Waterfall 2 km southeast of Cuetzalan
Cuetzalan's most visited waterfall, a 17 m horsetail drop reached on foot from San Andrés Tzicuilan, near El Salto.
Las Brisas is the easiest and best-known of the many waterfalls in the hills around Cuetzalan. It drops about 17 meters in a white horsetail into a pool surrounded by cloud forest, and in calm conditions you can take a cold swim at the base.
The falls belong to the community of San Andrés Tzicuilan, a Nahua village about 3 kilometers from Cuetzalan's center, and are reached by a trail through coffee plantations and forest. Close by is El Salto, also called Las Golondrinas, a second waterfall that many visitors add to the same walk. Local guides from the village lead the route, and each waterfall usually charges a small fee to the community.
The Sierra Norte gets rain almost all year, so the trail is often muddy and the rocks slippery. The flow is strongest in the rainy season, from roughly June to October, which is also when the river can rise quickly; swim only when the water is calm.
What to see and do
Swim in the pool at the foot of Las Brisas when the water is calm.
Continue to El Salto (Las Golondrinas) on the same outing.
Hire a guide in San Andrés Tzicuilan and ask about the coffee groves along the trail.
Wear shoes with good grip; the path is often muddy.
Getting there
Take a taxi or colectivo from Cuetzalan to San Andrés Tzicuilan, about 10 minutes, then walk the marked trail to the falls, roughly 20 minutes. Community guides wait in the village, and a small fee is usually charged at each waterfall.
2 km southeast of Cuetzalan
Directions from Cuetzalan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
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Weather mild
Cascada Las Brisas shares the climate of Cuetzalan, 2 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.
Make Cuetzalan your base
Cascada Las Brisas is an easy trip from Cuetzalan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Cuetzalan
-
San Miguel Tzinacapan
· Town · 2 km away
A Nahua village below Cuetzalan and the way into the Atepolihui caves; go with a certified guide and check the caves are open. -
Yohualichan
· Archaeological site · 5 km away
Totonac ruins in the cloud forest with niche-covered pyramids like El Tajín's and one of the longest ball courts in Mesoamerica.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.