Lake 1 km southeast of Santiago
The mountain-ringed reservoir right next to Santiago, with a lakeside promenade, kayak rentals, boat rides, and lakeside restaurants.
The Presa Rodrigo Gómez, which everyone calls La Boca, is the reservoir that sits at the foot of the mountains just outside Santiago. It was built between 1961 and 1963, named after a Monterrey banker, and inaugurated by President Adolfo López Mateos in September 1963 to supply water to the growing city of Monterrey, which it still does today.
The lake covers roughly 455 hectares when full and is fed by streams coming down from the sierra. With the peaks rising straight behind it, it is one of the prettiest views around Santiago, and a lakeside promenade, restaurants, and boat landings line part of the shore.
The easiest way to enjoy it is on the water. Kayaks can be rented by the hour or taken on guided tours of about two hours around the shore, and there are boat and catamaran rides as well as fishing. In drought years the water level drops a lot, and the shrinking lake has revealed the ruins of buildings that were flooded when the dam was built.
What to see and do
Rent a kayak or join a guided paddle of about two hours along the shore.
Take a boat or catamaran ride with the mountains as a backdrop.
Walk the lakeside promenade at sunset.
Eat at one of the restaurants overlooking the water.
Try your luck fishing.
Getting there
La Boca is on the edge of Santiago, a few minutes by car from the center along the Carretera Nacional, and it is about 25 kilometers south of Monterrey. Buses from Monterrey toward Santiago and El Cercado pass along the highway nearby. Kayak and boat operators work mainly on weekends and holidays, and how much of the shore is usable depends on the water level.
1 km southeast of Santiago
Directions from Santiago on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Presa La Boca
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Presa La Boca.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Presa La Boca.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Weather mild
Presa La Boca shares the climate of Santiago, 1 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Santiago your base
Presa La Boca is an easy trip from Santiago, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Santiago
-
Cola de Caballo
· Waterfall · 8 km away
Nuevo León's best-known waterfall, a 25-meter cascade in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, a short walk from the parking lot. -
Cañón de Matacanes
· Nature reserve · 16 km away
Mexico's most famous canyoneering route: a full day of jumps, rappels, water slides, and caves in the sierra above Santiago. -
Hidrofobia
· Nature reserve · 18 km away
Matacanes' tougher sister canyon near Potrero Redondo: some 30 jumps, the highest about 18 meters, in cold water. Guides only. -
Laguna de Sánchez
· Town · 18 km away
A cool mountain village at 1,650 meters with orchards, cabins, a summer sunflower field, and a lagoon that only fills after big storms. -
Cascada El Chipitín
· Waterfall · 19 km away
A waterfall of nearly 90 meters above a turquoise pool near Potrero Redondo, reached by a steep 45-minute walk down.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.