Hierve el Agua

This is an exciting place. There are hot springs to bathe in. An hour long hiking to scale the peak for a view. And of course the petrified falls - which are chemically eroded rocks that now look like frozen waterfall. We had a guide who was very knowledgeable. Told us all about the geology and politics of the area. The drive to the fall also has local artisans. Many have tie ups with guides and they take you to them. There is no hard sell. We did buy some rugs and shawls. Prices are not cheap but the quality seemed nice. Most were made of lamb wool. We also got to do some spinning and dyeing. If you plan to go into the water make sure you have a change and towel. There are no lifeguards and the rocks are really slippery. Water could also be deep. Either stay at the edges or just dip your feet.

Absolutely beautiful. We loved the views. It's kind of far. I recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds. IMO, it is best to avoid the commercial tours take first take you to a bunch of places and last here. That means you will arrive after noon (2pm more likely), and it will be full. Unfortunately, the site is drying up. I remember 20-30 years ago, it has loads of water. They should impose a quote on people or use the funds to sustain the place. I recommend the hike to the bottom and make the way to the top from the other side.

A beautiful place that you must visit from Oaxaca. We took a tour, be careful as some take a very long time and to every carpet factory known to man before you get to the pools. We went with Oaxaca by locals, and just went straight there (via a bakery stop!) And we got a leisurely 3 hours there. You could absolutely spend longer there too. We did the hike, about 1 hour. We hired a guide, paid for in tips as it's not signposted that well at all - so that you get a guide! Plus he was able to tell us lots about the local plants and area so it was worth it in our opinion. He also told us which pools had just been cleaned, and which were old, very useful info! They empty all the pools once a month. There are changing rooms and showers there too. I went in august (low season), the walk would be very slippery when wet so make sure to go in the morning before the afternoon storms and rain

Nice thermal springs with suggestive natural limestone pools and great view. Some people like to dive in, it is allowed. It is located in a poor rural area, also the road to get there is not at the best conditions. Please have some food with you or simple bread to share with stray dogs, some of them are way too thin.

Nice chill spot to hang around when it's hot, with a beautiful view. If you're up for some walking/hiking, then there's a path around it which isn't that hard to follow and takes about 1 hour max to complete. Water in the pool didn't look too hygienic though, but you should be fine if you don't drink it.

We went during the dry season, and still, the place was amazing!! The petrified waterfalls and natural pools look stunning. We went early in the morning and avoided the crowds for a couple of hours, but it got really crowded after a while. Be ready to walk, swim, and enjoy the unbelievable views of the mountains, rock formations, and natural pools.

Stunning views, excellent trails for hiking, BEWARE, the pools are NOT hot, neither are hot springs as the name says. Is JUST the name, Hierve el Agua. We touched all the natural pools a few days ago and all were room temperature or cold water. We did not swim, due to the cold temperatures and wind, keep in mind is October 9. We still had a wonderful time, due to the splendor of the place, the flora and fauna... Such a magical place, a highlight of our Oaxaca trip. At the bottom there's a patch full of friendly grasshoppers, so fun. We rented a car and it took us approximately 1.30 hrs and both ways are stunning but at the end we passed the small distilleries, please, stop, taste and support the local business. I brought 4 large bottles to the USA without issues in my checked bag, they taught us about the entire mezcal process w a mule.... A perfect all around day trip.

