Grutas de Tolantongo

A Canyon Resort Run By A Local Ejido Where Hot Springs Pour Through A Cave And Into A Chain Of Turquoise Pools Along A Cool River, With A Hanging Bridge And A Tunnel To Waterfalls. A Favourite Weekend Trip For People From Mexico City, Packed On Weekends And Holidays, With Cabins, Camping And A Long Drive On A Steep Road · Cardonal, Hidalgo

Grutas de Tolantongo is a canyon resort in the Mezquital valley of Hidalgo, run by the local ejido, near the town of Cardonal. Hot water rises inside a cave and spills down the rock into a chain of turquoise pools built along a cool blue river, so you can swim in warm terraces above and cold current below. The site also has a long hanging bridge over the canyon, a tunnel dug into the cliff that leads to waterfalls, and cabins and a campground for people who stay overnight. It suits families, couples and groups of friends who want a full day in the water and do not mind a steep, twisting drive to reach it. It is about three and a half hours from Mexico City, which is why weekends and holidays are packed and the pools turn into a queue. Go midweek if you can, and arrive early on any day. It is worth the detour for the setting, which is unlike anywhere else near the capital. It is not worth it if you want quiet, if you dislike crowds, or if you cannot face a long mountain road.

Tolantongo canyon, near Cardonal and about 200 km north of Mexico City in the Mezquital valley, reached by a steep road; coordinates approximate, Cardonal, Hidalgo, Mexico

Tolantongo is generally open every day of the year to day visitors and to overnight guests, with the busiest hours from mid-morning to late afternoon. Day tickets usually allow entry from early morning until early evening, and guests with cabins or camping can stay in the grounds overnight. Exact opening and closing times change by season and by holiday, so confirm them before you set out. Nothing inside the resort is FREE: there is an entry charge for day visitors, and the cave, the tunnel and the pools are all part of it. Some areas may be CLOSED after heavy rain, a landslide or a flood, and the cave and tunnel can be CLOSED for repairs. The public road to the gate is open to cars at all hours, but it is not safe to drive after dark.

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