Complete Guide to Lagos de Montebello in Chiapas, Mexico

September 13, 2024

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If you think you’ve seen all the landscapes Mexico has to offer, you haven’t been to Lagos de Montebello Chiapas!

This collection of 59 lakes looks like something out of Europe or Canada and was not the scenery we expected to see in Mexico. Pristine lakes in all shades of blue and turquoise are bordered by thick pine forests, with a temperate, high-altitude climate.

It was unlike anything else we saw around the country, and we are so glad we chose to visit Lagos de Montebello on our Chiapas itinerary.

We couldn’t find a lot of reliable information online before our visit, so this is our complete guide to Lagos de Montebello in Chiapas. It covers how to get there and around, where to stay and eat, the lakes in the area, how to visit them and other things to do.

A vertical view of the vibrant blue waters of Cinco Lagos, framed by lush greenery and pine trees along the rugged shoreline.

The shallow, clear waters of Lago Pojoj, revealing the rocky and pebbly lakebed, transitioning from turquoise near the shore to deeper blue further out.

⚠️ CHIAPAS SAFETY

The security situation in Chiapas is constantly evolving, with ongoing clashes between cartels, Indigenous communities and the federal government.

As of 2024, the Jalisco Cartel New Generation and the Sinaloa Cartel have been fighting for control of the territory, due to its location on the drug and human trafficking route between Guatemala and the USA.

Indigenous communities are being displaced, extorted to pay bribes for ‘protection’ and forced to participate in the cartel’s violent activities. Thousands of people are disappearing all over the state, including mayors and political candidates.

InsightCrime is a good resource to understand what is happening in the state, as well as your government’s travel advice.

The situation was stable at the time of our visit, and we were able to complete this Chiapas itinerary safely. It is your responsibility to get the latest information on the situation and confirm if it is safe to travel through these parts of the state.

Much of the violence is concentrated around the southern area of the state near the border with Guatemala in the cities of Tapachula and Frontera Comalapa, which is outside our recommended Chiapas route. It is not entirely restricted to this area though, and there have been clashes all over the state, and along the border with Guatemala.

Table of Contents

About Lagos de Montebello Chiapas

The Lagos de Montebello (Montebello Lakes) are a collection of 59 lakes that would be more at home in Europe than in Mexico. Lakes with all shades of blue are bordered by towering pine forests with options for hiking, kayaking, swimming and admiring the stunning views.

The area sits at an altitude between 1,500 and 1,800 metres (4,900 and 5,900 ft), giving it a mild, temperate climate year-round, just adding to the European mountain-town vibe!

The lakes are nestled right on the Guatemala border in the south of Chiapas, and the town of Tziscao offers basic lakefront cabañas, a handful of local restaurants and enough amenities to keep simple travellers happy.

The area is part of the Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello (Montebello Lakes National Park), but only some of the lakes are managed by the government. Some are managed by the local ejido (community cooperative).

Of the 59 lakes, 14 of them are open and accessible to the public. Swimming is restricted in some of the lakes as they are used as a water source for the local community.

The government national park manages the Lagos de Colores, a group of 5 lakes of varying colours. There is supposedly a fee to enter the government national park, but the booth is often unmanned. We did not have to pay, but we have read it is 35 pesos per person.

The Tziscao ejido manages Lago Internacional, Lago Tziscao, Lago Pojoj, Cinco Lagos and Laguna Montebello. There is a one-time fee to access all of these lakes. It is 30 pesos per person, and you will get a little paper ticket. Keep this to show as evidence of payment when you visit the different lakes.

A portrait of Sally standing on a rock by the shore of Lago Pojoj in Chiapas, Mexico, with her back to the camera, gazing out over the stunning blue water under a bright sky.

How to get to Lagos de Montebello

Some people choose to visit the Montebello Lakes as a day trip from San Cristobal but I do NOT recommend this. It’s more than 3 hours drive each way, which leaves very little time to see and explore the lakes. Most tours also include a stop at Cascadas El Chiflon – I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

Although this seems like the most straightforward way to get there, don’t do it.