A beautiful place, which needs better preservation. We went to Hierve el Agua as part of an organised day trip from Oaxaca city. My impression of it from spending just over 2 hours there is that it’s a place of great natural beauty and worth visiting, but it hasn’t adapted to the demands of the current levels of tourism in Oaxaca. We started with a 45 minute hike around the site to get all the best views from all the angles. It was poorly signposted but we had spoken to a local to make sure we knew the way. The route was a beautiful walk with some stunning views and unique photo opportunities along the way - bring plenty of water because it is HOT and humid but absolutely worth the time investment! The hike ended at the bathing pools at the top of the petrified waterfall, which have formed over hundreds of thousands of years from mineral-rich spring water flowing down the mountain. This is the main attraction, and only two such petrified waterfalls exist globally. In this context it was quite painful to see the lack of protection that this natural wonder has. There were plastic items and cigarette butts floating in the water of the bathing pools, a layer of sunscreen on the water’s surface, and visible signs of erosion on the unique rock formations from the human footfall. from what I’ve read tourist numbers have doubled in the last year alone, we went on a weekday in the off season. There also wasn’t anyone managing the area, cleaning up or advising tourists where to go or what to do. I went for a quick swim because I could - but it wasn’t a 100% pleasant experience. (As an aside, there is also no real safety infrastructure; during our visit a woman broke her ankle slipping on a rock at the pools, and there wasn’t any medical help immediately available. Take care!) The site is worth visiting for its uniqueness and beauty. But in my opinion, it needs to be managed more carefully. Bathing should be banned here to preserve the location’s natural features, so that future visitors can continue to enjoy it.

This is an exciting place. There are hot springs to bathe in. An hour long hiking to scale the peak for a view. And of course the petrified falls - which are chemically eroded rocks that now look like frozen waterfall. We had a guide who was very knowledgeable. Told us all about the geology and politics of the area. The drive to the fall also has local artisans. Many have tie ups with guides and they take you to them. There is no hard sell. We did buy some rugs and shawls. Prices are not cheap but the quality seemed nice. Most were made of lamb wool. We also got to do some spinning and dyeing. If you plan to go into the water make sure you have a change and towel. There are no lifeguards and the rocks are really slippery. Water could also be deep. Either stay at the edges or just dip your feet.

Absolutely beautiful. We loved the views. It's kind of far. I recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds. IMO, it is best to avoid the commercial tours take first take you to a bunch of places and last here. That means you will arrive after noon (2pm more likely), and it will be full. Unfortunately, the site is drying up. I remember 20-30 years ago, it has loads of water. They should impose a quote on people or use the funds to sustain the place. I recommend the hike to the bottom and make the way to the top from the other side.

A beautiful place that you must visit from Oaxaca. We took a tour, be careful as some take a very long time and to every carpet factory known to man before you get to the pools. We went with Oaxaca by locals, and just went straight there (via a bakery stop!) And we got a leisurely 3 hours there. You could absolutely spend longer there too. We did the hike, about 1 hour. We hired a guide, paid for in tips as it's not signposted that well at all - so that you get a guide! Plus he was able to tell us lots about the local plants and area so it was worth it in our opinion. He also told us which pools had just been cleaned, and which were old, very useful info! They empty all the pools once a month. There are changing rooms and showers there too. I went in august (low season), the walk would be very slippery when wet so make sure to go in the morning before the afternoon storms and rain

Nice thermal springs with suggestive natural limestone pools and great view. Some people like to dive in, it is allowed. It is located in a poor rural area, also the road to get there is not at the best conditions. Please have some food with you or simple bread to share with stray dogs, some of them are way too thin.

Nice chill spot to hang around when it's hot, with a beautiful view. If you're up for some walking/hiking, then there's a path around it which isn't that hard to follow and takes about 1 hour max to complete. Water in the pool didn't look too hygienic though, but you should be fine if you don't drink it.

We went during the dry season, and still, the place was amazing!! The petrified waterfalls and natural pools look stunning. We went early in the morning and avoided the crowds for a couple of hours, but it got really crowded after a while. Be ready to walk, swim, and enjoy the unbelievable views of the mountains, rock formations, and natural pools.

Stunning views, excellent trails for hiking, BEWARE, the pools are NOT hot, neither are hot springs as the name says. Is JUST the name, Hierve el Agua. We touched all the natural pools a few days ago and all were room temperature or cold water. We did not swim, due to the cold temperatures and wind, keep in mind is October 9. We still had a wonderful time, due to the splendor of the place, the flora and fauna... Such a magical place, a highlight of our Oaxaca trip. At the bottom there's a patch full of friendly grasshoppers, so fun. We rented a car and it took us approximately 1.30 hrs and both ways are stunning but at the end we passed the small distilleries, please, stop, taste and support the local business. I brought 4 large bottles to the USA without issues in my checked bag, they taught us about the entire mezcal process w a mule.... A perfect all around day trip.

