10 San Luis Potosi Waterfalls to Visit in Huasteca Potosina

Discover 10 amazing San Luis Potosi waterfalls you need to visit when exploring the Huasteca Potosina region in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

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About San Luis Potosi & Huasteca Potosina

San Luis Potosi is a state in the northeast of Mexico. Off-the-radar for most international tourists, but much loved by domestic travellers, this state was one of the greatest surprises on our six-month trip around Mexico.

The drawcard of San Luis Potosi is a small sub-region known as La Huasteca Potosina.

This region spans 20 different municipalities in San Luis Potosi and is known as a hub for nature and adventure tourism. The region is blessed with unique geography, filled with stunning rivers, vast canyons, caves, lush rainforest and of course, waterfalls!

But not just any waterfalls. These waterfalls are electric blue! With vibrant blue rivers flowing into thundering waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. It is PARADISE! There are dozens of waterfalls to explore here, they’re some of the best in the country (in competition only with the state of Chiapas, which has its fair share of gorgeous waterfalls!).

This region quickly became one of our favourite places in Mexico, and we are so glad you’re thinking of visiting, it’s very underrated. Hopefully, this post inspires you to add San Luis Potosi and Huasteca Potosina to your Mexico itinerary.

Let’s jump into the 10 best waterfalls in Huasteca Potosina!

10 Best San Luis Potosi waterfalls

1. Cascada El Aguacate

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: in the middle of Ciudad Valles, Tamasopo and El Naranjo
• 💰 Cost to visit: 80 pesos (~$4 USD) per person
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 5 pm

Cascada El Aguacate is one of the smaller and lesser-known waterfalls in San Luis Potosi, but that doesn’t make it any less magical!

A thunderous 70-metre drop tumbles off the side of a cliff into a vast canyon below, before splitting off into a few smaller falls near the bottom. You’ll need to tackle 170+ stairs deep down into the canyon, where you can admire the falls from a series of walkways and viewing platforms.

You can’t really swim directly below the falls as the pool isn’t that big, and the falls are incredibly strong, even in the dry season. But don’t be discouraged…

Walk just a little bit further and you will find a stunning blue pool just waiting for you to jump in. The water was the most beautiful tone, and completely transparent. It was just magic!

This waterfall is one of the least developed ones in the area, and you have the best chance of having it to yourself if you visit during the week.

🥑 Check out our complete Cascada El Aguacuate guide here

3. Cascada El Salto

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 💰 Cost to visit: 30 pesos (~$1.5 USD) per person + 60 pesos (~$3 USD) mandatory life jacket rental
• 🏘️ Closest major town: El Naranjo
• ⏰ Opening hours: unclear, previously 24 hours but a gate has recently been installed, count on around 8 am – 5 pm

💦 Tour recommendation: if you’re not self-driving, this tour visits Cascada El Salto and nearby Cascadas El Meco, including a wooden lancha boat tour upstream to get close to El Meco.

Cascada El Salto is also referred to as Cascada Salto del Agua and was one of our favourite waterfalls in San Luis Potosi.

One thing to note about this waterfall is that it doesn’t actually flow year-round. In the wintertime (usually November – February), it is diverted for a hydroelectricity plant, but you will still find some incredible blue pools to swim in and we would highly recommend a visit at any time of the year.

The falls cascade into a huge, open pool surrounded by vine-clad canyon walls, filled with the most brilliant shade of milky blue water. The water flows over clay shelves into a series of smaller, calmer pools before continuing down the river to nearby Cascada El Meco. 

Swimming around in the near-silent canyon was almost eerie, and we both had a warm feeling here, reminding us how incredible nature is.

This waterfall used to be entirely undeveloped and free to visit, but it’s recently become more of a formal tourist attraction. There is now a small fee to enter (30 pesos), and life jacket rental is supposedly mandatory (60 pesos). The current is incredibly strong here if you’re trying to swim to the main fall, so it’s probably not a bad idea.

💙 Check out our complete Cascada El Salto guide here

4. Cascadas El Meco

• 📍 Location: Mirador | Boat launch point
• 💰 Cost to visit: Mirador – free | Lancha ride – 200+ pesos (~$11+ USD) per person
• 🏘️ Closest major town: El Naranjo
• ⏰ Opening hours: Mirador – 24 hours | Lancha ride – 8 am – 5 pm

💦 Tour recommendation: if you’re not self-driving, this tour includes a lancha boat ride upstream to get close to Cascada El Meco, and also visits nearby Cascada El Salto.

