La Huasteca Potosina is a tropical, lush and very remote subregion of San Luis Potosí. Located in North-Central Mexico most people haven’t even heard of it. Like us. We stumbled across it by accident and fell in love with its abundance of natural beauty instantly! La Huasteca Potosina features beautiful waterfalls, magnificent sinkholes, remarkable caves and turquoise blue rivers. Think of it as a paradise for nature-lovers and hiking enthusiasts.
The ride itself through the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range is simply spectacular, revealing some of Mexico’s most breathtaking scenery! With so much beauty to explore, a trip to La Huasteca Potosina can be very rewarding. Let us share our absolute favourite places we got to explore and make sure you don’t miss out on Mexico’s perhaps best kept secret!
Do you know where the name ‘La Huasteca Potosina’ originates from?
The name comes from the Huasteca people, an indigenous group native to Mexico, and Potosina refers to the state of San Luis Potosí.
For more travel inspiration, also check out: 20 TOP THINGS TO DO IN MEXICO or watch our travels through Mexico on YouTube!
Puente de Dios
Puente de Dios was our first stunning stop during our road trip through La Huasteca Potosina. We based ourselves in the town of Tamasopo. A very small town, with basic accommodation and plenty of restaurants – the perfect base to explore the surroundings. From here you can visit the ‘Cascada de Tamasopo‘ waterfalls which are located only 2 miles from the town. With so many beautiful waterfalls to choose from and an ever growing shortlist of which to visit, Fiona and I did skip those. Instead, we had a good rest after our long ride through the mountains and early in the morning we set off for Puente de Dios.
How to get here?
Puente de Dios is located only 2 miles from the town of Tamasopo. After paying a small parking and entrance fee you need to walk down around 300 steps through a lush jungle path. At the end of this walk you’ll reach the picturesque Puente de Dios (Bridge of God). It’s a natural pool surrounded by beautiful waterfalls flowing directly into it. The walls from the surrounding rock formations are almost entirely covered in vegetation and the water has a deep blue colour. If you come here in the afternoon, the water will have the most magnificent colours, turning into a lighter turquoise but it’s also the busiest time to visit. There is a river flowing right through Puente de Dios too which can create a strong current.
You can either jump into it as Fiona did, or simply lower yourself into the water from some rocks. It can definitely be a little slippery so water shoes are nice to have but not essential. There is some rope you can grab in case you struggle with the current or want to have a rest in the water too. Once you made it into the pool you can swim through a cave leading to another waterpool on the other side also.
The best way to enjoy Puente de Dios is to soak in the views once you’ve jumped into it. The water is refreshingly cold but it’s definitely a great cool off before walking back up to the car park.
Watch out for this!
As you get closer to the entrance many locals will try to wave you down and offer you parking for roughly 1 USD. The parking can be quite far from the entrance so I would ignore it and drive all the way right up to it. In addition every parking lot will try to rent you a life vest (required to go for a swim). But then you have to hike with it, so just get it directly from the rental place directly in front of Puente de Dios. The entrance fee with life vest rental was about 2 USD.
Tamul Waterfalls
Tamul is considered the most spectacular waterfall in La Huasteca Potosina. The turquoise coloured water plunges 105m into the pristine Río Santa Maria. It is set in a jaw-dropping canyon surrounded by thick forest. The walls of the canyon are covered almost entirely in vegetation.
To visit the Tamul Waterfalls we based ourselves in the town of Tanchachín. We stayed at a lovely little hotel called ‘Cascada Huasteca‘ with secure parking, a pool to cool off and restaurant. You can book an organised tour to the waterfalls from any hotel in town. It includes pick-up, boat rental, paddling up to the waterfalls and drop-off. This is certainly the easiest but also the most touristy option.
How to get the waterfalls all to yourself?
If you type Tamul Waterfall into Google Maps it will actually lead you to a great hiking spot where you are likely to have the waterfalls all to yourself. The dirt road leading to the parking spot is maybe 20-30 min. ride from the town. At some point you have to pay a small fee (less than 1 USD) as you’ll be crossing private property. Never in my life have I paid to ride down such a terrible dirt road before. But do it – it’s totally worth it!
When you see the little wooden bridge towards the end, you’ve made it. We were the only ones parked up here and paid a small fee (2 USD) to enter. If you don’t feel like riding over all the boulders just before the bridge, you can also park your car up just before. The walk to the entrance will be less than 5 min. You might prefer this option if you aren’t driving a 4×4 or Adventure Motorcycle.
From here it’s a stunning 1 km hike to the waterfall. It takes less than 30 min. and you can’t really get lost. Just follow the sound of the water! Your first viewing point will be the top of the waterfalls. If you have a death wish, like Fiona, you can walk right along the top of the waterfall. Personally I think the view from the wooden viewing platform is just fine :-). Once you’ve taken in the stunning views you can cool off in a little natural pool. It is located on top of the waterfalls. But don’t worry! It is completely safe and separated from the current running into the waterfall.
How to get to the bottom of Tamul Waterfall?
If you have some energy left and don’t mind climbing down some dodgy ladders, you are in for a treat! There is a little path leading away from the natural pool and eventually a set of ladders that allow you to get to the bottom of the waterfall. Standing right underneath it, with the canyon walls rising up to both sides covered in thick vegetation is truly breathtaking.