It’s very possible to access the lakes independently by rental car or public transport, whether you’re travelling from San Cristobal or Palenque.

We visited as part of our 2 week Chiapas itinerary, where we travelled from San Cristobal to Palenque via the southern part of the state, with multiple stops at lesser-known, remote locations. We would highly recommend following our itinerary, as it breaks up the journey to Lagos de Montebello.

San Cristobal → Cascadas El Chiflon → Lagos de Montebello → Las Nubes → Las Guacamayas → Yaxchilan and Bonampak → Palenque

A screenshot of a custom Google Map showing this Chiapas itinerary with location pins, text labels of places and lines indicating the route of travel.

Getting there from San Cristobal de las Casas direction

🚙 By car: if you’re driving, it will take approx. 3 hours from San Cristobal de las Casas. If you’ve followed our itinerary and broken up the journey with a stop at Cascadas El Chiflon, the drive will be under 2 hours.

The route is mostly on the paved Highway 307 which is in decent condition.

🚐 By public transport: again, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend coming directly from San Cristobal but the route is similar whether you start there or from our recommended stop at Cascadas El Chiflon along the way.

If you are coming all the way from San Cristobal, you first need to get yourself to Comitan, which is possible via ADO bus (book online via BusBud). It takes around 2 hours.

In Comitan, you need to switch to a colectivo heading to the lakes. Walk to ‘Transporte Montebello’, where you can take a colectivo to Tziscao, the main town in the Lagos de Montebello area.

It should take around 1.5 hours and you will be dropped on the side of the highway in town. You’ll most likely need to take a tuk-tuk to your accommodation, there are usually a few hanging around town.

Getting there from Palenque direction

🚙 By car: if you’re driving all the way from Palenque, it would take more than 8 hours via Highway 307 (avoiding Highway 199, read more about that here). That’s why I recommend stopping along the way at Las Guacamayas, which is a 3.5-hour drive from the lakes.

🚐 By public transport: if you’re coming all the way from Palenque, which I don’t recommend doing all in one go, you want to take a colectivo to Comitan via Highway 307. It will take more than 8 hours.

If you stop in Las Guacamayas as we suggest on our itinerary, there is a colectivo that goes from the small town of Zamora Pico de Oro to Comitan, passing by the road near the lodge, and then the town of Tziscao. Las Guacamayas can give you more information about this.

A graphic with a phone, tablet and laptop advertising my Chiapas Mexico travel guide ebook

Getting around Lagos de Montebello

If you don’t have a vehicle, you’re kind of trapped once you arrive at the lakes, which we didn’t love.

If you stay around Lago Tziscao, which we recommend, you get a few places on foot.

You can wander along the lake to a handful of neighbouring lodges and restaurants, into Tziscao town quite easily and to Lago Internacional and the border of Guatemala.

If you want to get further, you’ll need to organise a moto-taxi (tuk-tuk) which your accommodation can help you with.

You’ll most likely do a tour of the lakes via tuk-tuk (more on that below), but you can also use them to coordinate a drop-off somewhere and pick-up later on if needed. They also ply the main roads if you do get dropped off somewhere and want to get back later on.

Where to stay in Lagos de Montebello

Accommodation in Lagos de Montebello is simple and rustic cabins by the lake. They’re very comfortable and quite affordable but don’t expect fancy.

The majority of lodgings are concentrated around Lago Tziscao. Most are at least 1 km (0.6 mi) out of town on the lakefront.

Some of the best rated options:

💰💰 Mid-range: Cabañas Paraiso
💰💰 Mid-range: Cabañas Junkolal
💰💰 Mid-range: Cabañas Islas Tziscao

We stayed at Cabañas Junkolal and it was lovely. We had a clean and cosy room with a hot shower and plenty of blankets as it’s quite cool at the lakes.

But the best part of Junkolal? Their dog Chori! She was just a puppy when we visited, and she made our stay. We’ll never forget her, she hung out with us the entire time we were there, following us everywhere we went, including kayaking on the lake.