Cascadas El Meco is located just downriver from Cascada El Salto. These falls cascade over a few smaller tiers before dropping almost 40 metres down into the Rio El Salto.

Cascadas El Meco is one of the more difficult waterfalls to visit. You can’t just drive up and jump in. There are two main options for seeing them.

The first is to pull over on the side of the road at the ‘mirador’ or lookout, and get a view of the falls from above, right where they plunge 40 metres down. There is no cost to do this, the mirador is accessible 24/7. This is the option we went for. It took a few minutes to have a quick look at the falls, before continuing on our way.

The second option is to pay for a tour to get much closer to the falls. You will be offered these as soon as you arrive at the lookout by many local guides. There are a few different options here.

One is a rappelling and jumping tour, where a guide will lead you down very close to the falls, and you will have the opportunity to view the falls from above and below, jump in, and swim in some of the calmer pools.

Alternatively, you can pay for a wooden ‘lancha’ boat, to paddle you closer to the falls from further upstream. There are a few different tour companies and launch points that offer this. Some tours will also offer the option to float in a lifejacket or an inner tube back down the river to the launch.

A few of the most popular are Robitours, El Sundial and Centro Ecoturistico El Meco. Expect to pay around 200 – 250 pesos (~$11+ USD) per person. You may also have to pay a fee to access the ‘park’, which includes toilets, showers and facilities along the river to enjoy after your tour.

5. Cascada de Tamul

• 📍 Location: Hiking meeting point | Boat launch point
• 💰 Cost to visit: Hiking – 1,000 pesos (~$55 USD) per group of 5 | Lancha – 200 pesos (~$11 USD) per person
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Ciudad Valles
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 9 am – 4 pm

💦 Tour recommendation: if you’d prefer not to hike to Cascada de Tamul, this tour will have you ride upstream on a wooden ‘lancha’ boat

Falling from over 100 metres high, and forming a curtain of water up to 300 metres wide during the rainy season, Cascada de Tamul is the tallest and most impressive of all the waterfalls in San Luis Potosi.

It’s also the hardest one to reach, which makes it even more special when you finally lay eyes on this spectacular sight! You can’t just park your car and walk down a few steps. You have to earn your chance to witness the falls, either by paddling a lancha boat upriver (most common option) or hiking to the base of the falls (what we went for).

We decided to hike to Cascada de Tamul, to have the opportunity to get much closer to the falls than the boats can reach. The hike can only be done with a local guide, and the cost is 1,000 pesos (~$55 USD) for a group of up to five. This includes fees required to enter the private property where the falls are located, life jackets and the guide.

Reaching the trailhead of the hike is slightly complicated and requires a lengthy drive on an incredibly bumpy road, but it was worth every brain-rattling bump! The hike itself takes just 30 minutes, and you get the chance to view the falls from above, where they cascade down the side of the canyon, before climbing down some steep and slightly sketchy ladders to get another view from below.

If you don’t want to hike, you can join a lancha boat tour, where you’ll paddle a wooden canoe upstream. You can’t get too close as the current is so strong, but you’ll still enjoy some epic views of the waterfall and have a chance to swim in the vibrant blue Tampaón River. Expect to pay around 200 pesos (~$11 USD) per person for the tour, plus a small fee to enter the ’embarcadero’ or pier area where the tours depart from.

🥾 Check out our complete Cascada de Tamul guide here

6. Cascadas de Tamasopo

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Tamasopo
• 💰 Cost to visit: 180 pesos (~$10 USD) per person + 15 pesos (<$1 USD) (1 hour) or 60 pesos (~$3 USD) (daily) mandatory lifejacket rental
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 6 pm

Although not the most natural setting, Cascadas de Tamasopo was without a doubt the most fun of all the waterfalls we visited!

Cascadas de Tamasopo is developed almost like a waterpark, just with naturally occurring waterfalls and swimming holes instead of waterslides and wave pools. You could easily spend your whole day here, swimming, jumping, swinging, playing, resting and eating.

We had an absolute blast here and spent around three hours jumping off platforms, swinging from ropes and swimming under the falls. There is one main fall with a large shallow pool around it, and two other large falls with deep pools below them, where you will find the rope swings and jumping platforms.

The park is set up with paths all around, plenty of restaurants, bathrooms and change rooms and even a souvenir shop! Although it sounds super touristy, and we admit it doesn’t have the natural magic of some of the other falls, you shouldn’t skip this one. It was pure fun and one of our favourite parts of La Huasteca Potosina! 

