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    View over the Xoxafi park and the dry hills of Santiago de Anaya, with the sierra behind, Gruta Xoxafi, Hidalgo

    Photo by MCGau, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Gruta Xoxafi

    Cave Santiago de Anaya, Hidalgo Municipality of Santiago de Anaya Mezquital Valley

    Caves on El Palmar ejido land in Santiago de Anaya: rappel tunnels, the 'leopard skin' rock and zip lines over the valley.

    From Pachuca: 55 min by car (54 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Gruta Xoxafi

    Day trips and guided outings from Metztitlán often include Gruta Xoxafi; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Zacatlan Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) · From US$8
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Gruta Xoxafi

    • From Pachuca: about 55 min by road (~54 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 2 h 18 min by car to Metztitlán
    Rent a car at NLU Flights to NLU

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Zacatlan, near Gruta Xoxafi

    Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) 2 h 30 min From US$8

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Gruta Xoxafi

    Xoxafi is Otomí for 'falling thunder', the name given to a cave system dissolved into the limestone of Cerro Teptha, on the land of El Palmar ejido in Santiago de Anaya municipality. Over millions of years water seeped through the rock and opened the galleries and tunnels that groups now explore with helmets and headlamps. Above ground you are in the Mezquital Valley: dry hills, scrub, cacti and a long view toward the sierra.

    There are two main underground routes. The first drops about 80 metres over 600 metres of passage and can finish with a rappel down to 100 metres; the second includes a rope descent of up to 45 metres. On the ceilings and walls of some chambers you'll see the so-called 'leopard skin', blotches of iron oxide and saltpetre that also coat the stalactites. One chamber has such good acoustics that for years it hosted an ecological concert tied to the Santiago de Anaya food fair, and a few corners keep rock paintings.

    Six bat species roost in the caves, three of them endangered, with an estimated 100,000 animals in all; the local community, the municipality and the state government work together on their protection, and guides explain the bats' role without disturbing them. Over the years the site has grown into an adventure park, with outdoor zip lines (one with a return run of around 800 metres), paintball, rustic cabins for four and eight people, a campground, restaurant, palapas and a community shop. Some visitors arrive on Saturday, sleep over and do a second, different route on Sunday.

    How to get to Gruta Xoxafi

    Drive from Pachuca: 55 min, 54 km

    By car from Mexico City or Pachuca, take federal highway 85 (México-Laredo) to Actopan, then follow signs for Santiago de Anaya and the caves; the park is about 15 km from downtown Actopan, on El Palmar ejido land. Pachuca is about 43 km away in a straight line, roughly 50 minutes to an hour's drive; Metztitlán, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 35 km as the crow flies but has no direct road across the sierra, so you go back via Actopan. Without a car: buses leave Mexico City's Terminal Norte for Actopan; from Actopan, minibuses marked 'Grutas Xoxafi' drop you at the entrance (one guide says to catch them near the Obelisco, after getting off at the La Corona stop). Ask when the last minibus back leaves before heading underground.

    Directions to Gruta Xoxafi on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in Gruta Xoxafi Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Gruta Xoxafi. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Gruta Xoxafi

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Gruta Xoxafi: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Daily, 9 am to 6 pm. Wikivoyage (Actopan, edited Aug 2025) · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    Activities are priced separately: cave routes and other activities start at about 220 pesos, and combined packages cost considerably more (Wikivoyage lists 800 pesos and up). Wikivoyage (Ixmiquilpan and Actopan) · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    About 4 hours for the full experience; the longest tunnel route alone takes about 2.5 hours. Tus Buenas Noticias (Apr 2025); Chilango · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Gruta Xoxafi: what to see and do

    The main tunnel route, dropping about 80 metres over 600 metres of passage
    Rappel inside the cave, up to 100 metres on one route and 45 on the other
    The 'leopard skin', iron-oxide and saltpetre blotches on ceilings and stalactites
    The concert hall, a natural chamber with remarkable acoustics
    Outdoor zip lines over the Mezquital Valley hills
    A night in a cabin or at the park's campground

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Gruta Xoxafi

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Gruta Xoxafi.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Metztitlán often include Gruta Xoxafi; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 2 h 18 min by road to Metztitlán, then 35 km more to Gruta Xoxafi, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 2 h 18 min by road from Metztitlán, the base for Gruta Xoxafi.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on caving at Gruta Xoxafi, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Metztitlán: download a map of the way to Gruta Xoxafi before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Gruta Xoxafi mild

    Gruta Xoxafi shares the climate of Metztitlán, 35 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    Underground water keeps much the same temperature all year, so Gruta Xoxafi is good in any month and coolest to visit in the hottest ones (March, April, and May).

    See the month-by-month climate of Metztitlán

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Metztitlán

    Bell gable and arcaded front of the convent of the Santos Reyes, Metztitlán, Hidalgo mild
    Hidalgo Metztitlán

    Metztitlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Gruta Xoxafi, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Near Gruta Xoxafi

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Gruta Xoxafi

    Caves near Zimapán · 5

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.