A beautiful place, which needs better preservation. We went to Hierve el Agua as part of an organised day trip from Oaxaca city. My impression of it from spending just over 2 hours there is that it’s a place of great natural beauty and worth visiting, but it hasn’t adapted to the demands of the current levels of tourism in Oaxaca. We started with a 45 minute hike around the site to get all the best views from all the angles. It was poorly signposted but we had spoken to a local to make sure we knew the way. The route was a beautiful walk with some stunning views and unique photo opportunities along the way - bring plenty of water because it is HOT and humid but absolutely worth the time investment! The hike ended at the bathing pools at the top of the petrified waterfall, which have formed over hundreds of thousands of years from mineral-rich spring water flowing down the mountain. This is the main attraction, and only two such petrified waterfalls exist globally. In this context it was quite painful to see the lack of protection that this natural wonder has. There were plastic items and cigarette butts floating in the water of the bathing pools, a layer of sunscreen on the water’s surface, and visible signs of erosion on the unique rock formations from the human footfall. from what I’ve read tourist numbers have doubled in the last year alone, we went on a weekday in the off season. There also wasn’t anyone managing the area, cleaning up or advising tourists where to go or what to do. I went for a quick swim because I could - but it wasn’t a 100% pleasant experience. (As an aside, there is also no real safety infrastructure; during our visit a woman broke her ankle slipping on a rock at the pools, and there wasn’t any medical help immediately available. Take care!) The site is worth visiting for its uniqueness and beauty. But in my opinion, it needs to be managed more carefully. Bathing should be banned here to preserve the location’s natural features, so that future visitors can continue to enjoy it.

Super, super cool. Came here with a tour (Oaxaca by locals) and I loved everything about it. The vendors selling things were great and reasonably priced. I had a great michelada for 90 pesos. The natural pools were unbelievably beautiful, the temperature was perfect, the view was breathtaking. I simply cannot believe there is a place on earth like this. Gorgeous. Lovely place, absolutely adored the visit. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Visiting Hierve el Agua was one of the (many) highlights of our six-day trip to Oaxaca earlier this month. It's just absolutely stunning!!! Seriously, one of the coolest places I've ever been. One of the reasons I really wanted to visit Oaxaca for at least six days was to allow us time to do trips like this. What it is: Usually referred to as "petrified waterfalls," Hierve el Agua only resembles cascades of water! It's actually a set of natural travertine rock formations created by fresh water springs whose water is over-saturated with minerals (including calcium carbonate). Think stalagmites and stalactites in caves, only this heavy mineral water trickled over the cliffs, creating the "petrified waterfalls." So there are two main "waterfalls" - the cascada chica and the cascada grande - and the cascada chica's platform has four springs (the water from three of which are captured by several small natural pools and two large artificial pools). There are also ancient canals built by the Zapotecs perhaps 2,500 years ago - you can see them as you explore; try to avoid stepping on them to protect and respect the site and its history. What to do: The property has trails down to the valley floor. We hiked for about 50 minutes (the trail head start to the right of the cascada chica's platform, look for a palapa with a view). It's totally worth it - great views of the "falls" from down below and great views of the mountains surrounding Hierve el Agua on all sides! And - of course - you can swim in the artificial infinity edge pool, which was lovely. There are also tons of food stands a short walk away from the pools - so you can grab lunch or a drink (we had a beer and a coco frío with mezcal after our hike before our swim)! How to get there: We visited via a private tour rather than just hiring a driver, so they picked us up at our hotel, took us to a bakery to get some breads, tamales, and coffees on the drive; drove us to Hierve el Agua; gave us a couple of hours to explore; and then we continued on our tour. You can also hire a driver that will drive you from Oaxaca City and back after you explore or drive yourself if you have a car. It's about 1.5-2 hours each way from Oaxaca City. Heads up, due to disputes between the two communities nearest Hierve el Agua, you now pay two small fees to access Hierve el Agua (once on the road driving in and then later at the entrance). The fees are minimal but (and I recommend this generally in Oaxaca) make sure you have sufficient cash to pay these fees. FYI: There are facilities on site. There are changing rooms to put your bathing suit on if you don't want to wear it under your clothes and bathrooms. Just make sure to have 5p to pay for use of the bathroom. Tips: Bring cash for bathroom use, fees for entry, and food/drink. I'd say two hours was plenty time for us to really enjoy our experience (hike, swim, relax, drink) and gives you time to do some things on your drive back to Oaxaca City (Zapotec weaving workshops in Teotitlan del Valle or mezcal distilleries are popular add ons to tours of Hierve el Agua. There are some half days tours that won't include any of those add ons, but if you have the time, I'd make a day of it! Definitely make time for a day trip to Hierve el Agua if you're visiting Oaxaca for the first time (it's way closer than going to the coast until that highway opens up and such a good experience)!

