Ajacuba

Ajacuba comes from the Nahuatl Axocopan: atl, water; xocotl, sour or bitter; and pan, on. 'Place of bitter waters' is a fitting name for somewhere warm springs rise from the ground. The town was founded in 1562 and in 1936 became the seat of the municipality of the same name, in southwestern Hidalgo inside the Mezquital Valley. It stands at 2,143 metres, on plains and hills that drain into the Tula river basin.

With 8,254 residents in 2020, Ajacuba holds more than a quarter of the municipality's population, and it has grown steadily: in 1900 it had 485 inhabitants. The climate is semi-dry and temperate, averaging 12 to 18 °C, with winter mornings that can drop below freezing and rain concentrated from June to September. Around it rise hills such as Jagüey Seco, Peñas Coloradas and Cerro Tumba, covered in thorn scrub, prickly pear and agave; farmers grow maize, beans and alfalfa, tap maguey for pulque and raise carp and catfish in ponds.

For outsiders, the reason to come is usually the warm water. The municipality has the thermal springs of Al Borbollón and Las Lumbreras, and the area is known for packing an unusual number of spas and water parks into a small space. In Ajacuba itself, Balneario Las Lumbreras on Avenida Cuauhtémoc has thermal pools, hydromassage, a waterfall, a hanging bridge, a zip line, a grotto, camping and rooms; in 2026 adult entry was 120 pesos on weekdays and 150 at weekends.