Nature reserve 11 km southeast of Mitla
Mineral springs that have built white rock "waterfalls" down a cliff, with pools to swim in and huge views of the sierra.
Hierve el Agua sits on a mountainside east of Mitla, in the municipality of San Lorenzo Albarradas. From a distance it looks like two waterfalls frozen in place. Up close they are rock: springs on the hillside carry water loaded with calcium carbonate, and as it trickles over the cliff edge the minerals harden into long white curtains, much like stalactites in a cave. The smaller one, the cascada chica, drops about 12 meters; the cascada grande hangs about 30 meters over the ravine.
The springs bubble up into shallow natural basins at the top of the cliff, which is where the name ("the water boils") comes from, although the water is cool, around 22 to 27 °C. Next to them are two larger pools where people swim, one of them right at the edge of the drop, with the valleys of the Sierra Mixe falling away below. Archaeologists have also found old terraces and irrigation channels cut into the slope, built by the Zapotecs more than two thousand years ago.
The site is run by the local communities, not by the government, and it has a history of land disputes between San Lorenzo Albarradas and its neighbor San Isidro Roaguía. Between the pandemic and that conflict it was closed for about a year and a half until October 2021, and road blockades still happen from time to time, so check the news or ask in Mitla before you head up.
What to see and do
Swim in the mineral pools at the top of the cascada chica, with the drop and the mountains in front of you.
Walk the trail down and around to see the cascada grande from below; it is steep in parts, so wear real shoes.
Look for the old terraces and canals on the slope above the pools.
Go early in the morning, before the tour vans arrive, for empty pools and softer light.
Getting there
Hierve el Agua is roughly 45 minutes from Mitla by car, east on Highway 190 and then up a mountain road through San Lorenzo Albarradas; the community charges a small entry fee, and you may be asked for another fee on the road. Shared pickup trucks (camionetas) leave from Mitla for the site. Many day tours from Oaxaca City combine it with Mitla, Teotitlán del Valle and a mezcal distillery.
11 km southeast of Mitla
Directions from Mitla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Hierve el Agua shares the climate of Mitla, 11 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Mitla your base
Hierve el Agua is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.