It's a bit of a trek to get here, but it was one of the coolest things I did from Oaxaca City. It's a calcified waterfall which is still alive and has pools at the top that you can swim in. We did the hike to the bottom to get a view and then back up, which honestly was quite a lot. So not for beginners imo. The restaurants at the top are a bit touristy so just keep that in mind.

One of the weir place to visit. Bring you swimming cloth. It is a big mineral pool. This place is located in high elevation that you can have a good view to valleys. The entrance has very smooth pave ramp to the mineral pool or trail from the back mountain. The water is heated naturally. Water pop up from the rock to the ladder pool below. It formation is colorful. The ladder flat area also is one of the kind. There are trail to the side of the mountain lead you to see more colors rock by this mineral water. The visit may be take 2 hours but to get here take 2 hours. Do plan a whole day trip. There is fees for the entrance. I don't how much. It was paid by our tour group. If visit Oaxaca, this is a good stopping area.

Came here via private driver from Oaxaca on Friday morning in early July 2023. If you want to have your mind blown, definitely check this place out. It's under 2 hours away from Oaxaca and MX$2,500 (including tip) for the driver for the seven hours from pick up to drop off. The driver also took us to a rug making factory - that's why the trip took so long. We spent two hours at Hierve El Agua. We did the tour with the tour guide there and it was wonderful. They are paid by tip so we gave him MX$250. He showed us the different plants to avoid and which rocks were slippery. The tour guide only spoke Spanish though. He took us to see the petrified waterfall down below the pools. He was super worth it because not only did he give us the history of Hierve El Agua, but he also took incredible pictures for us. He even got on his belly to get some of the shots! We also took the toll road into Hierve El Agua which was MX$96 each way and cut the drive time by 25 minutes. Once in the small town there were check points that required a fee - one that was MX$20/person and another that was MX$50/person including the driver. Super worth it. There's only two petrified waterfalls in the world - this one and the one in Turkey.

Loved visiting here!!! The tour was perfect and weather to dip into the cool waters were amazing. Aldo had some of the best local food and drinks at the shops. There is an optional hike you can do, I think it's worth it, so you can see the petrified waterfall. I would highly highly recommend this place!

Breathtaking vista of the mountains and the beautiful rock formation and mineral pools, water was super cold in November but def worth the visit, there's also tours available for mezcal along the way

Relly cool place to vist it is a drive from the city but worth it and there places to stop on the way if you like mazcal that where they naked alot of it the views at hierve el agua are spectacular like any tourist place it expensive the water has that egg smell the water is little cold it not a hot sping

5 stars all the way. I found Hierve el Agua to be very unique. As you can see from the pictures, the natural hot springs have created some very interesting pools of water on top of the mountain. You can spend time relaxing and taking in breathtaking mountaintop views. It's like sitting in an infinity pool with an amazing view. Also, I just enjoyed walking around, hiking, and exploring. It was interesting to see the springs bubbling out of the ground. People with kids: The water pools seemed pretty safe. We saw lots of kids -- tourists and locals. As long as you don't run around, it's fine. Just be aware this is on top of a mountain and be careful. You will get awesome, one-of-a-kind pictures up here. It's worth the long and crazy drive up the sketchy mountain roads. Trust me. You will always remember this journey and the "petrified waterfall" is really cool. Water temperature is luke warm and the higher elevation is cooler. In the morning, it's probably quite cold in the winter. So, best to visit in the afternoon. And, yes, this is open as of January 2022. I know they had some local issue that closed things down for awhile. But, it's open for visitors when we went. There are vendors and people selling drinks. However, restrooms aren't the best.

