Planning a day trip to Hierve El Agua from Oaxaca?

Our guide has got you covered on routes, costs, tours, context, and key planning information.

In a stunning setting overlooking the Valley of Oaxaca, you’ll find natural mineral springs framed by deceptively petrified waterfalls.

Known as Hierve El Agua - literally meaning ‘boil the water’ in Spanish - the attraction has been increasingly popularised by artfully shot social media posts of its ‘infinity’ pools, and is now one of the most popular day trips from the city of Oaxaca.

Therapeutic, scenic, and photogenic, but our soul was not stirred by it.

So, why are you writing a guide to Hierve El Agua, we hear you ask? Well, there's three reasons:

1. There was a lot of bad, inaccurate information about public transport to the site which needs to be corrected (especially after our experience - a key mantra of Along Dusty Roads is that we make the mistakes, so that you don't have to!)

2. There was a lot of incomplete information about whether you could stay in Hierve El Agua, as well as the new system after it had been closed for months due to disputes within the local community.

3. If you're on a shorter trip to Oaxaca, it's really important for you to work out whether it should form an essential part of your itinerary, be paired with Mitla and mezcal, or if it's better for you to prioritise time + spend elsewhere.

And so, in this guide to visiting Hierve El Agua, we'll give you all the necessary advice to make a decision, and to plan ahead.

Whatever your travel style or budget, the most important aspect to work out is how you're going to get Hierve El Agua from Oaxaca - a 70km one-way journey to make by guided tour, public transport, or hire car - and how long you plan on spending there to make it a worthwhile journey.

We'll start with that, before moving on to an overview of the pools, the hiking trails, and those famous frozen waterfalls, as well as sharing essential travel better tips on what to bring and know before you go!

hierve el agua essentials

// Pools and petrified waterfalls in the mountains
// Two hours away from Oaxaca city
// Open every day from 7am to 5pm
// Entry is M$50pp + M$190 transport costs
// Possible to add a 3km loop hike
// Bring cash, swim suit, and a towel
// Best to do on a sunny and hot day
// This is a popular half-day tour from Oaxaca

How To Get To Hierve El Agua from Oaxaca | Three ways

The most important decision to make.

Hierve el Agua is situated about 43 miles (70 kilometres) east of Oaxaca city. Most visitors tend to go there on an organised tour that includes round-trip transportation, but you can also go there independently over two hours via a combination of public transport + a colectivo (shared) shuttle.

Given the requirement to make connections, with the final leg along dusty roads in the back of a converted pick-up truck, some of you will definitely prefer to opt for a tour from Oaxaca (this is a highly-rated one).

Others will absolutely prefer to go it alone, whether for the experience or the budget.

We did it the long way independently, so read on to get the details and decide which is best option for your budget or travel style!

A third option, which will allow you more flexibility and freedom to visit a few other nearby places on your own schedule, is to hire a car.

The Easy Way | Hierve El Agua Tours

The adventure level won't be as high as public transport, and it’s going to cost more overall, but the comfort, convenience, and the pick-up / drop-off outside your accommodation may be more important to you given the distances involved.

All full-day Hierve El Agua tours usually include a visit to a mezcal distillery, and one or two others nearby cultural stops, as well as a traditional oaxaqueño lunch.

We've shared a few different highly-rated small-group tours for you to check out, all of which include transport and an English-speaking guide:

Oaxaca Natural & Cultural Highlights | This full-day tour is a good choice for people who want to see and do a lot in a single day, beyond Hierve. It also includes stops at the ancient Tule tree, the Mitla archeological site, a mezcal tasting, and the workshops in Teotitlán del Valle

Find out more and book here or here

There is a very similar full-day tour available here, which includes pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation.

Alternatively, check out this option if you would prefer a private tour.

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Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery | A shorter option, this gives your group three hours in the Hierve el Agua area to hike and to swim in the pools, followed up by a mezcal tasting.

Find out more and book here or here

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Hierve el Agua Hike and Mezcal Tour | A more adventurous one for those who also want to hike and get those photos. This tour prides itself on starting early and getting you into Hierve El Agua before the crowds arrive. There's also a 7km hike to a secret waterfall, and the price includes lunch.

Find out more and book here or here

The Long Way | Public Transport

After much research, with five different answers for every question, we decided that the best way get some certainty was to just go ahead and do the cheapest option ourselves.

