Parque Recreativo El Salto, near General Zaragoza (Nuevo León)

Waterfall 8 km north of General Zaragoza

Zaragoza's star sight: the El Salto and Velo de Novia waterfalls on the Río Blanco, with forest, a trout lagoon, and cabins.

Just south of General Zaragoza, the Río Blanco drops off a series of limestone ledges into turquoise pools, and this stretch is protected as the Parque Recreativo El Salto, with around 500 hectares of forest. It has two main falls: El Salto, made of a series of smaller cascades, and the Velo de Novia, a drop of roughly 30 meters that spreads into thin white streams like a bridal veil. There is also a lagoon.

The Río Blanco is the uppermost part of the Soto la Marina river system, and Zaragoza sits high in the Sierra Madre Oriental, at about 1,380 meters, so the air is cooler than in the lowlands and pine and oak cover the slopes around. The falls are fullest in the rainy season, from late spring to September.

The park is set up for a full day or a weekend: palapas, grills, restrooms, a camping area and cabins. In trout season the lagoon is stocked for fishing, and the pools below the falls are popular for swimming when the weather is warm.

What to see and do

Walk to both falls, El Salto and the taller Velo de Novia.
Swim in the turquoise pools below the falls when the weather is warm.
Fish for trout in the lagoon during the season, for an extra fee.
Stay overnight in a cabin or at the campground to enjoy the cool mountain evening.

Getting there

The park is about three kilometers south of General Zaragoza's center, a few minutes by car. Entry has been around 40 pesos for adults, less for children and seniors, plus parking, with hours of roughly 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Zaragoza itself is a long drive, about four and a half to five hours from Monterrey via Linares and the mountain roads, so most visitors stay the night.

8 km north of General Zaragoza

Directions from General Zaragoza on Google Maps

Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.