After a day of hiking up and back down Volcano Santa Maria we were looking for a long hot soak. We found what we were looking for in the misty mountains of Guatemala and the Hot Spring "El Tunel" which translates into The Tunnel in English.

Sure the tub could use a scrub and the water slide was concrete and not functioning but they let us drink our own beer and eat chips!

We drove south from our overnight camping spot near Quetzeltenango, through the tiny mountain village of Almolonga and further south to El Tunel. It is on the side of the highway, with a lush green pasture at the bottom of a valley. Huge green mountains tower into the heavens all around us. At their bases farmers have planted crops on near vertical ancient fields. Clouds making their way eastward have run into this massive mountain wall and are collecting all around us. The day is warm but not overly hot as the sun is hidden behind the constantly moving, fluffy ceiling above.

We pull into the gravel parking lot, next to the hunched, menacing Sasquatch who is bearing his teeth and the passing traffic and leave our van to inspect the pools. They are more than I was expecting for a measly 10 Quetzales each so we agree to pay. There are three pools, hot, warm and cool. The two hotter pools are shallow, perfect for sitting and the cool pool is deeper like a traditional swimming pool.

We just loved the mountain views from the El Tunel pools.

We sat down in the hottest pool and begin to let our minds wander and tight leg muscles melt away. The constantly moving clouds dancing above our heads provide the entertainment. After a short while I venture back to the van for cans of Gallo and Brahva, place them each in a beer cozy and return to the pools. We enjoy the hot water, watch the scenery before us and sip on refreshing Guatemalan cerveza and snack on Mucho Nacho's. Nobody comes by asking us to put the beers away or to stop eating in the pools. Here no one cares, not the employees and not the other bathers. This would be unheard of in Canada or the USA where we were ever only allowed to bring water with us. The freedom is liberating and we down several more Gallo's and few more Brahva's.

As the day flowed on, locals stopped in for a quick soak or a dip in the large pool. No one else joined us in the hot pool for longer that a few seconds. They would step in, grimace and retreat back to the cooler waters to splash about. The sun began to set and dim and the waters in our large hot tub began to cool. Nobody came to tell us the pools were closed or we should leave. The cool water simply nudged us out the door, to our van for dinner and a loud sleep next to the highway. Trucks engine brakes hammering away woke us from our restless slumbers throughout the night.

I had a great time at El Tunel! The tubs were great, the water was nice and hot, the days weather was gorgeous and the price was so low it was almost free. The scenery around El Tunel is unique to our Canadian eyes and is absolutely beautiful. The only drawback is the general quality of the facilities. One who has not travelled in Mexico or Guatemala, or I would imagine much of Central America, needs to understand that the standards for things like bathrooms or construction quality are simply different here. For example, as we sat in the tubs Lyndsay noticed that the little decorative posts holding up the railing were all at different distances, like they were randomly stuck in with no plan. A large concrete water slide stood unused, no water flowed down into the cool pool. Even if water did flow down it I couldn't imagine the rough surface providing much sliding. The bathrooms were alright but not up to a hot springs standards in Canada or the USA. There was no toilet seat, which is quite standard here, but there was toilet paper which I was surprised by (often one must supply their own). To sum up this little aside I would say that things are simply different here. There were no lifeguards. I was allowed to drink and eat in the pool all day, which I wouldn't have been able to do up north but things just aren't as neat and polished as up there either. The price was also reflective of that. But all in all I feel myself favoring a place that favors a BYOB policy along with basically no rules at all and a very low price. The water and pools were great, the only downside was the side frills.

Cleanliness - 4
Amenities - 3 (bathrooms, showers, and a restaurant are there but we did not try the restaurant)
Exclusivity - 1 (10 quetzales each ($2 CAD) for the day and the ability to park overnight)
Scenery - 4
Community - 1
Camping - 3