Grutas Tolantongo in the state of Hidalgo is one of the most photogenic spots you can find in Mexico and one of my favorite "off the beaten path" places that is worth the journey.
I've been twice and done it all on public transit. It's a very long journey, full of buses and patience, but it's worth it, and this way you can see this beautiful, natural "water park" at a fraction of the cost... the more time-saving option is to book a one-day tour such as this one for about $150 USD.
You can surely enjoy this place for a night or two and have plenty to do, or you can make it a very long day trip! Additionally, I had to go on a Sunday which is obviously the most popular choice for families, but if I could go again I would choose a random Tuesday or Wednesday to have more peace and space to myself!
SKIP TO
ALL ABOUT THE GRUTAS
Essentially a natural, warm water park, Grutas Tolantongo is a paradise in the middle of a canyon in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Supposedly the pools weren’t publicly discovered until the 1960s, and only recently the roads were made much more accessible to enter. The name itself was a mix up from the original name for the site, Tonaltonko which means" place where it feels warm."
While originally there was a beautiful waterfall and light blue river running through the space, it is most recognized today for the "pozitas," dozens of constructed terraced pools with thermal water
The space is entirely owned and operated by an ejido, which is the communal land system in Mexico. Because of this unique set up, you can feel good paying for admission and buying food and drinks inside the ejido, as all the money goes back to the local people, and they do a wonderful job of running the place! The whole area is very nicely maintained and void of litter. They even sell their own natural springs water for drinking!
WHEN TO GO
The park is open 365 days a year, with holidays being among the busiest times! As it rests in central Mexico's high semidesert, the Grutas get warm days and cool nights, with the majority of the rain happening in the summer (June- September). The climate was perfect when I went in July and late October, and this area has year round nice weather and the warm water makes even cool days comfortable.
WHAT TO BRING
First things first, bring all the cash you will need! Entrance is 200 pesos, per person, per day. There are no prior reservations for the hotels in the site, so if you plan on staying overnight, pack at least an extra 1500 pesos cash for the night stay. There is no way to get money without heading all the way back to the city of Ixmiquilpan, so it is better to err on the side of caution.
You can bring in your own food and drinks no problem, but the food at the actual site is really affordable that you can feel comfortable buying there. (Tacos for 25 pesos, elotes for 40, and beers for 50.)
You’ll wanna make sure you bring your swimsuit, towel, a waterproof phone pouch, and some water shoes. My Tevas were great and without shoes the bottom is rough and slippery. They don’t let you enter the waterfalls with any bags (plus you don’t want your phone to get wet!) so the day use lockers will set you back another 150 pesos ($8 USD).
Do you want to stay the night? If you will be staying the night (either in a hotel or camping), you need to also factor in the cost for day passes (200 pesos/day). Camping is free if you bring your own tent or you can rent one for 200 pesos/night, or hotel rooms are first come first serve and start at 1000 pesos.
GETTING THERE
If you are arriving by bus from Mexico City or Queretaro, you first wanna hop on a 3-4 hour bus to the small city of Ixmiquilpan. Make sure to remind the conductor of your stop as one time they almost didn't stop for us.
From the Ixmiquilpan bus stop, you’ll have to walk about 30 minutes or hail a short cab ride towards the colonia of San Antonio "Base de Combis." This article has all the info and schedules for doing it right. There are buses every 1-2 hours to the Grutas Tolantongo for 70 pesos ($3 USD), with the first ride leaving at 9:30 AM and lasting 1 hour.
The ride itself is absolutely beautiful! A bunch of steep hairpin turns down the canyon finally you out into the site, where you will be charged 200 pesos ($11 USD) per person to the water park. You need to indicate how many days you will be staying, as you are charged by the number of day-uses. Ex. We camped one night, so we paid 400 pesos each (200 for the day we arrived and 200 for the day we left)
THINGS TO DO
Whether you want to chill and sit in the river, speed down the zipline, or find some pools without the crowds, there is so much to do here (seen in the map above).
As you enter the park, you will probably want to start on the eastern side of the park.
CASCADA LA GLORIA
should be your first stop. It is an absolutely stunning, tiered waterfall that streams cool water down into hot natural pools in a series of caves.
Enjoy the views and take your photos before you walk under it, because then the experience gets pretty special! On the bottom end of the cave, you’ll find a huge natural hot water pool full of hot vapors and many people. It’s shallow enough you can mostly walk around without swimming.
You can then sneak into an even smaller side cave which is completely dark! Luckily many people have phone lights in waterproof cases so you can see where you’re going, but it is quite the steamy adventure. We hung out here for about a half hour (with a big crowd) but I have seen plenty of photos of the cave being empty in the middle of the week!!
Above the cave, I could barely believe it when we stumbled into the hot water tunnel which extends for 80 meters back! This cave is even hotter and much tighter, which kinda freaked me out. To get all the way to the back, you have to cling onto ropes and scramble over slippery wet rock with only the light from people's cellphones. I definitely got some feeling of claustrophobia with the hot air and small space, but it was absolutely incredible to say the least! The water shoes come in handy.
(There is one other area under the falls and crossing a hanging bridge that is NOT included on the entrance ticket and charges another 100 pesos to enter. We didn’t want to spend the extra money this time, though it is a great option if you are spending more time at Grutas Tolantongo and can also camp down here)
THE RIVER
Retreating from the cave after being in the hot water for a bit feels amazing and refreshing, and then it is a good time to grab a cerveza and head down to the light blue, warm water river! If you come during or right after rains, the tint will probably be more brown than blue.
I really enjoyed lounging in the river and it is a lot more spacious than all the crowds packed into the hot cave. The river is divided into small sections so you don’t drift all the way down, and the farther down you go the less people there are.
The rest of the main attractions are on the western edge of the park and uphill, so your best bet is waiting for a bus or combi to take you for 15 pesos. Alternatively, you can hike but it takes about 45 minutes.
HIKING
We elected to hike, though it was definitely the harder way to do things but nonetheless beautiful! Just follow signs posted throughout the park and get ready for lots of stairs. Between. the two sides of the park, it is about a 2 mile (3km) hike.
ZIPLINING
A zipline runs from the western edge of the park to the east, for 250 pesos. There are four scenic sections, and you have to hike back up after.
LAS POCITAS
The most iconic part of the park, this is what calls a lot of people to Grutas Tolantongo. The dozens of pools crafted into the hillside are not just aesthetic-- they are filled with the most warm water and are romantic for couples, while also great for families to splash around.
Open from 7 AM- 8 PM, I was the luckiest person ever and got in at 6:45 AM one morning when they opened early and I got it to myself! Yes, we got nice photos, but it was even nicer being in the moment. We ended up setting up our tent near this part of the park and camped the night. Showers and bathrooms were available 24/7 which was great.
THE ADVENTURE HOME
After a long day in the sun, the bus ride back to Ixmiqulpan is nice and the Mexican ranchero music bumping. We enjoyed two hours of exploring central Ixmiquilpan which was beautifully decorated for Dia de Los Muertos and a nice way to see the less touristic side of Mexico.
So is Tolantongo feasible for one day, on public transport? Perhaps not for the average bear, but if you have seen the way I travel it ends up being just another day in the life :) I loved that we got to see this place in one day and see it more authentically than a tour group. And the gorgeous journey is half the fun!
