Chi Bocol Community Hostel

I feel so lucky I get to call Chi Bocol the home of my first ever hostel experience! It ended up being a perfect fit for what I was looking for and set the bar high for hostels going forward.

Chi Bocol is extremely affordable and has a low-key, rustic family atmosphere. It is nice being out of the way of very many people because you really get to know the people you are staying with (the family-style meals also facilitate this), and here I met friends that I continue to talk with and even met up with again several times later in my Guatemala adventure!

If you are wanting to chill and spend some time alone reading or relaxing, there are hammocks and swings all over that I found myself spending many hours in at times. There is a nice fire pit to get going at night as well. There is also a beautiful place to swim about a 10-minute walk down the river that we usually had to enjoy all for ourselves.

Semuc Champey is also about a 45-minute scenic hike from Chi Bocol as well, and when you’re done there you can tube back to the hostel if the water level is safe (very reassuring that they check on this for you each day to make sure you have a safe ride; highly recommended). They also offer a traditional Mayan chocolate-making class with the Mayan staff there and I recommend this as well :).

Mike and Karen are awesome, super friendly and helpful as well! I scraped my foot pretty badly which required some dressing, and Karen very kindly took care of me bandaging me up and giving me some extra supplies to make sure my wound healed after I left. The hostel coordinates your shuttles for you as well if you let them know where you’re headed a day or two before you leave.

Whenever I’m back in Guatemala, I plan to spend some time at Chi Bocol again!

Absolutely stunning location tucked away in cacao trees alongside the river! Beautiful hike in with friendly local guides and received a warm welcome from the volunteers and dogs. Look forward to returning one day. :)

Easily a 5 star. Beautiful space! The food was INCREDIBLE!!! My partner and I spent 3 nights here and loved every second. Waking up in the jungle, surrounded by morning dew felt like a fantasy. We had a private cabin which was very comfy. No mosquitoes when we were there so that was an added bonus . Would highly recommend.

Amber & Mike

After a beautiful 30 minutes hike through the jungle I arrived at this peaceful place. I immediately extended my stay to a total of 4 nights. The owners really inspired me, beautiful nice people with good stories. If you wanna spend some time away from civilization with a familiar environment you definitely should go there. What I loved is that you can also do a 1 hour hike to semuc champey and tube back to the hostel.

Very nice hostel in the middle of the jungle. The surrounding nature is amazing and there is a lot to do regarding tours and activities. Even when the weather is bad, there are games/books and paint to spend your time. I would recommend staying here.

Yeah, it’s true, the hike to the camp, especially at night can be difficult if you’re not prepared. Having good hiking shoes to trek through the mud, a head lamp (if you’re arriving at night) and having backpacks and not luggage on wheels are really going to make the journey easier. They have a new manager, Adonai, he’s a sweetheart and a great cook. His coworker Esteban also made amazing meals. He was super friendly and made me laugh all the time. In his white robe and pink slippers, I swear he could be a movie character. It’s hard to believe that a place like this exists in the middle of the jungle. The views are stunning and it’s a great place to get away, escape and just relax. We walked through the jungle, ran into locals living there and even had lunch with a family. Semuc Champey is about an hour hike away and worth the scenic adventure. This hostel was the highlight of our 2 week trip in Guatemala.

This place is magical! It is a 30 min walk in so no roller suitcases but soooo worth it. There are waterfalls just below the hostel that you can see from the yoga platform, and you can swim right next to them (would recommend!). My brother and I stayed in the stone house which was very cute and cozy. Adonai and Esteban are great, and will help you with anything you need. The common area is a great place to hang out, with hammocks, books, and a nice big table where you can eat the meals prepared for you (for an additional fee) with the rest of the guests. There is also a kitchen you can use if you want to cook your own meals. It is an hour walk to Semuc Champey, so it's not the closest to the park, but I really enjoyed the more remote vibe. I'm so glad that I stayed here, and can't imagine staying anywhere else.

We stayed for over a week here and loved the location, staff are lovely and a good laugh.
River surrounding was perfect and a great place for hammock chills.
Adonhay is a G.
Wholesome family vibes with tasty meals - very social and warming place.

Beautiful Hostel in the nature. 30 Minute walk through the jungle from the street. They manage to pick you up at Lanquín and bring you at the entrance to the jungle walk.
Awesome staff, very friendly and helpful.