All you need to do is go from Oaxaca to the small town of Mitla by bus or shared taxi, and then connect to the pick-up trucks that shuttle travellers up the hill to the Hierve El Agua entrance.

There is however a right and a wrong way to do it.

Oaxaca Centre - Bus Stop | 20-30 minutes

The first step is to go to the peripherique - the busy,Highway 190 encircling the city - to catch the bus to San Pablo Villa de Mitla.

The place to wait for the bus can be found here on Google Maps. It’s in the north of the city and, if in doubt, you’ll find the stop on the same side of the highway as the Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos baseball stadium and the McDonald's (maps)

You may read about other pick-up points in the centre of Oaxaca, but this is the best place to get picked up and start your journey.*

The only snag is that it's a decent 20-30 minute walk from parts of the historical centre in Oaxaca. That won't be an issue during busier daylight hours, but we wanted to catch one of the first buses of the day due to conflicting (erroneous) information about strict limits on daily visitor numbers at Hierve El Agua.

That necessitated a walk alone in the dark from our gorgeous Airbnb.

We umm-ed and ahhh-ed about whether that was a good idea or not, but decided to get up at 5am and head out, promising each other to hail the first passing taxi to make life easier**

Thankfully, there were a surprising number around that early, so we took one to the bus stop at the side of the highway for M$70; as is unfortunately pretty common, the driver insisted that the buses no longer run that route, and generously offered to instead take us there for a rate of $M250-300 per hour.

We knew he was lying about the buses, so politely declined.

*The alternative is going to the Second Class Bus Station (maps), near Abastos Market, where the same bus starts/ends, usually from Gate 10. However, it’s also a 20-30 minute walk west from the historical centre. Depending on where you’re staying, that might be the easier option. Do not though, that this isn’t an area we’d advise going to before daylight or arriving in after dark.

** if you're a new reader to Along Dusty Roads, we've travelled a lot in Latin America and speak pretty good Spanish, so this wasn’t our first rodeo.

Bus Stop - San Pablo Villa de Mitla | 1 hour | M$20 pp

Successfully dropped off on the corner of the main road, we were happy to see school kids and some workers waiting in the chilly early morning, and various buses picking up on the corner.

No other gringos though.

We asked a young guy working at a small juice stand next to a more obvious looking bus stop, if we were in the right spot for the bus to Mitla, and he confirmed. Fatefully, a green bus arrived five minutes later with a sign for Mitla in the front window.

We double check the destination with driver, and the fare was 20 pesos each (small change only paid to driver).

We boarded about 6:17am, and got dropped off in San Pablo Villa de Mitla at 7:20am, opposite several clear signposts for shared transport to Hierve El Agua.

And that's where the trouble started.

*There are also green-and-white or maroon colectivo (shared) taxis going to Mitla. If there’s a space and the fare is good (M$40 per person) by all means hop in! We took one for the journey back, but the reason we aren’t recommending these as a primary option on the way from Oaxaca to Mitla is because you may have to wait around quite a bit longer than the bus.

San Pablo Villa de Mitla - Hierve El Agua | 40 minutes | M$75 pp

It transpired that the first buses from Oaxaca aren’t aligned with the first colectivos to Hierve El Agua; the former starts quite a bit earlier than the latter.

And so, in empty streets that the sun had yet to warm up, we sat around waiting.

And waiting.

Thankfully, a dog arrived to help pass the time, before Tacos de Cazuela open its doors for breakfast. It’s a small restaurant right next to the only pick-up point for the Hierve El Agua pick-up trucks, which you can find here on Google Maps.

It transpired that the elusive timetable we'd tried to find the day before really didn't really exist, but the first colectivo of the day turned up at 8am.

But we didn't actually set off until 9.45am.

The reason? We had to wait for more travellers to arrive from Oaxaca so the driver had enough fares to fill up the truck.

The rule of thumb is that it's a total rate of M$900 for the colectivo, split between12 passengers, so a standard price of M$75 per person one-way if the truck is full.

They will however leave with fewer passengers if everyone's happy to pay a bit more to cover the total rate (i.e. M$90pp if it's 10 passengers).

We waited around for a bus to arrive with more travellers, departing at a much more sensible time than ourselves, before jumping in the back seats of the cab and finally heading out along dusty roads into the mountains.

Travel time from Mitla to the Hierve El Agua entrance was 40 minutes.

