Grutas de Tolantongo is one of the most magical places that I’ve ever seen in my life. You can relax in natural hot springs, enjoy the spectacular view or hike along a turquoise river in the middle of a huge canyon. The hidden hot springs are located in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, about 4 hours from Mexico City and 3 hours from Querétaro. This is definitely one of the best kept secrets of Mexico which you shouldn’t miss on your trip!
Besides Puerto Escondido, this was certainly one of my favorite places in Mexico. Read this guide for everything you need to know before you visit Grutas de Tolantongo – and how to visit them the right way.
Table of Contents
Things to know before you go
Here’s some information that might be useful to know before visiting Grutas de Tolantongo:
Prices
Entrance fee – $150 pesos per day
If you arrive after 6 pm you don’t have to pay for that day anymore, but only for the next day.
Car parking – $20 pesos per vehicle per day
Make sure to bring enough cash, because you won’t be able to pay by card! All payments inside the park have to be in cash. The nearest ATM is 1 hour from the park, located in Ixmiquilpan.
Grutas de Tolantongo is very touristy, but most tourists are Mexicans. This is probably one of the reasons why everything is quite affordable even though it’s a national park. Restaurants, shops and hotels are relatively cheap.
Opening hours
The area of Grutas de Tolantongo officially opens for visitors at 8 am. However, if you arrive on the previous day and you spend the night inside the area, you can already enter the pools (pozas) at 7:30 am.
I recommend being there right when they open so you can enjoy the tranquility and peacefulness before the crowds arrive. If you want a photo like me, you should even be there before 7 to assure that you’ll be the first one to be let in.
Also, officially the park closes at 9 pm, but if you stay the night at Hotel Paraiso Escondido, you can stay in the hot springs until 11 pm.
There's no WIFI
Neither the hotels, nor the restaurants inside the park have WIFI. There is cell phone reception in some areas, which works if you have a local SIM card. Don’t rely on it though – I only had reception near the hot springs but not along the river or near the waterfall.
Where to eat
There are several restaurants inside the park that offer traditional Mexican dishes. You can find vegetarian options everywhere and the prices are very economic, considering that it’s such a touristy place and that there’s no other option to get food anywhere near.
There are also several shops near Hotel Paraiso Escondido where you can buy snacks.
Getting around Grutas de Tolantongo
The region of Grutas de Tolantongo consists of two areas: The natural springs on one side, and the river with the waterfall on the other side. You can either walk from one side to the other (it’s about a 40 minutes walk along the river) or you can take a shuttle.
Either way, I absolutely recommend visiting both areas, as they’re both stunning.
Best time to visit Grutas de Tolantongo
Grutas de Tolantongo is a popular spot for Mexican families to spend a few days camping. This is why I recommend avoiding weekends and public holidays. The best time to visit is from Monday to Thursday, and early in the morning.
It can get quite chilly at night so the best time of the year to visit Grutas de Tolantongo is between May and September. These are the warmest months of the year.
What to bring to Grutas de Tolantongo
- Enough cash for all your expenses (entrance, hotel, food,…)
- Swimsuit & towel
- Sweater for the evening and at night
- Special water shoes to avoid slipping and getting hurt (they’re recommended but I didn’t have them and I was okay)
- Sun screen and a hat
- (Waterproof) camera
How to get to Grutas de Tolantongo
The most convenient way to get there is by renting a car. But you also have the option of taking public transport.
By public transport
To get to Grutas de Tolantongo by public transport you first need to take a bus to Ixmiquilpan in Hidalgo. From the central station of Ixmiquilpan you need to take a colectivo to “Mercado Morelos”. Then, head to the parking lot “San Antonio”. This is where the shuttle busses to Grutas de Tolantongo leave.
To be honest, it’s a pain to get there in public transport. If you’re more than one person it might even cost you the same as renting a car. Some of my friends went there by public transport from Mexico City and they said it took them ages to get there and it was a hassle.