This place has become sort of a "tourist trap" - but is still worth a visit. It is included in many (overpriced) local tour packages. IF you want to spend more time (so you can hike and then relax in the pools afterward), you can go here on your own - for a lot less. A public bus from Oaxaca to Mitla is only 20 Pesos. A "colectivo" from Mitla to Hierve el Agua (via the free route over the mountain) is 75 Pesos (with possible extra 15 Peso extortion free demanded at the entrance of Xaaga) and then 50 Pesos to enter Hierve el Agua. The are many vendors selling food and other items near the parking area. A small fee is usually charged to use restrooms - or the showers near the pools - but changing rooms are free. The pool farthest away from the edge and view tends to be least used. The best views along the hiking trail are about half way down - so unless you really like hiking up, there is little need to keep going down, down, down, hoping to find anything amazing later....

Worth a. Visit if you are super close or spending too many days in Oaxaca and needed something to do. All photos were carefully angled/filtered and this place is overrated. It was interesting to see the calcium carbonated formation here but there are many places in the world with grander and more colorful water pools. Also don't think it's a good idea to allow people to swim in theses pools - they get destroyed pretty easily.

If you like to venture out to unique natural wonders then you should take the time to see this out of the way place. The ride up can be scary but I feel it was well worth it despite the short time here due to our late driver's departure from Oaxaca city. The hot springs pools, view, and access to food and drinks make it a nice outing. We had a great time getting there and hanging out with the rest of the tourists on our mini bus.

Worth dropping by if you're in the area anyways for Mitla I guess, but otherwise totally not worth the long drive from Oaxaca. I thought it was totally overrated, and all of the cool instagram photos must have been very carefully angled, staged and edited since the water is more brown than blue and the pools are not that amazing. I do think it was interesting to see the petrified waterfalls overall, but it was mostly overhyped by instagram shots. The view was probably the most amazing part The drive in is windy and bumpy on dirt roads so I had some friends who were definitely taking Dramamine. The walk down to the pools is a bit steep but very short and do-able. There's a bunch of stalls near the parking lot that sell food and cold drinks, and also bathing suits and towels for people who need them.

My husband and I left Oaxaca City about 7:30 in the morning to get to Hierve el Agua as it opened (at 9:00am). Be advised that you have to pay various fees along the way if you drive yourselves, or take a taxi. There is a toll booth on the highway, a town toll booth where you have to pay 10 pesos per person while passing through (unofficial looking booth), and parking for Hierve el Agua. Once you arrive at Hierve El Agua, you park in a dirt lot and walk past a collection of various food and drink stands to arrive to the cascades. You have to walk down a significant path and will pass bathrooms and changing rooms. The view was far beyond anything I had anticipated. Since we arrived so early, we had the whole place for ourself for about a good 20-30 minutes. I can't really put in to words what it meant to see this amazing site in person. All of the pictures don't really do this place justice.

absolutely amazing and a must do if you are in Oaxaca City. There are a few different sections you can do here. The first is the actual pool that you can get into. Keep in mind it is not a hot spring, so the water is colder but not freezing by any means. I would recommend before going to this section, that you take a hike down to the very bottom of the waterfall to see from a completely different perspective (and you don't want to be wet while trying to do a hike. Do keep in mind that this hike may be a little difficult for people, but it is definitely worth hiking to. No matter where you are here though (just to the pool or the hike to the bottom), you will have a wonderful experience as this place is pretty special.