The Details // Now, if you avoid our mistakes and time everything right, you could travel from your accommodation in Oaxaca to Hierve El Agua in about two hours.

Without any taxis, it’s just one connection and the total transport cost will be M$95 one-way per person:

Oaxaca - San Pablo Villa de Mitla | 1 hour by bus | M$20 pp
San Pablo Villa de Mitla - Hierve El Agua | 40 minutes by colectivo | M$75 pp

In our view, it’s always going to be worth paying the extra amount for the colectivo to leave Mitla earlier, as this also means you’ll have more space as well as save time. When you arrive, let the driver know if you’re waiting to go to Hierve El Agua so as to secure your spot, and you pay him directly in cash (there are no tickets given).

The converted pick-up truck has standard seats inside available for 4 passengers, whilst the rest sit in the back on benches along two sides. That seating area is covered by tarpaulin and absolutely fine, but not the comfiest. On the way back, as the truck was oversubscribed, we volunteered to take the two very cramped ‘seats’ in the roof, which was fun but won’t be to everyone’s tastes…

It’s a bumpy ride in parts, but nothing major to be concerned about. The scenery is also pretty great.

Along the way, all colectivo passengers have to pay an additional $20 pesos each toward the improvement of the road between San Lorenzo Albarradas and San Isidro Roaguia - this is a legitimate community toll, and the driver will collect and pay on your behalf.

Doing it this way is an enjoyable Mexican travel experience and, obviously, now that there are definitively no limits on visitors numbers, there's no reason to set off as stupidly early as we did. There is no available fixed schedule for the Oaxaca-Mitla bus, but we were told one should pass by every 10-20 minutes, and it runs seven days a week.

If starting early and wanting more reassurance on the first pick-up truck of the day, these are the mobile / WhatsApp details for the company: +52 951 177 89 39

We've shared more details on the return leg of the journey with public transport - including a quicker option back to Oaxaca - at the end of this post!

Updates // If you do the route from Oaxaca to Hierve El Agua, we welcome any updates you have on prices, timetables, connections, or alternatives. We would also really like to confirm if the colectivo taxis from Oaxaca do start out from Abastos Market! Our aim is to keep this post as accurate and reliable as possible for travellers like you, so let us know changes in the comments and we’ll add them in as required.

The Third Way | Hire A Car

From the car park, it was apparent that quite a few people had done this, whilst there were a handful of campervans too.

This third option will allow much more flexibility and freedom to visit a few other nearby places on your own schedule, and works out at pretty good value too if you’re a couple of group.

It would also enable you to be some of the first in the pools and on the trails.

You can easily rent a car from a few smaller, local companies in the centre of Oaxaca (the going rate is around $25 USD per day), or collect on arrival at the airport. The latter option isn’t a bad idea at all if you are also going to the beach and surf towns on the Pacific Coast after the city.

We recommend getting an idea of rates and availability on Rentalcars.com

Drive time will be 90 minutes - 2 hours, and it’s very important to note that there are only two basic roads into Hierve El Agua; these have been subject to community tensions, a blockade or two against uneven distribution of tourist revenues, and closures due to poor weather and landslides.

The colectivos tend go in via one road, and exit via the other bumpier, dustier road; we suggest doing a bit more research on this or asking the hire company for advice when you pick up the car.

Plan // 9 Essential Car Rental Tips For Travellers

things TO DO IN Hierve el Agua

All told, if you’re going to do the loop hike, hang out in the swimming pools, take some photos, and have some food, then you should factor in about three or four hours here; that will also make it a worthwhile independent day trip from Oaxaca.

The tours don’t spend that long here, mostly giving you about two hours to enjoy the pools and the views. If you’re really keen to do hiking as well, then you should consider this highly-rated tour, which arrives early in the morning and includes a 7km hike to Las Salinas.

The Pools | The two pools are in a wonderful setting overlooking the valley.

The largest pool is artificial but, when filled to the brim, looks like a naturally formed one, whilst the smaller, shallower one on the cliff edge is closer to an infinity pool.

These are both very popular photo spots, and the busiest area of the site.

The therapeutic water is full of minerals like magnseium and calcium carbonate, but thankfully doesn’t have that strong pong of sulphur you can get in other natural springs.

Surprisingly though, given the name, it's not hot. Fresh and chilly at first, your body will adjust, and you don't need to be a Wim Hof type to enjoy a dip here.