By car
I highly recommend renting a car to get to Grutas de Tolantongo. It’s in a remote location in the mountains and having your own car makes getting there and getting around in the area much easier. Also, you’ll be way faster in getting there.
Where to stay at Grutas de Tolantongo
There are several hotels, guest houses and camp sites around the area, inside and outside of the park. I recommend staying inside the park, as you’ll wake up to the beautiful views of the hot springs and you get to enjoy the calm morning there.
The absolute best place to stay is Hotel Paraiso Escondido. This is the only place that is located right next to the natural pools and believe me, you want to be there as early in the morning as possible.
Hotel Paraiso Escondido
To get to Hotel Paraiso Escondido you need to take the road to the right after the ticket office.
You can either get a room for $800 pesos (36 EUR) or a tent for $120 pesos (5,50 EUR). Both is for 2 persons. They also sell sleeping bags, pillows and blankets. My friend and I had planned on getting a room, but we arrived quite late at 11 pm and the hotel was fully booked.
It’s not possible to make a reservation in advance, so you need to arrive there and try your luck. If you arrive earlier in the day and it’s a weekday, you shouldn’t have a problem with getting a room.
The receptionist was quite rude to us and couldn’t have cared less about our situation of not having a place to sleep. In the end we decided to rent a tent because we really wanted to wake up exactly in this location, right next to the hot springs. I was actually excited about sleeping in a tent, as I hadn’t done it for a long time – plus, I didn’t mind saving some money either!
My friend and I shared a bottle of red wine before going to bed, which surely must have helped us to fall asleep. I slept really well but woke up early at around 6 am as I heard voices of people outside. Peeking out of the tent I saw a stunning mountain view in front of me with the sky painted in the most magical colors. It was freezing but absolutely worth it getting up early.
How many days to spend at Grutas de Tolantongo
You should stay at least one night to get the best of Grutas de Tolantongo. It would be ideal to spend even two nights there. Like this you can enjoy one morning at the hot springs and the other morning at the waterfall, this way you avoid the crowds in both areas.
Some people visit Grutas de Tolantongo on a day trip, but they miss out on the best part: the early morning without crowds. If you want to experience the magic of this place, don’t do it on a day trip.
I stayed one night there, which was alright but I would definitely stay 2 nights if I visited again.
Things to do at Grutas de Tolantongo
The area of Grutas de Tolantongo can be divided in the hot springs (pozas) on one side of the river, and the waterfall and caves on the other side of the river. They are connected by the intensely blue Tolantongo river.
Hot springs (Pozas)
If you stay the night at Hotel Paraiso Escondido, you’ll be staying right next to these hot springs. Jump into the warm pools in the morning and enjoy the peaceful environment with stunning mountain views. This place is magical – but only in the morning. Later in the day the crowds arrive and in my opinion, the place loses its magic when it’s fully packed with people.
Tolantongo River (Río)
After spending some time in the natural springs, we took a walk along the Tolantongo River. The color of the water is so turquoise, it seems almost unreal. Minerals in the water cause this intense color.
Many people have put up a tent along the river and spend their days jumping into the cool water, doing a BBQ and having a cold beer with family and friends. You can always stop along the way and take a bath in the river or have a drink or a snack in one of the various snack bars.
The walk along the river was beautiful but we were truly exhausted by the heat. Make sure to stay hydrated and bring a hat and sunscreen!
Waterfall (Cascada)
After walking along the river for about 40 minutes we arrived to our destination: the waterfall.
When we got there at around noon it was fully crowded. You can’t see the crowds on my photo, but believe me when I say I felt like on a music festival or on a concert. Anyways, the waterfall was stunning but I just went there to see it, took a quick photo and then I left because I really can’t stand crowds.
