7 Caves near Jalpan, Querétaro: Map & Photos

7 caves · within 60 km

There are 7 caves within 60 km of Jalpan in a straight line, an hour or a little more by road. The closest is Cueva de los Riscos, 5 km away; the farthest, Sótano de las Golondrinas, is 58 km. They are listed under the Pueblos Mágicos of Aquismón, Pinal de Amoles, Jalpan, and San Joaquín, which make good bases.

Caves keep the same cool temperature all year. Many can only be visited with a local guide, and shoes with grip help on wet floors.

Best months, when most of these towns are dry with comfortable afternoons: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.

The Caves 7

Cueva de los Riscos · Cave · 5 km from Jalpan
A cave of rocky chambers and cold pools near Huajales, 15 minutes from Jalpan, with a 'bell' rock that rings when you tap it.
Puente de Dios · Cave · 15 km from Jalpan · Near Pinal de Amoles
A guided hike up the Escanela River through a narrow canyon to a cave where water pours into a turquoise pool.
Sótano del Barro · Cave · 23 km from Jalpan · Near Pinal de Amoles
One of the world's deepest open pits, about 450 m deep and home to wild military macaws; a 2–3 hour uphill hike from Santa María de los Cocos.
Grutas Los Herrera · Cave · 37 km from Jalpan · Near San Joaquín
Show caves 2.5 km from San Joaquín, with walkways, lighting and six chambers of stalactites on a guided tour.
Grutas de Xajhá · Cave · 53 km from Jalpan · Near Zimapán
Caves with 40 °C thermal pools deep in the Moctezuma River canyon, reached on foot or by boat with a local guide.
Sótano de las Huahuas · Cave · 57 km from Jalpan · Near Aquismón
A huge pit in the jungle near Tampaxal, run by a Tének community, where swifts and green parakeets fly out each morning.
Sótano de las Golondrinas · Cave · 58 km from Jalpan · Near Aquismón
One of the world's largest open-air pits, 333 metres straight down, where thousands of swifts spiral out at dawn and dive back in at dusk.