The family who owns the cabins are so lovely too, and the guy has grand plans for their property. He was making lots of improvements while we were there and I think it will continue to be one of the best places to stay at the lakes.

A peaceful scene at Cabañas Junkolal in Chiapas, showing a wooden cabin with a porch where a white dog named Chori is napping beside a leaning wooden chair.

Brayden lounging on a bed covered with a brown blanket, smiling at the camera with a white dog named Chori lying comfortably beside him at Cabañas Junkolal in Chiapas, Mexico.

Things to do in Lagos de Montebello

Moto-taxi tour of the lakes

Before I jump into the different lakes you’ll visit around the area, I first wanted to explain how to visit the lakes.

The most common way to see all the public lakes is via a moto-taxi (tuk-tuk) tour. You’ll spend the day cruising around with a local driver to all the lakes in the area. Your accommodation will have a driver they recommend, and you pay a rate for the day.

We paid 250 pesos per person for the day but we also gave our driver a tip on top of that. He was so lovely and we had such a great day!

The drivers are local experts and will act as a tour guide too. You pretty much just sit back and they will take you to all the lakes. They’ll wait for you at the lakes where you’re able to swim or do other activities like rafting and will stop somewhere for lunch.

If you’ve got your own vehicle, you can drive yourself around to all the lakes in a day. Honestly though, I would still recommend taking a moto-taxi tour, it’s such a quintessential thing to do!

Brayden standing beside a friendly tuk-tuk driver, both smiling in front of a white tuk-tuk vehicle parked near wooden cabins surrounded by trees in Chiapas, Mexico.

Lago Tziscao

Lago Tziscao is the largest and deepest of all the lakes and is the most easily accessible. You’ll most likely be staying on the shores of this lake, so you’ll spend quite a bit of time here independent of the tour.

You’re allowed to swim in many parts of the lake, just confirm with your accommodation which areas are okay. There was a little beach area in front of our accommodation at Cabañas Junkolal.

Another popular swimming spot is Parador Liquidambar, which is on the eastern shore of the lake just outside Tziscao town. A lot of the moto-taxi tours will drop you off here at the end of the day for a few hours of swimming in a pretty cove.

You can also go kayaking on this lake. Ask your accommodation about rentals, otherwise, we found one from Ecolodge & Villas Tziscao. We spent a few hours in the morning before our tour paddling across the lake, checking out hidden coves and little islands.

An aerial view of Lago Tziscao in Chiapas, showing the lake's deep blue waters surrounded by forested hills, with a small village visible in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

The sun setting behind the mountains over Lago Tziscao in Chiapas, Mexico, casting a warm, golden light over the serene waters.

Lago Internacional

As the name suggests, International Lake is a lake that crosses the border between Mexico and Guatemala. The lake itself wasn’t anything overly special, but we were so fascinated by the relaxed border, being from Australia where we are miles and miles from any of our neighbours!

You can pop across for a brief visit to Guatemala, with no passport needed. The geography of the area means you won’t get too far, but it was still a fun novelty. Chori the dog decided to come with us, so we took her for a visit to Guatemala too!

There are some little handicraft markets and food stalls to check out, and of course, have a look at the lake. You can see a line of buoys down the middle, dividing it between countries.

This is a standard stop on the moto-taxi tours, but if you’re staying along the lake in Tziscao, you can walk here yourself. We visited the afternoon we arrived, so we told our driver to skip this on the tour and we spent more time at the lakes we couldn’t access ourselves.

Brayden holding Chori the dog in front of a colorful mural that reads “Bienvenidos a Guatemala,” depicting a quetzal bird and Mayan pyramid, at the Guatemala border near Tziscao in Mexico.

A vibrant market scene near the Guatemala border in Chiapas, Mexico, showing a row of stalls displaying colorful textiles, clothing, and handmade crafts under the shade of large trees.

Lago Pojoj

Lago Pojoj was the first stop on our tour, as it was the first lake that we couldn’t walk to from our accommodation.

It’s a very picturesque lake with a small island in the middle, Isla de las Orquideas (Orchid Island). The water here was so clear with so many shades of blue and turquoise, it was stunning.

