Grutas de Tolantongo are the perfect destination if you are looking for a restful weekend near Mexico City. It is one of the most famous spas with hot springs in the state of Hidalgo, a beautiful place to rest and get out of the monotony of the city.
This destination is very close to CDMX and can offer us a natural paradise, between thermal waters, hot springs, geological formations, rivers, and a cave. As you can see, you can do a lot of different things in this quiet place.
What to do in Grutas de Tolantongo?
This “park” is perfect to take advantage of pools and slides that benefit from the thermal waters that characterize the Tolantongo Caves. You can also swim in one of the 40 waterfalls of thermal pools.
If you prefer to relax inside the thermal waters that Grutas Tolantongo offer, you can take a place inside the natural jacuzzis that are located around the mountain and have incredible views of landscapes full of green vegetation.
If splashing in the water is not your thing, you can just enjoy the natural landscape, it will help you forget the hustle and bustle you have in the city.
Another attractions in Grutas de Tolantongo are the thermal waters that cross the entire place, the incredible thing about this place is the color of the water, a turquoise blue tone is what attracts the attention of locals and foreigners due to its incredible transparency.
The water of the Tolantongo Caves runs through the ravines and gets lost on the horizon, achieving an optical illusion where it seems that the water merges with the sky, it is really beautiful!
Within all the beauty that you will find in this destination, you will discover a river of thermal water that crosses the bottom of the ravine, in addition to immersing yourself in these delicious waters it’s also possible to walk along the river, in your path you will find fauna that will brighten your day.
Camping in Grutas Tolantongo
If you want to experience a weekend in Tolantongo to the fullest, you must stay at least two days in this incredible destination. If you are one of those who prefers to live a camping experience, this is possible in Tolantongo; there you can rent a tent with mats and buy some firewood for a great campfire.
At night the panorama is very different from what you see during the day, the stars and the moon are in charge of granting you a divine view.
If you are thinking of traveling to this destination, you may also want to make roast meat to enjoy the outdoors and the nature that Las Grutas offers you, don’t forget to bring your barbecue and everything you need for your roast.
On the other hand, if you prefer to eat typical food from the region, you will find a couple of little restaurants that offer fish, cecina (beef jerky) and delicious quesadillas.
What you can’t miss for anything in the world is the typical barbacoa from Hidalgo, try to arrive early so you can get soup with chickpeas and some delicious “taquitos de barbacoa”.
After this description, you must be convinced that your next trip will be to Grutas Tolantongo, so we have to share some tips for your trip.
Tips for traveling to the Tolantongo Caves
Travel by day! To get to the Grutas, exactly when you get to the municipality of Cardonal, you have to take a dirt road with some curves and sometimes you will find fog – remember that Hidalgo is a state with a lot of fog. It takes exactly 20 minutes on this road and is easier during the day, then you will realize that the beauty of Tolantogo is yet to be discovered in your path, so take advantage of the day and immerse yourself in the jacuzzi or inside the caves.
- Travel in the low season! Because this destination is very famous and is very close to Mexico City and other big states, you may find a lot of people on holidays and some weekends, it is better to prepare your trip in advance to make your visit as comfortable as possible so you can enjoy the place.
- If possible, visit this destination during weekdays, or in the low season months which are in October and November, is the best time to visit Grutas de Tolantongo.
- Since it is a destination located nearby to the city, it is not possible to make reservations in advance, so visit the hotels in Tolantongo. Here you will find three very well-equipped hotels for you to rest after your day of walking through the Grutas of Tolantongo.
Wear comfortable clothes and a bathing suit. Remember that this trip will be full of adventures, so you must go very comfortably and with all the necessary stuff for this adventure to be carried out safely.
To enjoy these incredible hot springs in Hidalgo, you should not forget your bathing suit and a change of clothes – even if you only go for a day. No matter what season of the year you visit Grutas Tolantongo, you should bring at least a warm sweater or jacket, a comfortable pair of tennis shoes, and mosquito repellent.
If you decide to camp you must bring warm clothes, it doesn’t matter that you visit this incredible destination in spring; temperatures tend to drop a lot at dawn.
If you are traveling from Mexico City then you should head towards the north of the city, you will exit on the Mexico-Pachuca highway, which is one of the easiest roads to travel on. Once on the highway, you will find the deviation towards Ixmiquilpan, take that exit. Being in Ixmiquilpan, head towards the church of San Antonio, there you will find the exit to the Cardonal municipality, if you take that route you will reach the Grutas de Tolantongo.
Enjoy your dreamed tour in Grutas Tolantongo!