Cascades Calientes “El Finca Paraiso” is a really beautiful and unique hot spring experience and I want to be able to write a rave review about it, but I can't. It's not that I can't tell you about how amazing the ACTUAL pool was, I will, but I can't give it a good review because we really didn't have a good experience there, which is a damn shame.

When you pull into the driveway, a local man (perhaps the owner or an employee of the business) approaches your car to collect payment for entrance to the pools and parking. It's a little ridiculous that parking is extra, they really should just wrap that all into the price of entry, since there is no where else to park. The business is on the side of a highway and you have to take a short hike back to the falls. We arrived at 4pm, our money collected, but were not informed that the business closes at 5pm, at which time you will be told you have to leave (despite the fact that all the locals are still hanging out around the waterfall and in the river). The parking lot is nice and shady, and the river that runs the length of it is crystal clear. We thought this might be the perfect place to camp after a good soak. A local woman sits at the trailhead selling coconuts. The trail to the spring is an easy one, and follows the river back about a kilometer into the woods, which become increasingly thick and jungle-y. Soon, you find yourself at a beautiful natural pool in the river. On the opposite side a waterfall cascades down into the turquoise waters. As you approach, a warm steamy breeze catches your skin. You look up into the sunlight and see that the waterfall is in fact steaming. The spring is not in the river below, but is the waterfall itself. The overlander's dream: an endless, great pressure HOT shower. At the river, a man asks you to show him your receipt. We told him we left it in our vehicle and he was satisfied with that. We expected the water in the pool to be warm, if not hot, from all the force of the waterfall, but it was pleasantly cool on our toes. A treat during the hot afternoon. As we waded in, two lovers - other travelers - frolicked in the water, and a crowd of local boys played on the rocks and amidst the falls. One peaked his head out from under the natural mineral formations that have defined the waterfall over perhaps thousands of years. Walking through the pool, we found ourselves drifting in and out of hot spots as we approached the falls themselves. We were surprised to find them scorching hot. Almost too hot, in fact, to stand beneath them for a prolonged period of time. I laid back in the water, my ears filling with the sounds of the gushing falls and the laughter of the boys from above. My world became the jungle canopy above me, and I startled momentarily at the small fish nibbling away at my feet.

Though we can’t take credit for this shot (thanks, Tripadvisor!), we feel that you’ve gotta see this place to believe it. What a joy for two dusty travelers to find a hot shower in the middle of the jungle! Just make sure your stuff is locked up t… — Though we can’t take credit for this shot (thanks, Tripadvisor!), we feel that you’ve gotta see this place to believe it. What a joy for two dusty travelers to find a hot shower in the middle of the jungle! Just make sure your stuff is locked up tight in the parking lot before you hike down.

We were just starting to relax into the waters when the man who asked for our tickets began shouting at us and waving his arms in an X. "No more!" he was saying, "Closes at five!", but by the time we paid, parked, changed and hiked down to the falls it was nearly 4:30. We had only been there for about half an hour. I yelled back at him over the sound of the falls that we were not leaving, that we had paid for the day, and that all the other people weren't going anywhere, so why should we? He left without giving us further hassle, but soon the man who had collected our money at the entrance returned to tell us the same thing. We stubbornly didn't budge. He too left. We lingered, hesitantly, for about another fifteen minutes before reluctantly deciding to head back to check on the van. I looked over my shoulder sadly at one last glimpse of one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. You’ll have to excuse the lack of photos for this hot spring; we weren’t getting the best vibes from the area and decided to leave our valuables (including our phones and cameras) locked away in the van.

Our wariness was not without just cause: when we returned to our van, we were flanked by local children who hung off our window frames asking for money. One boy reached his little arm into our side windows trying to grasp at anything he could reach. Braden reprimanded him and he ran off, swearing at us, "punta gringos". We have been to many places in Mexico and Guatemala, and while we have been approached by some people asking for money, we have never felt violated, never felt like we were unwelcome or like we were individuals who could be taken advantage of just because we were obviously tourists. We realize that we’ve been lucky in this respect, but it was a shitty feeling nonetheless. We contemplated making dinner, but we didn't want to haul out our cooking implements and food in front of the locals here. Soon, a boy approached the vehicle and said we were not allowed to park there overnight. We had to pay at the restaurant.

Without so much as a smile, the lady at the restaurant and the business' main building told us that camping would be another 40Q/person to park in a little yard on the side of the highway. This was too much. We had just paid full price for the day and were asked to leave only a half hour later (sure, we showed up late, but it would have been nice to have been informed). We were accosted at our vehicle by children trying to steal stuff from our van, and then we were asked to pay to sleep on a cramped patch of grass off a noisy main road. We left, dismayed and disappointed.

Instead of paying to camp roadside at El Finca Paraiso, we lucked out with this beautiful place on the shores of Lago de Izabal.

We really loved Cascades Calientes El Paraiso, and we don't recommend NOT going, but if you do, go early in the day to get your money’s worth, and when it's time to leave, head West down the road two kilometers until you spot a little white sign that says Playa. Gladly pay the man who owns the property 10Q/person to stay on his beautiful beachfront campsite, and hang out under his palapa as the light fades from the day. When you're looking up at the starry sky with a cerveza Gallo in hand, give silent thanks to this hot spring guide that you're not stuck on the side of a highway at an overpriced, underappreciative business like El Finca Paraiso.

Cleanliness- 4
Amenities - 3 (bathrooms, showers, and a restaurant are located at the main building, but there are no amenities directly at the falls)
Exclusivity - 1
Scenery - 5
Community - 1
Camping - 2

The water in these small, Central American lakes is so warm that you can almost convince yourself you’re at a hot spring!….ALMOST.