeze. This would ensure that you see the lakes that you want to see and allows you to spend as much time as you want soaking up the beauty, swimming, hiking or rafting. But don’t worry, renting a car to visit the Lagos de Montebello is not the only option! preferred pace
• Moto-Taxi or Guide Vehicle: Upon arriving at Lagunas de Montebello, there are people waiting there (and at other spots throughout the park) for people that need transportation to visit the lakes. Choose from a cute, small moto-taxi or a regular vehicle. The guide/driver will take you to visit the main Lagos de Montebello that were listed on the main ticket: Montebello, Cinco Lagos, Pojoj, Tziscao, and Internacional. If hiring a driver, be sure to negotiate the price (they start high). And also try discuss which lakes you want to see, any activities you have planned and how long you have based on the rate you agree upon. This can be challenging though if you don’t speak the language.

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• Join a Tour: Many travelers visit Lagunas de Montebello through a tour from San Cristobal de las Casas. By joining a tour, the lakes that you visit and the amount of time at each lake is pre-determined. This may be a good option to ensure that you see the main Lagos de Montebello but your freedom may be limited. There are also some tours that combine Lagunas de Montebello with other attractions such as El Chiflon. Though we’ve heard from others that this ends up being a really long day with not quite enough time at each stop.
• Stay Overnight: Looking back, this is the option that I wish we would have chosen! Deciding to stay overnight at Lagunas de Montebello would have allowed us to still save money by using a collectivo to get there and back. But having two days to explore the Lagos de Montebello would have made it possible to have time to put in the miles and walk (albeit long walks) from lake to lake all while having the freedom to go where we’d like for as long as we’d like.

Back to our experience… Since we weren’t as informed as we are now and we were just standing on the side of the road in this large national park we had to make a decision. So we ended up taking him up on his offer. We didn’t know what a good rate was. But we were able to talk him down from 600 pesos to 400. And that’s when our driving tour of the Lagos de Montebello began!

Our Driving Tour of Main Lagos de Montebello

Laguna de Montebello

Our first stop on our driving tour of Lagos de Montebello was Laguna Montebello itself! Upon arrival, this is where we first paid our Lagunas de Montebello entrance fee. We were charged 30 pesos each and received a ticket (pictured above). From here on out, at each of the remaining stops at each lake we had to stop at a small booth and show that we had paid for a ticket already. As I mentioned earlier, this fee and ticket covered entrance to the lakes listed at the bottom. (This detail later cleared up some confusion when we were asked to pay another – legit- entrance fee to visit Lagunas de Colores later…)

Montebello Lake is a large that inspired the name of the park itself. The surface of Montebello Lake seemed to sparkle in the sun and was surrounded by tall pines. The water level may have been a bit low on our visit. And the mud leading up to shore was really squishy. Since we arrived relatively early, there was no one else around. To further explore Laguna Montebello, you can follow a small path around the lake or rent a row boat.

Cinco Lagos

At Cinco Lagos, our driver stopped at the Cinco Lagos Mirador (lookout). First we walked down the road a bit to the west side and looked out over a gorgeous lake holding several vibrant hues of blue. This lake was encircled by a lush green shoreline. We were lucky to see this lake before the clouds hijacked the blue sky.

Back up the road on the east side we climbed up some stairs, past some stalls selling local food and hot coffee to reach the impressive Cincos Lagos Mirador. From here, I could not believe that the beauty before us was a landscape in Mexico! Not that Mexico isn’t full of beauty but before visiting the country I never would have guessed this could be found here. The dramatic, steep mountain walls and lush green islands complimented the deep indigo waters in the most perfect way. Wow, Mother Nature, just wow! Such an incredible landscape. Near the shoreline, the various blues of the water showed themselves a bit despite the clouds overhead.

Another “looking back” moment… I would have like to see more of this gorgeous lake and the area surrounding it. Our driver elected to not drive further down to the lake but instead turned around and we headed off to the next one. Not sure what standard protocol is here but I’d say speak up for what you want – I didn’t.

Laguna Pojoj

Another beauty of Lagos de Montebello is Laguna Pojoj. Laguna Pojoj is gorgeous with a peaceful little island and a steep lush mountainous backdrop. Definitely a sight to behold! Want to experience more of this beauty up close? You can rent a log raft to explore the more hidden pockets and discover several less obvious islands. Or take the raft to the main island to visit the small orchid and bromeliad garden. As the cloud conditions in the sky changed, so did the color variations in the water. Very pretty.

When we visited Laguna Pojoj, there were a couple tour busses that had just arrived so the nearby food stalls and parking area were a bit crowded. The lake might get busy with rafts as well.

Hiking Cinco Lagos Trail at Laguna Pojoj

The trailhead for Cinco Lagos Trail is located on the left just after the turn onto the road towards Laguna Pojoj. And it is labeled “Sendero el Perol”. The trail is a moderate 3.6 miles roundtrip hike and offers several worthwhile viewpoints. These viewpoints grant incredible views of both Laguna Pojoj and Cinco Lagos. The trail eventually ends at a beach area that makes for a nice place to swim before the return hike.

