Waterfall Santiago, Nuevo León Municipality of Santiago Monterrey and its mountains
Nuevo León's classic family waterfall: a 25-meter fan of water in the Sierra Madre above Santiago, a short walk from the parking lot.
From Monterrey: 40 min by car (46 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Cola de Caballo
Tours to Cola de Caballo
Day trips and guided outings from Santiago often include Cola de Caballo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Private/Group Cola de Caballo Waterfall & Santiago (Premium SUV)
★ 4.9 (79) · From US$99
How to get to Cola de Caballo
- From Monterrey: about 40 min by road (~46 km)
- 8 km south of Santiago
- Nearest airport: Monterrey (MTY), 44 min by car to Santiago
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Popular tours to Cola de Caballo
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Cola de Caballo
Cola de Caballo, Spanish for "Horse Tail," is a fan-shaped waterfall of about 25 meters in the Sierra Madre Oriental, inside the municipality of Santiago in Nuevo León. Some guides round the drop up to 27 meters. The water spreads out over the rock in fine strands as it falls, which is where the name comes from, and the effect is strongest after the rains. The falls are the centerpiece of the Parque Ecoturístico Cola de Caballo, a park run by the state tourism agency, and they sit within Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, the huge protected area decreed by President Lázaro Cárdenas in 1939 that covers the mountains south and west of the city.
The park lies in the ejido of La Cieneguilla, about 5 kilometers off the Carretera Nacional (Highway 85) along state road NL 20, and roughly an hour's drive from Monterrey; the Pueblo Mágico of Santiago is some 20 minutes away. From the entrance a path of a little over 500 meters climbs through the woods to the base of the cascade, and anyone who doesn't want to walk can hire a horse or a horse-drawn cart. A viewing point partway up the falls catches the spray, which keeps the spot cool on hot days. The waterfall itself has had rough moments: in November 2021 workers cleaning the pool at the base reported that a section of the rock beneath the falls had broken away.
Around the main trail the park is set up for a full family day. There are parking lots, grills with tables and benches, children's play areas, a restaurant, and stalls selling crafts and souvenirs. For more adrenaline there is a circuit of zip lines strung through the treetops and a 70-meter bungee jump. The surrounding mountains are good for walking, mountain biking and watching birds and other wildlife, and the same road continues up toward Puerto Genovevo, Potrero Redondo and the canyoneering country of Matacanes and El Chipitín.
How to get to Cola de Caballo
Drive from Monterrey: 40 min, 46 km
From Monterrey, drive south on the Carretera Nacional (Highway 85) toward Santiago, about 31 km to the town, and take the signposted exit for Cola de Caballo onto state road NL 20. The park entrance is about 5 km up that road at La Cieneguilla (NL 20 2002); allow roughly an hour from Monterrey. The road is paved and well signed, and the park has its own parking lot. From the entrance it is a walk of a little over 500 meters to the falls.
8 km south of Santiago
Directions from Santiago on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cola de Caballo
- Monterrey · 46 km by road, 40 min
- Montemorelos · 50 km by road, 45 min
- Linares · 98 km by road, 1 h 25 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Cola de Caballo: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Open daily, 9 am to 6 pm, according to the state tourism office. Hours change on holidays, and some reports give an earlier closing time. Secretaría de Turismo de Nuevo León · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- 50 pesos for adults; 30 pesos for seniors and children 6 to 10. Parking and extras such as the zipline cost more. POSTA · checked Oct 2026
- Best time of day
- Arrive early, especially at Easter, when the park fills up. POSTA · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- Winter's cool weather makes the trails pleasant; December brings more visitors. POSTA · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- You walk in on your own, about 500 meters to the falls. Horses and carriages can be hired at the park. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Comfortable clothes and walking shoes for the trail up to the falls. POSTA · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Cola de Caballo: what to see and do
Walk the 500-meter path up to the foot of the falls, or go up by horse or cart.
Stand at the mid-height viewpoint and feel the spray.
Fly over the treetops on the zip-line circuit.
Take the 70-meter bungee jump, if you dare.
Grill a carne asada in the park's picnic areas.
Plan your trip
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Santiago often include Cola de Caballo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MTY (Monterrey): about 44 min by road to Santiago, then 8 km more to Cola de Caballo, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Monterrey (MTY), about 44 min by road from Santiago, the base for Cola de Caballo.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming and hiking at Cola de Caballo, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Santiago: download a map of the way to Cola de Caballo before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Photos
When to go to Cola de Caballo mild
Cola de Caballo shares the climate of Santiago, 8 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
Waterfalls like Cola de Caballo run fullest in the rainiest months here (June, July, and September) and can thin out at the end of the dry season (January, February, and December).
See the month-by-month climate of Santiago
Weather in Cola de Caballo now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Santiago your base
Cola de Caballo is an easy trip from Santiago, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- General Terán · Nuevo León · 50 km away
- Arteaga · Coahuila · 69 km away
Closest to Cola de Caballo
-
Cañón de Matacanes · Nature reserve · 8 km away
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Presa La Boca · Lake · 8 km away
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Hidrofobia · Nature reserve · 10 km away
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Cascada El Chipitín · Waterfall · 11 km away
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Laguna de Sánchez · Town · 12 km away
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Cerro Agujerado · Mountain · 18 km away · Nuevo León
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Parque Natural La Estanzuela · Nature reserve · 23 km away · Nuevo León
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Cerro de la Silla · Mountain · 30 km away · Nuevo León
Near Cola de Caballo
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Cola de Caballo
Waterfalls in Nuevo León · 3Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.