Tip for visiting the waterfall and the caves:
You’re not allowed to bring any belongings near the waterfall and the caves and there are security guards that make sure of that. You can either rent an expensive locker to store your things, or you take turns in going there while the other one stays with your belongings, or you leave your things in the car or in the hotel room.
The only thing they allow you to bring is a waterproof camera (phone is okay too) and slippers or a towel. When I went there, my friend and I took turns in visiting the waterfall and she stayed with my things while I walked up.
Caves (Grutas)
Next to the waterfall there are two caves. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of the caves because I would have needed a waterproof camera – and even though my iPhone 12 is waterproof, I didn’t want to risk it.
Inside the caves it was the same regarding the crowds: I had to wait in line to get in, it felt like a fully packed swimming pool where you could barely see the water – it was horrible to be honest. The place itself is beautiful and there’s another waterfall inside the cave. But I left immediately and couldn’t understand how these people were enjoying themselves being surrounded by screaming children and pushy strangers. People were taking selfies with hundreds of people in the background.
Sometimes I feel that many Mexicans have a different perception of crowdedness than Europeans. There are so many people living in Mexico, especially in Mexico City. And it’s common to a have many family members living in the same house. What we Europeans may consider as too many people in a place might be normal for the locals in Mexico.
If you have the chance, also visit the waterfall and the caves as early in the morning as possible. I only did the hot springs in the morning and then took my time until we reached the waterfall and the caves. This is why it was so packed when I got there. Also, you can take the shuttle bus to the waterfall to save some time.
Zipline (Tirolesa)
There are 4 spots to do zip lining inside the park along the canyon. For all 4 ziplines they charge a total of $200 pesos (9 EUR).
Final thoughts on Grutas de Tolantongo
I absolutely loved my experience at Grutas de Tolantongo, but in order for your experience to be a good one you need to consider some things.
If you arrive there at around noon or later, the place will feel like an amusement park rather than a remote place in nature. To experience the magic of this stunning natural area, have an early morning and be outside at around sunrise. In my opinion, this is the only “right way” to visit this place. Later in the day the magic gets lost by screaming kids and parents running after them. Not to forget young adults taking selfies in every corner (I don’t even exclude myself there lol).
But if you do it the right way, this place will take your breath away and it should be part of everyone’s visit to Mexico City!
Have you been to Grutas de Tolantongo? Or are you planning to go? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments!
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August 22, 2021 at 6:29 am
What a magical place you have discovered. I could see myself in those hot springs. Thanks for sharing.
November 27, 2022 at 9:41 pm
This looks absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait to return to Mexico and visit this place.
Thanks for your detailed guide!
November 29, 2022 at 8:23 am
You will love it for sure! 🙂
November 29, 2022 at 7:48 pm
Grutas de Tolantongo is not a National Park. It is instead owned and operated by a local farmers cooperative, an ejido.
A separate, much less visited ejido resort called La Gloria operates on the other side side of the river. It’s accessible via either a pedestrian bridge or an access road that originates away from Grutas Tolantongo. La Gloria, which I have not yet visited, has cool and warm water pools, a waterfall, camping space, and lodgings. It’s entrance fees are separate from those charged by Grutas Tolantongo.
I’ve visited Tolantongo four times, including a visit during December during which I found the air temperatures to be quite pleasant. It’s been my experience that getting into that canyon via public transportation is not difficult. Before doing so, first look up the Ixmiquilpan-Tolantongo bus schedule times that are published on Grutas Tolantongo official website. And note that buses between Mexico City’s Terminal del Norte and Ixmiquilpan depart frequently, about every 30 minutes. Ixmiquilpan is also worth at least a brief visit. When visiting central Mexico I like to start my journey by first busing directly from the airport to Pachuca, then quickly catch another bus directly to Ixmiquilpan. I continue on to Tolantongo the next day after spending a few hours enjoyably in Ix.
December 13, 2022 at 11:52 am
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for sharing this useful information! If I get the chance to go there again I will definitely visit La Gloria too.