Fiona and I didn’t take the boat trip because we had such a great time exploring the waterfalls by foot. We felt truly bless to have it all to ourselves! But that’s not to say the boat trip isn’t as well nice. You get to paddle upstream towards the river and the views from the canyon will no doubt be beautiful too. Everyone we spoke to enjoyed the boat trip. So it just depends if you are feeling adventurous and want to get away from the crowds.
Sotano de las Golondrinas
Sotano de las Golondrinas, also known as ‘Cave of Swallows’ is one of the most impressive limestone sinkholes in the world. At 372m it offers the highest freefall drop in the world. But the majority of people come here to witness the spectacle which unfolds every day at dusk and dawn.
Thousands of white-collared swifts live in nests along the wall of the cave. Around sunrise (6 am) they literally shoot out of the cave in a very chaotic and erratic way before they disperse. This entire process takes about 20 minutes.
Before sunset the birds gather in groups and circle above the cave before dive-bombing back into the cave to avoid predators. You can hear them drop into the cave, so fast it’s difficult to follow with your eyes.
The opening of the cave is about 62 meters wide. The deeper you go the wider it gets. At the bottom the cave is around 303 meters wide, the equivalent of 3 football fields. You don’t need to be a passionate bird watcher to enjoy a visit to Sotana de las Golondrinas. It is one of the top places to visit in La Huasteca Potosina and anyone who likes nature will enjoy their visit!
Base Jumping & Caving have grown increasingly popular.
Unfortunately this is also leading to a decrease in the bird population!
How to get here?
Once again Google Maps will lead you right to the entrance of Sotano de las Golondrinas. You can park right outside the entrance and pay a small fee (2 USD) to enter. You then have to walk down hundreds of steps to reach the cave but it only takes about 20 minutes to reach it.
Morning visits are busier as you can see more birds at once. Whereas at sunset the entire process is split over 2 hours so most people just watch for about 20-30 min. and leave. We arrived before all the tours arrived and there was only about 6 people sitting around the cave. So if you want to avoid the crowds arrive here around 4.15pm. Tours usually get here closer to 5pm.
Las Pozas
Las Pozas are a bunch of surrealistic structures scattered across a subtropical rainforest in the mountains of La Huasteca Potosina. They were created by Edward James, a british poet and art collector who used to rub shoulders with Dalí and Picasso. He moved to Xilitla in the 1950s and transformed a coffee plantation into a bizarre land of surrealistic structures surrounded by waterfalls and natural pools.
What to expect when visiting Las Pozas?
Getting lost in Las Pozas is super fun. You can’t help but wonder what went through Edward James’ mind when creating this. Many structures are unfinished concrete blocks. Some feel very imaginative and surrealistic, others don’t seem to make any sense at all. The structures wouldn’t have been half as interesting if it hadn’t been for the wonderful jungle setting. I kept wondering how much fun it would be to attend an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed tea party here.
Unlike other places we discovered in Huasteca Potosina, the Edward James’ garden are a man-made tourist attraction. They are also much more expensive than the usual 2 USD entrance fee we paid to visit waterfalls or caves. We spent about 90 minutes walking around and by the time we were leaving many tour groups had arrived. I’m sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed our visit as much in the afternoon. Our friends who visited recently mentioned they could only visit with a guide. Again, I’m not sure how much I would have enjoyed Las Pozas as a guided tour. Half the fun is getting lost in it all!
How long do I need to visit Huasteca Potosina?
It will depend if you have your own transport or if you are dependent on taking individual tours, generally offered from the main city: Ciudad Valles. If you have you have your own transport you can usually see the above mentioned places in a matter of 4-5 days. But bear in mind that Huasteca Potosina also has many more places of natural beauty. You could easily spent a month here hiking and chasing waterfalls. There are also many inexpensive campsites you can easily find on iOverlander.
For more stunning waterfalls check out: Cascadas de Micos, Cascadas de Minas Viejas, Cascada el Salto, Cascada El Meco. The Tamasopo Waterfall is fairly small but offers beautiful views and swimming opportunities with rope swings.
If you want to cool off in a beautiful river surrounded by thick forest check out El Trampolin
Unlike most other places in Huasteca Potosina it’s free to enter!
Best time to visit
It’s best to visit in winter when temperatures aren’t as hot and there are generally less tourists around!
Avoid June – August due to the rainy season. The colours of the water aren’t usually as beautiful during this time and the roads can get very muddy and challenging to ride. Fiona and I visited in rainy season but were super lucky with the weather. We had a whole week of sunshine! But we also cut our visit short as the weather changed. I’m sure we would have spent more time in Huasteca Potosina if we had visited during winter!
Another busy period to avoid is Semana Santa (Holy Week) around Easter as it can get very crowded.
What are you waiting for?
La Huasteca Potosina is in our opinion one of the most beautiful, least visited and by far most underrated place to visit in Mexico! If you like exploring places of natural beauty that are completely off the grid and not overcrowded then visit La Huasteca Potosina.
You won’t find fancy hotels around like you would in Tulum or other places in Yucatan. But that’s also the beauty of it! Who knows how long it will stay like this until boutique hotels start popping up and the entrance fees multiply? Visit this hidden gem while it it’s still under the radar!
Have you visited Huasteca Potosina? Or do you have questions about your upcoming trip? Let us know your thoughts or share any questions you might have. We are always happy to hear from you 🙂