Go between the two pools on foot, but do watch for slippy sections of the smooth, wonderfully patterned rock, and your preference for hanging out on the edge may depend on your vertigo...There's also plenty space to hang out on the smooth rock, as well as some seating areas.

There's a small fended off section at the back, with the rusting white gate, where you can see the steam more clearly. There are also paid changing rooms and bathrooms - we've shared more on these in the 'Travel Better' tips section at the end of the guide.

Further up, you'll find a third, clearly man-made and less impressive semi-abandoned pool.

The Waterfalls | Spoiler alert: the waterfalls are not actually waterfalls.

Instead, the optical illusion is the result of thousands of years of mineral-rich water flowing over the cliffs, and gradually solidifying into natural rock terraces.

Calcium carbonate is primarily responsible, and from a distance the white-ish formations do give the distcint impression of a petrified or frozen 'cascada'.

There are two in total at Hierve El Agua, and the only other rock waterfall of this type is supposedly in Turkey.

The Viewpoints | From the pool area (Area de Albercas), you can enjoy one of the best views of the the largest waterfall on the right hand side, and from the same vantage point there’s spectacular views out over the peaks and folds of the Sierras.

Chilling out in the pool, looking out on all this, is really what one comes here to do.

You can also join a short, signposted trail (sendero) to a couple of other viewpoints. The first one you come across, Mirador La Palapa (maps), gives an elevated vista over the pools, whilst Mirador Oeste (maps) a little further along has the best view of the smaller ‘waterfall’ beneath the pools.

Continue along and down the trail, you'll come up close and personal with the largest waterfall (maps), and this is where to appreciate the unique textures and formations.

The short walk to these three viewpoints is going to be possible for almost every traveller, and is an essential part of visiting Hierve El Agua. It can be done straight from the car park or after the pools, but this isn't the main hike within the park.

Do note that it's quite steep down and back up from the final viewpoint, so take your time.

The Hikes | The 2.7km 'loop' hike in Hierve El Agua continues deeper down into the valley. A mix of man-made steps and dusty trails, it gives the best views of the waterfalls from below.

The loop takes about an hour from the car park start point, and you can easily adjust it to end back at the pools for a shower and then a dip. You don't need any major hiking equipment, but proper trainers / closed-toe shoes are recommended, as well as plenty water.

You can find the route profile, map, and more advice on the specific AllTrails page. It's also on Maps.me.

This hike is good to do if you want to make a day of it at Hierve El Agua, but is not 100% essential to the experience as you can get good perspectives from the other viewpoints; most Hierve El Agua tours do not do it.

There is also another, longer, and far less common hike from Hierve El Agua to a 'secret' cave and natural pools at Las Salinas de San Baltazar Guelavila (maps) You still have to pay a M$30 entry, but it isn't on the radar of most tourists or day trippers.

It is however included on the same tour from Oaxaca that arrives early before the crowds - find out more and book it here or here

That hike will add on another couple of hours at least (one hour, one-way) so may only be feasible for those arriving earlier by rental car, staying in the huts or at accommodation in Mitla. From our research, it looks like motorbikes and taxis may also take you there from Hierve El Agua.

If you do the Las Salinas hike, please do let us know in the comments with tips for travellers like you!

The Accommodation | We seriously considered staying at the accommodation in Hierve El Agua, but the dearth of reliable information online meant it wasn’t going to be logistically feasible.

They have six basic cabins, but they are not available to book in advance. Staying at them would permit one to enjoy the site whilst it’s empty, as well as golden hour and sunrise, but we were hugely reluctant to set out with our backpacks (or leave them behind in Oaxaca) unless we knew for sure they were available.

So, on our visit, we tasked ourselves with sourcing some definitive answers and a phone number for you to contact to check availability; the guides at the entrance here were oddly cagey about sharing much though.

From those conversations, it seems like the only way to stay overnight at Hierve El Agua is to turn up and enquire at the entrance for a cabin; they said there’s always a pretty good chance one will be available, but the earlier you turn up the better your chances.

In terms of prices, they told us M$600 for the smaller cabins, and M$1,200 for the bigger ones. There’s no wifi, and you need to take your own supplies and food with you for the evening, as all there’s nothing else around once the stallholders in the car park pack up and leave around 5/6pm.

If you stay in Hierve El Agua and can give more insight, then please do let us know in the comments!

hierve el agua Travel Better Tips & What TO Bring

+ As ever, be a respectful and responsible visitor toward the environment, the local community, and other travellers.