In my research I found numerous times that the best hike in Lagunas de Montebello was Cinco Lagos Trail. So of course that was at THE top of my list of things to do in Lagunas de Montebello National Park! In terribly broken Spanish, we attempted to tell our driver that we wanted to hike Cinco Lagos Trail. He responded with “cerrado” meaning that the trail was closed. When we tried finding out why it boiled down to something about COVID. I’m not sure if he was being honest or if he just wasn’t interested in giving us that extra time… So, unfortunately we did not get to hike Cinco Lagos Trail this time.

Laguna Tziscao

Laguna Tziscao is a large lake with a unique shape that creates numerous coves along the shoreline. This lake is also more developed than the others. The eastern shore of the lake is full of village life. And this is where you can find places to overnight as well as some restaurants. The nearby village may make the entirety of the lake more accessible. It’s been recommended to talk to the locals to learn more about the hidden caves and cenotes in the area. Or get a recommendation for a good guide to help you get the most of your Lagos de Montebello adventure!

As we continued on our driving tour of Lagunas de Montebello, we followed the main road along the shoreline catching glimpses as we went. We continued to the parking area at the end of the road on the southern shore of Laguna Tziscao. From here we walked out to the dock on the lake and the varying colors of blues really stood out.

We had this shoreline to ourselves as well and we took time to drink in the sights. The view from here was vast. The surroundings circling the lake were less dramatic than Laguna Pojoj and Cinco Lagos. There are options around the lake for renting row boats and kayaks here. The sheer size of the lake and unique shape makes this a good lake for rowing out there to explore the many coves tucked along the shoreline.

Lago Internacional

Lago Internacional shares a parking area with Laguna Tziscao. You’ll find that there are restrooms as well as a number of stalls for shopping for local goods and souvenirs. Continue past the shops and climb the stairs to reach what makes Lago Internacional an interesting stop among the many Lagos de Montebello!

Lago Internacional is a cute, small lake with peaceful surroundings with a line of buoys bisecting the lake. Why is that interesting? These buoys crossing the lake indicate the Mexico and Guatemala border meaning that half of Lago Internacional is in Mexico and half is in Guatemala!

At the top of the stairs there is a tall pillar marking the official border. You are now straddling the border while overlooking yet another of the Lagos de Montebello. And the cool part is that from here you can actually walk into Guatemala (legally, with no paperwork, fees or officers).

Once you cross the border near Lago Internacional, you are welcomed to Guatemala and there are several shops lining the road where you can grab some Guatemalan food and souvenirs. We used this opportunity to explore a bit. We wandered onto several of the paths leading off the main road. As we were exploring we actually found two small waterfalls less than 100 feet away from the main road. I know Guatemala is full of adventures, but for now it was time to head back to experience more of what Mexico has to offer!

Lago Internacional marked the end of our Lagos de Montebello driving tour. Our driver took us back to the entrance of Lagunas de Montebello National Park where he found us. From there, I knew that there was more that I wanted to see and it was still relatively early so we started walking!

Our Walking Tour of Lagos de Montebello

We explored the northern area of Lagunas de Montebello National Park on foot. This allowed us to visit the cluster of lakes known as Lagunas de Colores as well as a couple caves and an incredible natural rock arch at Grutas San Rafael de Arcos.

From the main entrance booth, walk straight (north) instead of following the main road to the right (east) where we just did the driving tour. After about a mile, there is another booth where a second entrance free may be charged. (Here we were surprised that there was another entrance fee but later we realized that on the entrance ticket we purchased earlier, the lakes that fee included were listed on the bottom of the ticket. And it did not include Lagunas de Colores.) The station was unmanned when we walked up but the second entrance fee to Lagunas de Montebello is likely around 30 pesos each. Just across from the entrance booth is a trail to the first of the Lagunas de Colores.

Exploring Lagunas de Colores on Foot

The cluster of lakes known as Lagunas de Colores includes five lakes: Encantada, Ensueño, Esmeralda, Agua Tinta, and Bosque Azul. The first of the Lagunas de Colores is Laguna Agua Tinta. Reached via a short path down through the woods, the lake was simple, yet peaceful. It seems that the gray skies may have affected the hues of blues visible when we were here.

Next up is Laguna Ensueno on the right side of the main road. It is also reached by following a short dirt path down through the woods. We found this lake to be simple as well and similar to Laguna Agua Tinta but the sun was started to peak out giving us more blue to the waters.

Just across the main road is another of the Lagunas de Colores, Laguna Esmerelda. Laguna Esmerelda showed us a striking color of blue green that Lagos de Montebello is known for.

Next is Laguna Encantada (Enchanted Lake) which is connected to Laguna Bosque Azul, the largest of the Lagunas de Colores. On the trail to Laguna Encantada you’ll find two nice viewing platforms, balsa rafts to rent and an incredibly unique green water color.