Great place to check out. Come before the crowds arrive i.e. before 10-12 depending on the time of the year. Skip the Tree and Mitla and come straight here first. You can get a view if you walk to the right hand side or just go down the left hand side. It is about 1.5 hours from downtown and well worth it, especially if you know which mezcaleria to stop by.

I was in Oaxaca, Mx for four days and Hierve el Agua was one of the places we went to that was breathtaking followed by Monte Alban which I will write a review on as well together with the hotel we stayed in. Our great stay in Oaxaca after the earthquake they had along the coast gave me second thoughts in going. I'm glad we still took our trip. Earthquakes? Well, we had one on our first day there plus a tremor while we were at the market(Mercado) andnon our flight back as we were boarding. You must go the market to see the beautiful colors of clothing and their fried crickets and agave worms. I would have tried but I was having issues with my stomach if you get my gist Everything is so cheap. Btw, do have their peanuts with garlic and One covered with sesame seeds. Anyway, the hike and weather was perfect! Albeit, the mosquitoes were brutal. "OFF" did not work for me so I had to bear the bites. Not too bad The view was spectacular. From our hotel, Casa Antigua, it was almost a two hour drive. We took the tour from a company called San Tours which was walking distance from our hotel. Not expensive at all and well worth it. What made our two tours a complete blast was our tour guide, Gabriel Sanchez. Look him up. He was very knowledgeable and he graduated from Texas and majored in history. His hometown is Oaxaca. So you can just imagine how much information and beautiful he has to share. Tourism is their source of income. I highly recommend a vacation to Oaxaca, I was impressed by the cleanliness of this town. I hope to one day go back with my family to share the beauty I experienced during my stay. Read more about Hierve el Antigua as I share some of our pictures. We had so much fun.

If you are visiting Oaxaca you must take the drive out to these petrified waterfalls and watering hole. The road is treacherous, so expect your driver to go very slow during the last 4 km or so. You will need to pay $10 pesos and $25 pesos per person along the way. There are plenty of places to grab a drink or a bite there as well as bathrooms for $5 pesos and changing rooms down by the watering hole. There is a steep 5 min paved walkway down the mountain and about a 7 minute mild hike up to see the waterfalls. The water can be cold but well worth it!

Hierve el Agua is worth a visit! It is beautiful, tranquil, and picturesque. I went there with a group of friend volunteers for team day and we all had a blast. You can swim and hike. I hiked and it was a wonderful experience.

Hard to get there? Yes. Perilous drive through the mountains on an unpaved road? Yes. One of the most unique and beautiful sites in the world? Yes. Absolutely worth the day trip from Oaxaca. Take in these mountain springs, dip your toe or body in the water, and bask in the stunning mountain views. Insiders tip: Leave Oaxaca early (8am) to beat crowds. You will arrive around 9:30am before tour groups and have the place to yourself. You don't need a guide...it is self explanatory. Also, ask to stop at Mitla ruins...it's on the way back to Oaxaca. A nice complement to Monte Alban if you like ruins. Also beware there are costs beyond taxi fare. You must pay a toll to use the modern expressway both ways (it brings you to the aforementioned unpaved road), pay admission to the town the springs are in, and pay admission to the actual springs per person. This added 170 pesos to the trip.

I've only been to Hierve el Agua twice, and to be honest the 2nd time I was going with my family I was a bit hesitant, for some reason I had the idea the walk from the parkiing lot to the pools was way longer so I was pretty happy once I got there and I realized it was really short. We brought our son here and he loved it, not that he cared much about the view but it takes your breath away. The water temperature depends on what time of the year you go, but it's not cold, I think. You can just get your feet on the water or you can even bring your swimsuit for a little dip. I've never taken the walk all the way to the bottom of the waterfall but I've heard it's awesome, but it's hard to do it with young kids. If you're hungry, there's some stalls selling food & drinks, there's even cabins available if you want to spend the night here. If you get dizzy easily I recommend taking something for the nausea, as part of the road is a dirt road and with lots of curves, I can't remember how far it is from the city but it felt neverending for me.