Located a very short drive from the major town of Tamasopo, these falls are one of the most accessible in the region. This also means they can be very popular and get quite busy. But the site is large enough to disperse crowds, and we were lucky enough to have many of the pools all to ourselves for hours at a time!

🪢 Check out our complete Cascadas de Tamasopo guide here

7. Puente de Dios

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Tamasopo
• 💰 Cost to visit: 150 pesos (~$8 USD) per person + 50 pesos (~$3 USD) mandatory life jacket rental
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 5:30 pm

💦 Tour recommendation: if you’re not self-driving, this tour departs from Ciudad Valles and includes a visit to Puente de Dios, and nearby Hacienda Gomez which is a series of seven small falls that form different pools for swimming.

Puente de Dios, which translates as Bridge of God is a little different from the other San Luis Potosi waterfalls.

Whilst it is a waterfall, the main attraction here is the large pool inside a cavern. A small but powerful waterfall roars into the huge cenote-style pool, over 20 metres deep filled with sparkling blue water.

The site feels quite developed, with ropes strung across the pool, but it is for good reason! The current from the powerful fall is incredibly strong, and without the ropes, it would be impossible to move around the pool.

You can leap into the pool from a few metres high, and let the current carry you away from the waterfall to discover the best part… A cave that you can swim right through!

The colour of the water inside the cave is electric blue, and it feels as though it is lit from underneath the water. You can swim all the way through the cave, and on the other side, you will find some calmer spots to swim as the river continues its course. 

Puente de Dios is located close to the town of Tamasopo and is one of the most popular waterfalls in the area. The layout of the site means it can get very crowded, and personally, we didn’t love it because of this. The pool and cave are small and get quite congested. This isn’t a spot you would hang out for too long. Avoid this one on weekends and holidays if you can.

💒 Check out our complete Puente de Dios guide here

8. El Trampolin

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Tamasopo
• 💰 Cost to visit: free
• ⏰ Opening hours: 24 hours

El Trampolin is more of a swimming spot than a waterfall, but it’s worthy of a visit nonetheless! A bit of a local secret, this spot was absolutely breathtaking.

El Trampolin is a series of small cascades and pools in the Agua Buena River. Formed by a tangle of earth and large tree roots that create natural bridges and walkways across the river.

Fingers of land filled with lush greenery and trees jut out from the riverbank, giving a mystic and magical feeling as you float under the canopy. These small islands and separate pools mean there are plenty of spots to go around, and even on a busy day, you are likely to end up with a little area to yourselves.

The water is calm, with just a small current near the little falls that spill over submerged land. This is the perfect spot to bring a floaty and spend an afternoon zenning out. Despite not having a huge spectacular cascade, El Trampolin earns its place on this list of the best San Luis Potosi waterfalls in our opinion!

El Trampolin is not developed at all and is simply a swimming spot in a larger river. Located between the large town of Tamasopo, and the smaller town of Agua Buena, there is a road that runs parallel to the river and you can drive directly there and park your car on the side of the road.

There are a few vendors selling snacks and renting life jackets, but there is no formal entry fee or management of the site. You are free to come and go as you please and enjoy the pools however you like.

9. Cascadas de Micos

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Ciudad Valles
• 💰 Cost to visit: 100 pesos (~$5.5 USD) per person
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 7 am – 8 pm

💦 Tour recommendation: if you’re not self-driving, this thrilling tour visits Cascadas de Micos, where you will do the waterfall jumping tour down all seven falls, as well as rappelling at Cascadas de Minas Viejas.

Cascadas de Micos is the most adventurous and thrill-seeking waterfall in San Luis Potosi.

Occupying a kilometre-long section of the Micos River, Cascadas de Micos is a series of seven small falls and brilliant milky blue pools. Although it’s possible to simply enter and hang around at the closest fall, the best way to experience Cascadas de Micos is to organise an additional adventure-style tour.

There are a few different options, but the most popular is participating in a ‘jumping’ tour. You will be led by a guide up the river to the furthest fall, before jumping from different heights at each of the seven falls. At the time of writing, the cost for this tour was 350 pesos (~$19 USD).

