Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: A Complete Guide to Mexico’s Natural Wonder
Visiting Hierve el Agua Oaxaca is an unforgettable experience, offering breathtaking views of petrified waterfalls and natural infinity pools perched high in the mountains.
Located just a short trip from Oaxaca City, this unique geological wonder draws visitors from around the world to marvel at its beauty and soak in its serene waters. Whether you’re an adventure seeker or a nature lover, Hierve el Agua is a must-see destination that is truly one of the top bucket list experiences in Mexico.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know for visiting Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca, from the logistics of getting there, to practical tips for having the most magical trip.
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Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: A Quick Intro
Before getting into the details of how to get to Hierve el Agua, and what to expect, let's go over some fun facts of Hierve el Agua!
⭐️ What is So Special About Hierve el Agua?
Hierve el Agua is one of the two petrified waterfalls in the world! It's simply incredible to experience, and offers breathtaking views, fun hiking trails, and natural infinity pools to relax in.
📏 How Tall is Hierve el Agua?
Hierve el Agua has two cascades that both are around 50 meters tall!
🗣 What Does Hierve el Agua Mean in English?
Hierve el Agua means "the water boils". Ironically, the water here actually is not boiling though!
📍 Where is Hierve el Agua?
Hierve el Agua is located in San Lorenzo Albarrades, which is a tiny town in the mountains, 70 km south east of Oaxaca.
Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: How to Get There
Now that you know a bit about this magical place, let's look at the different options for visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca.
🚗 Can You Drive to Hierve el Agua?
Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca by car is easy! We rented our car in Mexico City to come down to Oaxaca, but you can also easily rent a car in the city of Oaxaca or at the airport.
The drive is insanely scenic with colorful flower fields, mezcal plantations, and rolling green hills and mountains along the way.
We'd definitely recommend giving yourself some extra time to make stops, and you can also include some other fun spots like the Tree of Tule and the Mitla Archaeological sites.
Visiting Hierve el Agua by car allows you to make stops along the way.
🚐 Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca by Tour
If you don't feel comfortable renting a car, the next easiest option for visiting Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca is by taking a tour. There are actually plenty of Hierve el Agua tours, and some of them even include stops in Mitla and the Tree of Tule as well.
Here are some tours to Hierve el Agua you can take:
🚌 Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca by Public Transportation
Looking for the cheapest option for visiting Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca? First, you'll have to take a public bus to Mitla (about an hour away), and then you can get a shuttle from Mitla to Hierve el Agua. To make your reservation, you can contact the number below in the photo.
🚕 How Much is a Taxi from Oaxaca to Hierve el Agua?
If you don't want to take a tour, rent a car or go on public transportation, you can in fact take a taxi or Uber (although we wouldn't recommend it). Prices range from 550-750 pesos each way, and the ride takes around an hour and a half.
Visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: What to Expect
So are you ready for an epic experience? Now we're going to share everything you should expect for visiting Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca!
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🅿️ Arriving at Hierve el Agua
Once you get to the gate you'll pay for your ticket (cash only), and the parking lot will be on your right. You'll find all of the amenities at Hierve el Agua are right next to the parking lot, so if you're hungry or want to shop it's a good time to do it.
The good thing is that the walk down to the pools takes under 5 minutes, and is on a downhill paved path, making it super accessible for all types of travelers!
💦 The Pools of Hierve el Agua
Now it's time to enjoy the main star of the show! If you're visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca for just a short time, then this will probably be where you spend your time.
🏊🏼♀️ Can You Swim in Hierve el Agua?
You can absolutely swim in Hierve el Agua! They do maintenance regularly, so sometimes they'll block off specific areas, but there will always be pools available to swim in.
Many of the pools are super shallow, while a few of them are larger and able to be swam in.
It's also important to note that there are two cascades at the park, both of which have natural infinity pools! The second one is just a few minutes walking from the main set of pools, and while it was closed while we were there, the staff told us it usually is open.
💧 The Natural Pools at Hierve el Agua
The pools of Hierve el Agua sit at the top of the petrified waterfalls, so you'll be 50 meters up, able to enjoy relaxing and swimming around dozens of small natural pools.
There are plenty of pools to enjoy at Hierve el Agua.
💧 The Manmade Pool at Hierve el Agua
Head to the far right of the natural pools, and you'll find one pool that's been manmade sitting along a colorful limestone wall with petrified falls coming down the side. It's typically less busy, and although it's not super clear, it's a fun place to check out.
👀 The Viewpoints at Hierve el Agua
While the pools of Hierve el Agua are incredible, don't miss out on the incredible viewpoints you'll find just minutes walking from them!
You'll notice little gazebos that you can sit and enjoy panoramas, as well as ledges tucked away that offer breathtaking vistas for various points of view.
Don't miss out on the incredible viewpoints while visiting Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca!
🥾 Hiking Around Hierve el Agua
Other than relaxing in the pools a great way to enjoy the beautiful nature surrounding Hierve el Agua is to hike below it! This gives you a unique view of the petrified falls, and gives you a bit of a workout before soaking in the pools.
We just did the one trail on the right side of the falls. It was actually really simple, and took only 15-20 minutes from the pools with fantastic views along the way.
We read that there is also another trail that goes around the other side of Hierve el Agua, which takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. We didn't do this trail, but would recommend inquiring about it if you have time.
🐴 Horses at Hierve el Agua
You'll notice that right next to the pools under the trees are horses. There are guides that sell horseback rides around the area. We honestly don't like to support animal tourism like this, so don't have the details. We'd really recommend sticking to hiking on your own and enjoying the pools instead.
💧 The Infinity Pool at Hierve el Agua
When we first pulled up in the parking lot we noticed a big pool facing the stunning landscapes above Hierve el Agua. In November they were still constructing the pool, and hopefully by the time you visit it will be ready!
It'll definitely be a great place for people to relax while waiting for food or at the end of their stay before leaving.
🌚 Spending a Night at Hierve el Agua
Spending a night at Hierve el Agua is a truly unique experience, and not done by many! Since the staff need to clean up right after the sun sets everyone will have to leave. Since it was pretty dark, we just went up anyway and then go to enjoy later when the crowds had all cleared out.
Honestly, there's not a whole ton to do at night being that all of the restaurants and shops close. It pretty much turns into a ghost town, so we'd recommend getting food before everything closes, and having some cards, games, or something to entertain yourselves with since the sun sets so early.