+ Bring enough cash for transport, entries, tolls, snacks and food, plus plenty extra for emergencies or spontaneous changes to your plans. Everything here is cash-only at time of writing.

+ You also need to bring a swimsuit, a towel, suncream, sunglasses, a layer if starting early, and plenty water. We use Water-To-Go filter bottles on all our travels, allowing you to fill up from nearly anywhere and have access to safe drinking water. Find out more about them in this guide, and use ADR15 for a 15% discount.

+ In terms of footwear, trainers will be fine for the walk and hikes. If just doing the walk + the pools, you could get away with sandals or flip-flops.

+ There are changing cubicles for woman (damas) and men (caballeros) available for free next to the two pools, whilst showers (regaderas) costs M$20 per use; bathrooms are M$5.

+ You’re at elevation here, and the sun is strong. However, multiple signs ask visitors not to wear any kind of sunscreen or bug spray if entering the natural springs (for obvious reasons). As we had started off early, we luckily didn’t have suncream on when we arrived, so could hop straight in. However, if you’re doing the loop hike, you will want to have suncream on, so your next best option is to rinse this off before getting in the pools, or jump in one of the paid showers.

+ The wind can be very strong up here in the mountains, so do pay attention (one person’s hat flew off the edge when we were there). As mentioned, it’s a good idea to bring a light layer if starting off early.

+ In the car park area, there are several small comedors, fresh juice, and snack stalls for lunch etc

+ On arrival, you can start with the upper road to the hikes and viewpoints, or follow the signs down the lower, man-made accessible walkway down to the 'Ojos de Agua' / pools.

+ Only local guides are permitted to escort visitors on hikes within the park, and they will join tour groups doing hikes. The guides are not mandatory to do the loop hike, but you will find them around the car park if you wish them to lead you.

+ In terms of avoiding the crowds, we wouldn’t be in a rush to visit Hierve El Agua on a weekend. Arriving early is the best way, but there will always be a smattering of tours groups throughout the day (most half-day tours arrive around 10-11am, whilst the full-day tours stop here after lunch).

+ The final consideration before you finalise plans for an independent day trip to Hierve El Agua is whether you also want to include time in Mitla to visit its market and Zapotec ruins (maps) - the second-most important archeological site in the state after Monte Alban.

PUblic Transport Back To Oaxaca

If you’ve made it here in one sitting, then you’ve earned a stiff drink!

We’ll try to keep it brief.

To return to Oaxaca from Hierve El Agua, you need to go back to the car park where you’ll find one or two of the colectivo pick-up trucks waiting.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be the final passenger they’re awaiting so they can set off full. In other cases, you may have to wait around for 15-30 minutes until more people arrive (don’t be shy to ask people if they want to join)

You pay the driver once you’re in the vehicle and, as on the drive in, the final rate depends on how many passengers there are. We paid $75 each one-way as it a full truck. Again, if you want to depart earlier with fewer passengers, everyone has to agree to the revised rate.

If you’re the last passenger on, you may have to settle for a cramped seat in the back or, like us, volunteer to take the ‘space for two’ above the roof. So, if you would really prefer to be in the cab of the truck on a proper seat, it’s best to grab it early and wait for the truck to fill up.

Our driver told us the last colectivo of the day departs around 5pm, but if you’re leaving late, it’ll be a good idea to double check this and/or turn up at least 20 minutes beforehand.

The route back is usually via a different road, which is a combination of dusty roads and then smooth tarmac.

We were all dropped off in Mitla outside the small bus station (maps), a 500-metre walk along the main road from where we caught the colectivo in the morning. From here, you can wait to catch the next bus back to the second class bus station in Oaxaca.

Alternatively, we walked back to the colectivo stop, and got in the queue for the shared taxis back to Oaxaca. The waiting area is easy to find - in front of the little restaurant, facing the Super 7 shop - but the queueing system can be a bit sharp elbowed whenever an empty taxi arrives, so stand your ground. You can find the waiting area here on Google Maps.

Sharing the taxi with two locals and another traveller, it was M$40 each and much quicker than waiting for the bus. Colectivo taxis are very common in Mexico and follow a set point-to-point route, so they won’t take you back to your accommodation’s front door; the final destination was Abastos Market, so he simply dropped us off back on the peripherique almost exactly where we had started the adventure that morning!