This is the most popular island to go on a raft trip. There are traditional wooden rafts, and you can hire a guide to take you on a lengthier tour around the perimeter of the lake, or a quicker trip out to the island.

We opted for the island option. Brayden and the guide did most of the paddling, I was passenger princess in the back taking photos. The island is tiny but there is a little greenhouse with lots of orchids and bromeliads.

The best part is that you are allowed to swim off the island, and there is a little platform to jump into the crystal-clear waters of the lake.

The raft trip is an extra cost, and we found it pretty expensive. It was 150 pesos per person to go out to the island. But, c’est la vie, I’m glad we did it. You can choose to rent a raft or boat at many of the lakes, but I think this is the best option as you get to swim.

Your guide will wait in the car park while you do the rafting tour. There are also a handful of restaurants and food stalls here, and I believe a toilet which has a small fee.

Brayden sitting on a wooden raft, paddling across the deep blue waters of Lago Pojoj in Chiapas, while wearing an orange life vest with the text "Centro Ecoturístico Eco Tziscao" on the back.

A view of a small island on Lago Pojoj in Chiapas, Mexico, featuring a rocky shoreline, a tall tree, and a wooden platform with dense forested hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

Cinco Lagos

A collection of five interconnected lakes, Cinco Lagos is where the views get even more spectacular!

The road winds above the lakes, so you get a beautiful aerial view of the deep blues and pine-covered islands. Your driver will also take you to an official viewpoint with an expansive vista of all five lakes.

It’s possible to rent a raft or kayak here too, but you can’t swim so we opted just to enjoy the view.

Something that we wish we had done after the tour was to return and hike the Cinco Lagos trail. It starts from Lago Pojoj and is a 5.8 km (3.6 mi) round-trip trail that passes through the forest, to more miradors and sandy beaches. Our guide probably would have waited, but it felt like something we should have done separately. We just didn’t bother to organise transport again but I wish we did.

A stunning panoramic view of Cinco Lagos in Lagos de Montebello, Chiapas, featuring deep blue waters surrounded by lush green forests and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.

Lago Montebello

The region’s namesake lake, Lago Montebello is one of the biggest lakes in the area, but for us, was nothing special in terms of scenery.

I think the water level was quite low when we visited, so the lake had a greeny, yellow tinge which felt less than spectacular after the vivid blues of Cinco Lagos. Maybe it will be bluer when you visit!

There is a restaurant here, and it’s possible to organise horse rides further into the forest to see more hidden lakes and cenotes. This is something you would probably want to return to do outside of your tour.

Brayden walking barefoot in the shallow, clear waters of Lago Montebello in Chiapas, Mexico, with lush green forest and distant mountains in the background.

Lagos de Colores

This set of five lakes are the ones managed by the national park. Although we didn’t see any staff and the ticket booth was not manned so we didn’t pay, but you should expect to.

Lagos de Colores is a set of five interconnected lakes that are all vastly different colours:

Laguna Agua Tinta
Laguna Ensueño
Laguna Esmeralda
Laguna Encantada
Laguna Bosque Azul

The lakes are stretched out on either side of the road, and our driver gave us some time to walk around all of them. Most were easily accessible with a short walk through the forest.

My favourite was Laguna Ensueño. The water was so clear and it felt like the colour changed from deep blue to an almost translucent turquoise on the shores. There were a lot of fallen logs in the water and you could see them perfectly the water was so clear.

By the time we got to Laguna Encantada, the water had changed to a milky green, due to the different minerals in the lake, the contrast was crazy!

You can swim in some of these lakes. Apologies I don’t remember exactly which ones, at this point of the day we were absolutely starving and needed to eat ASAP so we didn’t stay as long as I would have liked here.

A serene view of Lago de Colores in Chiapas, Mexico, with the lake's clear, greenish-blue water framed by bright green trees.

Brayden standing beside the stunning turquoise waters of Lago de Colores, smiling at the camera with lush greenery in the background.