The other popular option is to do a zipline and ‘sky bike’ tour across the river. This thrilling activity looked like a blast, and is exactly as the name suggests – a bike in the sky! The bike is suspended in the sky on cables, and you ride across the river with fantastic views of the waterfalls. We saw this again at Cafe Albania in El Salvador, very cool. This activity of course comes at an extra cost and was 950 pesos (~$52 USD) at the time of writing.

Cascadas de Micos is the closest waterfall to the city of Ciudad Valles, which is considered to be a regional hub. As such, this waterfall can become extremely busy during weekends and holidays.

10. Cascada Los Comales

• 📍 Location: Google Maps location
• 🏘️ Closest major town: Xilitla
• 💰 Cost to visit: 75 pesos (~$4 USD) per person
• ⏰ Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 6 pm

Cascada Los Comales is located in Xilitla, in the southern part of La Huasteca Potosina. Whilst it is far from the most impressive waterfall in Huasteca Potosina, if you are in the area visiting the Edward James Surrealist Gardens, it is worth a stop for a cooling dip.

The falls are at their most spectacular in the summer months (June – August) when there has been enough rain to get them flowing. The pool at the bottom of the falls is very shallow, so it’s not possible to really swim, but you can stand under the waterfall and enjoy the spray.

The location in the middle of the rainforest is really lovely though, and after the magic of the gardens, these falls would be a great place to cool off and relax.

What to bring

If you’re planning an epic adventure to the waterfalls of Huasteca Potosina, here are a few things you’ll want to pack.

• 🥾 Water shoes – a must-have for Huasteca Potosina, you are going to be in and out of the water constantly, clambering over sharp rocks, on slippery banks and on rickety bridges. Water shoes are the way to go. I always wear my Teva sandals and Brayden has some trainer-style water shoes.

• 📱 Waterproof camera or phone case – bring a GoPro or a case for your phone so you can take photos while you’re in the water. Some of the best vantage points for photos of the waterfalls require you to swim, so you want something you can take with you. There are vendors selling waterproof phone cases at most of the falls.

• 👙 Swimmers – an obvious one, you are going to want to swim! The water is actually surprisingly cold here, so if you’re sensitive to cold water, it’s a good idea to bring a longer bathing suit or rash top, which also helps for sun protection.

• 💧 Towel – a quick dry one preferably, as you’ll hit multiple waterfalls in one day.

• 🎒 Waterproof bag – for any activity involving water (or possible rain), we use a waterproof bag. We have both an entire backpack that is completely waterproof, and also smaller waterproof sacks that we use for the camera and drone, as an added layer of protection and peace of mind. You will be crossing rivers, and walking very close to the waterfalls so you don’t want to take any risks with your stuff.

• ☀️ Sun protection – whatever that means for you – sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, rash top. Please make sure you use reef-safe sunscreen if you do have to use it. It’s best to avoid putting any pollutants into the beautiful waterfalls, but choose an eco option if you can’t avoid it altogether.

• 🦟 Insect repellent – the mosquitoes can be brutal around here, especially in the evenings if you’re staying outside the main cities. Please consider using a natural spray.

• 💧 Water – bring plenty of water! You will be walking a lot, and swimming is tiring! Be sure to use a reusable bottle and avoid creating any more plastic pollution. You’ll be out for full days most of the time, so consider packing multiple bottles to avoid having to buy single-use bottles at the waterfalls.

How to visit the waterfalls in San Luis Potosi

Huasteca Potosina is a bit of a tricky place to visit. Ciudad Valles is considered the regional hub, but the region spans 20 different municipalities in San Luis Potosi. There are dozens of little towns and the gorgeous waterfalls are spread out in remote corners of the region.

I’ve got a complete Huasteca Potosina travel guide that details exactly how to get to the region, and how to get around to all the waterfalls.

I won’t go into too much detail here, as the guide is lengthy and extremely helpful for planning your trip. It also includes our suggested one-week itinerary, showing you how to squeeze all these amazing waterfalls into an epic road trip!

💎 Read our ultimate Huasteca Potosina travel guide

Getting to Huasteca Potosina

• ✈️ By air: the closest airports are 3+ hours drive away from the Huasteca Potosina region. You can fly into San Luis Potosi International Airport or Tampico International Airport, but you’ll still need to work out how to get to and around the area.

• 🚌 By bus: there are buses to Ciudad Valles from Mexico City, Queretaro, Guadalajara and other major cities in Central Mexico. You may need to get a bus to the capital city, San Luis Potosi, and then transfer to a bus to Ciudad Valles if there aren’t any direct routes from your origin.

