Sorry Milford Sound (in New Zealand), but Tolantongo takes my vote for the 8th natural wonder of the world. Where else can you swim through a waterfall into a cave, and then have another waterfall coming out of the ceiling of the cave??!  The crystal clear water is all geothermal, so the water is about 37’C…….. CRAZY!

After finishing a house sitting assignment in San Miguel De Allende we drove fours hours to Tolantongo. The last 30 minutes down to Tolantongo is quite steep and windy, but the scenery is stunning, with mountains all around you.

We camped here for 4 days during the week and were totally blown away by this incredible place. We had the Gruta (grotto in the video below) to ourselves for 2 hours every morning. The gruta and tunnel open to customers at 8am each morning and closes at 5pm. We recommend going early, before the crowds come at about 9:30am.

 

 

La Gloria

The geothermal area La Gloria is across the river right next to Tolantongo and well worth a visit.  It costs 100 pesos to enter this thermal area, and it is conveniently located a few minutes walk from the gruta. Once you have crossed the bridge, walk all the way to the top over the large waterfall and follow the river to find more stunning natural pools. Keep your eyes peeled for the secret little pools perched on the side if the cliff.

This is a must if you go anywhere near Mexico City or San Miguel its about a 3.5-4 hr drive north of the city. Don’t go on a weekend, or public holiday as the Mexicans flock here in droves and a 40 min wait to get into the pools is not uncommon.