And the shoreline is made up of lush, green hills. Follow the water towards Laguna Bosque Azul and notice how the shoreline creates pockets and coves beckoning to be explored. The color of the water here was totally different than the others we’d seen so far in Lagunas de Montebello National Park and to me it was truly captivating!

There are food stalls and a large parking area near Laguna Esmerelda. Also, as you continue along the main road there are more vistas and more food stalls near the further Laguna Bosque Azul viewpoint.

Hiking to an Arch and Cave in Lagunas de Montebello: Sendero Las Grutas

If you continue following the main road around the lake, there is a bridge that crosses an outlet of Laguna Bosque Azul. Just before that bridge, in the woods on the right (east) side of the road there is a path marked “Sendero Las Grutas”.

Follow the path through the woods and eventually there is an opportunity to turn left or continue straight. We first took the left and what we saw next to us completely by surprise. There is an amazing rock arch tunnel with boulders and a river running through it! On map.me it is labelled “Archway Waterfall” but I wouldn’t call this a waterfall…

We made our way down to the river and boulder hopped through the tunnel. Once we were on the other side we were granted another incredible view of the rock arch more beautifully decorated with plants and ferns. It was visually stunning.

From this side we climbed up the mossy boulders to the simple fence we could see up above encompassing the entrance to the cave.

We entered the cave and explored the cool pillar formations. Instead of going back through the arch, we picked up the trail from here and it led back to the main road. If we wouldn’t have taken the left turn at the last junction, this cave is where we would have ended up.

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Quick note! There are more caves in the area. This is the only cave that we fit into our day of adventure. But hiring a guide would be helpful if you’re interested in off the beaten path caves and cenotes in the area.

The rock arch tunnel and cave were unexpected finds on our Lagos de Montebello adventure and put big smiles on our faces as we discovered these features! From here, the walk back to the main Lagunas de Montebello National Park entrance booth is about 2.4 miles. This is where we waited on the side of the road for a passing collectivo to pick us up and take us back to Comitan.

Quick Information for Visiting Lagos de Montebello

What to Do in Lagos de Montebello: Visit the accessible lakes, snap photos, swim, kayak/raft, hike Cinco Lagos Trail (trail between Pojoj and Cinco Lagos), camp overnight, eat at the food stalls, go shopping in Guatemala at Lago Internacional, explore the rock arch and cave

What to Wear: Lagunas de Montebello National Park can be foggy, cloudy and even chilly compared to its neighboring lowland locations as the park sits between about 5-6,000 feet elevation, especially during winter months. Be prepared for the fresh mountain air and its milder temperatures by bringing layers. Also, good shoes are helpful for accessing the lakes, viewpoints and hikes.

What to Bring: If you enjoy swimming, be sure to bring your swimsuit and a towel. Pack a lunch and drinks or choose from one of the many food stalls with beautiful lake views that can be found throughout the park.

Tip: When hiring a guide or driver, be sure to negotiate the prices. This also applies to renting boats.

Where to Stay in Lagunas de Montebello: There are camping and cabana options throughout Lagunas de Montebello. Most of these are located near Tziscao and there are a few others at Cinco Lagos and near Lagunas de Colores.

Also in the Area:

• Chinkultic Ruins in Lagunas de Montebello – Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the ruins this time. But if you have been there, let us know what you thought in the comments below!)
• Grutas San Rafael del Arco – Another site we would like to see next time we come here! It looks like a cool cave with a ladder leading deep down to reach the entrance to the cave.

Best Lakes in Lagunas de Montebello

Choosing the best lakes in Lagunas de Montebello National Park is surely circumstantial and differs for everyone. If I was limited on time and could only see some of the lagos de Montebello I would have to say Cinco Lagos, Laguna Pojoj and Lagos Internacional. In my opinion, Cinco Lagos was the most beautiful of the lakes and I think renting a balsa and really exploring it would be awesome. Similarly, Lagunas Pojoj would be my second choice for spending the day rafting around, checking out the coves and islands. They both have forested shorelines and beautiful surrounding topography as well as unique shapes. The shapely shoreline seems as though it holds secluded pockets and allows for intimate exploration of the lake. Another perk about these two lakes is the nearby Cinco Lagos hiking trail that showcases both of these lakes.

And lastly, I included Lagos Internacional for the experience, not necessarily the lake itself. If you’re at one of the nearby lakes, you might as well take a moment to see the lake and take the opportunity to enter Guatemala! But of course all of the lakes in the area are really beautiful. And they’re located in a natural paradise that is worth the adventure!

Thanks for Reading!

Exploring Lagos de Montebello is just one of the amazing adventures to be found in the beautiful state of Chiapas! Stay tuned for more articles of our adventures in Mexico.

In the meantime, check out these cool adventures at home in the United States:

• Off the Beaten Path Hiking and Scrambling in Joshua Tree
• Best Hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park
• North Halfmoon Lakes + Mount Massive Backpacking Trip
• Hiking Humphreys Peak via Inner Basin Trail
• Backpacking Peeler Lake Loop

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