The beautiful attraction that is Grutas Tolantongo is without a doubt Mexico’s best kept secret. This quasi-resort was built by Mexicans, for Mexicans and must be seen to be believed.
Grutas Tolantongo is nestled in a remote box canyon three and half hours north of Mexico City, and offers both amenities and authenticity. This destination is described on its website as a “water park,” but is instead, an nature lover’s oasis featuring grottos, geothermal pools, hiking, zip-lining, and caves ripe for exploration.
We visited over a weekend in February of 2019, and although the site is gaining popularity from Instagram, from what we can tell, this place still doesn’t see that many international tourists. Read on for some must-do’s and dont’s for your visit.
Getting There: We planned to visit Las Grutas on the front end of our trip to Mexico City. After touching down in CDMX, we picked up our rental car from the airport and made the almost four hour trek (with food stops, of course) north to the resort. We highly recommend renting a car for your time here. Your own car will allow you to freely explore the property and surrounding area and stop at destinations like the ancient city of Tula along the way to or from Las Grutas. Shuttle service from Mexico City, Tepotzotlan, and Querétaro City is also available.
Must-Do’s at Grutas Tolantongo:
–Soak in the sun as you lounge in one of the resort’s many mountainside pools and relax the day away.
–Zip Line among the mountaintops near Hotel Seccion Paraiso.
-Make the walk down to the lower pools under Hotel Seccion Paraiso for a little more privacy and seclusion from the rest of the resort-goers.
–Walk/swim your way back into the Cavern/Gruta, a huge, water-filled cave. This part of the park is virtually untouched aside from a rope attached to the walls along the perimeter of the cave that you can use to pull yourself through the water. Bring a waterproof flashlight and your GoPro to make the most of your experience.
–Kick back in the gorgeous blue water of the river that is fed from the waterfalls that trickle off the mountain side. The river’s source is an underground hot spring, so the water is always a perfect temperature for relaxing.
Dont’s at Grutas Tolantongo: :
– Don’t expect that everyone will speak English. Brush up on your Spanish before your visit, or be ready to use a translator app for booking you room.
– Don’t assume that there will always be rooms available. Rooms are booked in-person on a first come, first served basis. On our first night in Mexico, we arrived after dark and could not get a room until the morning. If this happens to you, there are plenty of affordable hotels along the road leading up to Las Grutas, and we had no trouble booking a room at one of them.
– Don’t forget water shoes or hiking sandals. There are miles of trails to explore on the property, and water shoes will make your experience traversing these rugged paths all the more comfortable. If you do forget them, there are plenty of shops where you can pick up a cheap pair along the road leading up to Las Grutas.
– Don’t miss out on the delicious and authentic food available at the eateries on property. We had the best barbacoa of our lives at El Paraíso.
Bonus stop: If you’re heading to or from Mexico City, be sure to stop in at Tula. This site boasts some mesoamerican ruins that should not be missed. Likewise, if you are indeed visiting Mexico City, check out our CDMX Itinerary.
