If you are looking for a fantastic place to spend the day, you should check out Roberto Barrios Waterfalls about 31 kilometres south of Palenque in the Chiapas region of Mexico. I just recently spent the better part of the day and it was simply unforgettable!
Our group left in the morning and enjoyed a scenic drive to the falls. To my surprise there were maybe another 20 people at most. This was such a welcomed surprise compared to some of the busier tourist spots we had previously visited. We had hired a local guide to take us on a waterfall walk. I had read about the falls before hand but the description did not describe the experience it would be.
We started at the largest set of waterfalls. It had a big pool area below it. At first glance it was a big waterfall,not much more. But a closer look revealed ropes strung across from side to side. The guide motioned to the water and ropes. No clue what he wanted. My Spanish wasn’t great, and his English wasn’t much better. Our guide motioned for us to go into the water. It wasn’t hard to be convinced to go into this beautiful green water. My only question was how warm was it? Regardless, it didn’t matter, it couldn’t be as cold as home. So off I went. The water was more or less like I expected and overall quite nice. It felt good to swim. I started doing a breaststroke towards the falls and it wasn’t long before I realized why the ropes were there. The current.
The current was noticeable right away but it didn’t deter me. I was ahead of the others so I continued on. Soon I could feel how strong the current actually was. I got about 10 feet in front of the falls and grabbed onto the rope. I thought I would sit on it and just hang out in one spot. No such luck. The current one didn’t want me there. I stayed around as long as I could then swam off to the little falls a little further to the left of where I was. I climbed up on the rocks and enjoyed the view.
Our group was swimming and enjoying the water. Some of them were heading over to where I was now. We chatted a bit and off we went towards the shore. Once we all were together again, our guide motioned for us to follow him. Barefoot and wet we started to follow him down the trail. He took us to a little opening that led to some rocks just a bit past the base of the big falls. He wanted us to follow behind him. We started in procession and followed him closely. Every once in a while he would stop and point to where we should be stepping. I was a little concerned that the rocks would be slippery like the ones I would find in the rivers at home but these rocks were different. A little bit porous and rough so it was easy to step on.
We followed him until a small ledge appeared. He took his hands and with his fingers he counted. He wanted us to take three steps and jump. All of a sudden he jumped off the ledge. We stood and smiled as he went in. It looked fun. One by one we jumped off the ledge, it was maybe about 8 to 10 feet. It was great! After the jump, we swam a short distance to the next rock edge to where we got out and carried on following our guide. Gingerly he stepped and walked along the rocks, knowing where each and every safe step was as the water made it hard to see where to go.
It wasn’t long and we were at the next ledge. The man once again motioned with his fingers, this time it was only two steps and a jump. Off we went, one at a time. Big smiles as we plunged into the water. My partner was right behind me. I didn’t know that he had decided to be fancy. He stood on the ledge and lined himself up to dive. Nope, it didn’t happen. Big belly flop. Our group was cheering and laughing as his head popped out of the water. He smiled and added, “Well that didn’t turn out like I had planned!”. As he swam towards us and we continued on. Another few minutes, we were up on the rocks again heading to the last jump of the falls. This one looked a bit higher than the last two, maybe 12 feet. We lined up and jumped into the beautiful green-blue water. It seemed to be getting warmer. One by one as we jumped into the water. All of us except my partner, you guessed it. He dove but this time he was successful.
As we climbed out of the water one last time we headed downwards again until we got to a long sloping rock. It had a nice curve to it. I wasn’t quite sure how we were getting down until the guide motioned to the tourist at the front of the group to sit down. The tourist turned his head and the man pushed him. Off he went sliding down the rocky slope into the water. He hit the water with a splash, rose to the surface and swam to a big open pool. Next person up! As I watched what was happening waiting for my turn, I had a sudden realization of what I had seen at the beginning of the tour. When we started I noticed the guide’s shorts were ripped to shreds. It was odd. Beneath the shorts were another pair of shorts. Now I got it. He ripped them from sliding down this big rock hill at the end. Oh no, my swimsuit! I thought I sure hope I don’t rip the butt out of my swimsuit. My Wal-mart special was most definitely not the newest or strongest bathing suit around.
Next thing I knew, I was up. I moved to the front, sat down, and turned to tell the man I needed a minute. Did I mention that he spoke English like I spoke Spanish? Not well. I turned my head and got maybe two words out and he pushed me. Whoohoo! Down the rock I flew, bumping and sliding over the rock. It wasn’t as rough as I had expected but it was fast. Fast enough that my suit was not forming a giant wedgie up my rear end. Splash! I was in. I couldn’t help as I plunged in the water to touch my butt to feel if I had ripped anything.
Oh dear. Not only had I ripped it, I had ripped it well. A fist size hole in the bottom of my suit. As I rose to the surface, my face said it all. The crew asked me what was up. I said I ripped my suit. Another one of the women, Esther, started to laugh. She had ripped hers too! I wasn’t alone. I swam to the side of the big pool and borrowed a life jacket to cover my virtues as I climbed out of the water. We then all walked to the top of the falls where we started, maybe talking for about 20 minutes. What an incredible time!
Back at the parking lot I grabbed a dress from my backpack to throw on and cover my torn suit. It was nice to venture around taking some pictures to remember the day. My visit ended up at the restaurant there eating chicken fajitas and having a beer. Perfect end to a perfect day!
If you’re looking to explore and enjoy a homegrown adventure near Palenque, Mexico, Roberto Barrios Waterfalls is a must-visit. With stunning scenery, thrilling jumps, and a serene atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed!