Me and my friend had an amazing time at Chi Bocol! ♡ I would always always always always come again and I don't think there's a better place to stay in the area! It's really well integrated into nature and the tours are amazing as you get in touch with the locals (I made lunch with a local family).
If you have the chance, please go!! Don't be afraid of the hike to get there :) the staff is really friendly and picks you up!
Make sure to bring enough cash tho!

Amazing stay here. Staff is very attentive and the location is awesome. Right is the middle of the jungles. We went on and awesome tour of sunuc champey and then floated Back to the hostel on tubes. Really the ultimate adventure.

I was so happy to walk in to this slice of paradise in the jungle. There is a wonderful yoga space that overlooks the river that you can swim in if you follow the path for about 30 seconds. I felt instantly welcomed by the team as I walked in and it feels like you are instantly a part of their little family amongst the trees and flowers. I love staying in remote locations like this to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. It’s definitely not luxury as it’s in the jungle (no hot showers and wifi can cut out - due to running on solar), so prepare yourself to be immersed in nature - toucans, frogs, bugs and other reptiles can be regularly seen. They also arrange tours and transport for you as well so you don’t need to worry about a thing when you stay.

I absolutely love this place - it’s been my favourite hostel on my travels so far and I can’t begin to explain how AMAZING the food has been (as well as the people) - a real family vibe and a beautiful place to be - I will be back !!!

This is a lovely hostel in the middle of the jungle - waking up and falling asleep to the sounds of birds and wildlife is so magical, as well as seeing all the wildlife nearby. It’s well worth the little hike to get here, and a fun journey riding in the truck to get to the trailhead. I ended up adding an extra night’s stay because I wanted to spend more time here.

The staff are super kind, fun, and welcoming, and having dinner together with everyone at the hostel is a great way to get to know everyone. Walls in the dorm are a bit thin, so you can bring ear plugs or headphones, but the noise didn’t bother me. Stay here!!!!

We loved our stay! Well worth the trek and we enjoyed the open truck drive. Super chilled and friendly vibes and a truly unique location. The tour was incredible and the caves are indescribable, was great to have a chilled day after splashing around in the river and hanging in the hammocks. Great food and Daniel can sort out any tours/transport you need.

Perfectly located on a small hill in the jungle, 50mins down the river from Semuc in a tube (one of the great activities offered here), and 40mins hike from the next road. Nice staff and volunteers. Services are a bit rustic, camping-like, but nothing to complain about if you know would to expect. Kitchen can be used for Q.10 p.p./night, otherwise breakfast is Q.40, lunch Q.45 and dinner Q.60, all are delicious. Yoga classes 2 times per day are free. Would 100% recommend staying here. :)

I really enjoyed my stay at Ch’i Bocol! The hostel was rustic and exciting, with a beautiful river a minutes walk from the hostel for swimming. New starlink internet allowed me to present in a zoom meeting from the common area. Carlos gave an unparalleled tour of all of the highlights of Semuc Champey. Candy and Maria cooked up fantastic, but healthy food in hearty portions. The chocolate tour was really special as well! Locals were friendly and helpful. Toilets and showers functioned well. Filtered water from a spigot was available for free. Make sure to bring plenty of cash as the closest ATM is in Lanquin. Daniel was helpful in organizing shuttles and personnel. Would recommend Ch’i Bocol as phenomenal place to enjoy food, nature, and friendship, and to learn about Mayan culture, as well as a few words of Quekchil. Thank you Ch’i Bocol for a wonderful experience! :)

Beautiful located in the middle of the jungle, 30 min walking to the main road but definetly worth it!
Private room suprised me also, its very nice. Do recommend the tubing back to the hostel, saves you a lot of walking also.
About 1hour walk away from semuc champey but you walk in a beautiful scenery.

Very good hostel, nice owner with good stories!
But skinny dogs and a worker threw a stone at one

I was looking for a nice relaxing remote hostel and that’s exactly what i found here. There is nothing around beside a beautiful river, the jungle, the amazing staff and other chilled backpackers. My favourite place was the Joga platform with an amazing fiew over the jungle and to some mountains. The food they make is really delicious and not expensive at all for such a remote place where it’s pretty hard to bring all the things. The 30 min hike is worth it :)

I really loved my week at this place and can recommend it to everybody, who wants a chilled place close to Semuc Champey.