• 🚗 By car: the best way to see Huasteca Potosina is on a road trip. Most people will rent a car once they arrive in the area, but if you’re up for a longer trip, you can start your road trip from Mexico City or Queretaro.

Getting around Huasteca Potosina

• 🚗 By car: by far the best way to see the waterfalls in San Luis Potosi is with your own vehicle. We recommend organising a road trip, where you stay in different places while exploring nearby attractions. You can rent cars from San Luis Potosi Airport (or in the city if you arrive by bus), Tampico Airport, or Ciudad Valles.

• 🚌 By bus: public transport is extremely limited in Huasteca Potosina, and we do NOT recommend this option. It’s possible to use the bus to get between major towns, but most of the waterfalls are far off the highway. You would need to walk a long way or hitchhike to reach most of them from the nearest bus stop.

• 🚐 By tour: if you don’t want to drive, the next best option to see the waterfalls in San Luis Potosi is by tour. There are a few multi-day tours that combine many of the highlights and include all your transport and accommodation. Otherwise, there are various day tours that combine different falls, most departing from Ciudad Valles.

Where to stay

There is a range of accommodations available around the Huasteca Potosina region.

Many people choose to base themselves in Ciudad Valles and do day trips to the waterfalls from there.

Alternatively, you can visit the region on a road trip, and stay at different destinations each night, near the waterfalls. Most of the waterfalls also offer camping or basic cabins on-site.

These are some suggestions for where to stay in different towns around the area:

• 🏩 Ciudad Valles: if you’re using Ciudad Valles as a base, we recommend Casa AMMAH for a mid-range option, with exceptional reviews, lovely hosts and a communal kitchen. If you’re on a budget, we stayed at Hostal Casa Huasteca and really loved it. Or if you want a little splurge, Hotel Casa Ortiz is a stunning option with a pool.

• 💦 Tamasopo: Skip the town and stay somewhere on the riverfront. We highly recommend Cabaña Aventuras. We had the best time swimming in the beautiful river and enjoying their rope swing. Tamasopo Luxury Suites is in a similar location if you’re looking for something a bit nicer. However, there is a brand new boutique hotel that has just opened in town that could be just as good! Check out Refugio Huasteco Hotel Boutique.

• 🍊 El Naranjo: there aren’t too many options listed on the online booking platforms, but a quick search on Google Maps and we found some gems. Hotel Bella Vista is located right on the river and offers basic, but charming rooms. We stayed here and couldn’t stop gawking at the incredible blue river right outside our door! Hotel del Valle is a more standard hotel-style option in town and Hotel Tayha is the ‘fanciest’ choice.

• 🏰 Xilitla: Hotel Paraíso Encantado is located near the famous Las Pozas gardens, or if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, Anamaya Hostel in town is a hit with travellers. Posada El Castillo is a unique boutique option, which as the name suggests, is a castle style!

• 🦜 Aquismon: this little town is a great base for visiting the nearby sotanos (where you’ll need a very early start!). Hotel Boutique Santa Lucía was a cute and colourful hotel right next to the square, with large rooms, continental breakfast included and affordable prices. If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, Hostal Aquismon is highly rated. Not in the centre of town, but Gran Tamoanchan is a near-new stunning boutique eco-hotel that looks simply gorgeous!

Final thoughts on the San Luis Potosi waterfalls

San Luis Potosi is blessed with a dizzying array of unique and spectacular waterfalls.

It’s hard for us to choose a favourite because they are all so different and special in their own way. Although Minas Viejas and El Salto really stole the show for us!

We highly recommend a visit to this region of Mexico, to experience firsthand some of the finest nature we have ever seen. Be sure to check out our La Huasteca Potosina guide for everything you need to know about planning a trip to the area, which can often be confusing and complicated.

If you’ve visited, let me know in the comments which of the San Luis Potosi waterfalls is your favourite!

MORE HUASTECA POTOSINA POSTS

• Huasteca Potosina: Guide to Mexico’s Waterfall Wonderland
• How to Visit Cascada de Tamul, San Luis Potosi: Hike or Boat
• How to Visit Cascadas de Tamasopo: Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
• How to Visit Puente de Dios: Tamasopo, Huasteca Potosina
• Cascadas de Minas Viejas: Best Huasteca Potosina Waterfall
• How to Visit Cascada El Salto: San Luis Potosi, Mexico
• How to Visit Cascada El Aguacate: San Luis Potosi, Mexico