Where to eat in Lagos de Montebello

Lagos de Montebello is quite remote, with limited food options. There are plenty of traditional Mexican-style restaurants, but don’t expect funky cafes, international cuisine or too much variety.

The local specialities are fish from the lake, queso fundido a kind of baked cheese with chorizo and some delicious coconut sweet treats that I can’t recall the name of. If someone offers you sweets, buy them, they were delicious!

If you don’t have a car, we would recommend planning your meals as the accommodations and restaurants are quite spread out, and things open late and close early. We couldn’t find coffee or breakfast as early as we would have liked.

Restaurante Junkolal: the restaurant of Cabañas Junkolal, it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had a few decent meals here.

Comedor Tipico Internacional: located near the border of Guatemala, this restaurant has traditional Mexican meals overlooking the lake.

Restaurante El Paraiso: a restaurant inside one of the popular cabins on the shores of Lago Tziscao.

Restaurante Lagos De Montebello: part of a cluster of restaurants overlooking Lago Tziscao, your moto taxi tour will most likely stop here for lunch after your tour.

Restaurante El Mirador: in Tziscao town, it has beautiful lake views and serves up mojarra, a local lake fish.

A peaceful view of the lakefront at Lago Tziscao in Chiapas, Mexico, with grassy fields leading to the water’s edge and distant cabins under a cloudy sky.

Lagos de Montebello travel tips

🌤️ Best time to visit: Lagos de Montebello has a really temperate and mild climate year-round due to its altitude. However it still has a wet/dry season, and the best time to visit is November – April in the dry season. We were a little late, visiting in early May and we had a big rainstorm one night, which was actually really nice to watch over the lake. Bring warm clothes, it’s cooler than expected especially at night.

😴 How long to stay: you can see most of the lakes in one day, but I’d recommend 2 – 3 nights here to break up the journey and spend some time relaxing. It’s a very peaceful area. We spent 2 nights and were happy with that.

🫶🏼 Safety: this is quite a rural and remote area but we felt safe the entire time. Nobody spoke English, but we got by and everyone we encountered was very helpful and friendly. We weren’t out and about at night (there’s nowhere to go!) and given this area is quite close to the border I wouldn’t venture too deep into the forest on your own, but the popular hiking trails and lakes are very safe. Pending Chiapas’ overall security situation.

🏧 ATMs: there are no ATMs in the area and very few places (if any) accept card. It’s best to come loaded with cash. The nearest ATMs would be in Comitan.

📱 Phone & SIM Cards: from memory, our phones worked okay with our Telcel SIM card, but it kept switching to the Guatemalan network as we were so close to the border! We had wifi at our accommodation but it wasn’t anything super speedy.

🥑 Groceries: there are no big supermarkets here and most accommodations don’t have any cooking facilities or fridges. There are a few minimarts around Tziscao and we were able to buy some fruit and non-perishable snacks to try and avoid eating out for all three meals a day.

A wide shot of Lago Pojoj in Chiapas, Mexico, highlighting the contrast between the deep blue water and the green forest that covers the surrounding hills, with a patch of bright turquoise water in the foreground.

Lagos de Montebello Chiapas: Final thoughts

We really loved Lagos de Montebello in Chiapas. It didn’t have the wow factor of Cascadas El Chiflon or the amenities of San Cristobal de las Casas, but we really loved seeing a different, less-explored part of Chiapas.

It was very peaceful and laidback, the locals were kind and welcoming and the lakes were unlike anything we expected to see in Mexico! The scenery really is stunning and it’s just another place that reminded us of the incredible diversity of this country.

It was a perfect piece in our Chiapas itinerary, as it broke the journey from Cascadas El Chiflon to our next stop, Las Guacamayas.

I hope this post has inspired and equipped you to get off the beaten path in Chiapas, it’s so worth it!

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Sally Rodrick

Sally Rodrick is the voice behind Sally Sees. She has spent 12 months travelling in Mexico and Central America, and has her sights firmly set on South America. Sally helps thousands of readers discover the magic of Latin America. Sharing detailed guides to inspire and equip them with the knowledge they need to plan their own epic adventures in this incredible part of the world.