El Chorreadero
verified
ACA 3C
High flood risk
Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas
An underground river through one of Chiapas's largest cave systems: about 26 rappels, jumps, slides, and tunnel swims through chambers 30 to 100 ft high.
This is a river cave, not a slot in the dry-canyon sense, but ropewiki tracks it as a canyoneering descent (river-cave variant). Included because the morphology (narrow water-cut passages, mandatory rappels, swims) is functionally the same as a wet slot. Commercial guide operator Explora Ecoturismo runs short tours from the bottom. Headlamps mandatory. Multiple chambers, calcite flowstone formations, and three large rooms en route.
Logistics
| Manager | Local ejido and commercial concession (entrance fee structure). No federal protected area listing. |
|---|---|
| Permit | No formal permit required. Entrance fee at the commercial trailhead, roughly 1,000 MXN per person as of early 2025; negotiable. Open 8am to 6pm at the commercial entrance. |
| Distance | 2.2 mi through trip |
| Elevation | ~1,000 ft loss |
| Time | 6-12 hr full descent; 4-6 hr short commercial route |
| Technical | Ropewiki rates the full descent 3C III (v3a4 III). 26 rappels, up to 60 ft, plus about a dozen jumps to 25 ft (one closer to 30 ft) and 3 toboggans 8 to 15 ft. Long sections through underground river passages with extended underwater swims. Single bolt anchors throughout, so backup the first rappeller and let the last person remove the backup. |
| Season | Dec to Mar best (dry). Avoid Jun onward as monsoon spikes hit fast. |
| Flood risk | Severe. River cave with no high ground for refuge. Hypothermia and hydraulic risk at flow. The history of broken ribs, ankles, and legs is documented in the community trip reports. |
| Vehicle access | Passenger vehicle suitable. 20 minute shuttle for the full route. Hire a local driver (200 to 500 pesos) rather than leaving a car at the upper put in. |
| Crowd | Roughly one group per year does the full integral independently. The lower commercial section sees high tourist traffic. |
| Coordinates | 16.7549, -92.9716 |
Sources
- commercial guide: https://ecochiapas.com/tours/cueva-el-chorreadero/
- regional hub: https://ropewiki.com/Chiapas
- ropewiki: https://ropewiki.com/Chorreadero