Waterfall Xico, Veracruz Xalapa and the coffee hills
Xico's best-known waterfall, dropping into a deep cloud-forest gorge just south of town; La Monja falls is a few minutes away.
From Xalapa: 30 min by car (24 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
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Plan your visit to Cascada de Texolo
Tours to Cascada de Texolo
Day trips and guided outings from Xico often include Cascada de Texolo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Veracruz
Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive
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How to get to Cascada de Texolo
- From Xalapa: about 30 min by road (~24 km)
- 2 km south of Xico
- Nearest airport: Veracruz (VER), 1 h 44 min by car to Xico
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Tours from Veracruz, near Cascada de Texolo
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Cascada de Texolo
Texolo is the waterfall people mean when they talk about the falls of Xico. It sits about three kilometers south of town, where the river drops into a narrow gorge whose walls are covered in ferns, vines, and the dense green of the cloud forest that grows on the lower slopes of the Cofre de Perote. The main fall is not huge on its own, but the canyon around it is deep and steep, and in the rainy season the whole place roars.
Hollywood noticed it decades ago. Scenes of Romancing the Stone (1984) and Clear and Present Danger (1994) were filmed here and in the surrounding hills, and the Cascada de la Monja, a smaller fall a short walk away, also appears in Romancing the Stone.
Today it is a simple, local place: a viewpoint over the gorge, a bridge across it, a few paths that lead to other angles of the water, and a restaurant where people stop for lunch after the walk. Most visitors combine it with a meal of Xico's famous mole back in town.
How to get to Cascada de Texolo
Drive from Xalapa: 30 min, 24 km
Texolo is about 3 km south of the center of Xico. You can walk it in under an hour on a signposted cobbled road heading downhill from town, or drive or take a taxi in about 10 minutes; the road can be rough. Entry to the falls has usually been free, with a charge for parking. Wear shoes with grip: the paths are wet and steep.
2 km south of Xico
Directions from Xico on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cascada de Texolo
- Xalapa · 24 km by road, 30 min
- Teziutlán · 109 km by road, 1 h 45 min
- Martínez de la Torre · 140 km by road, 2 h 15 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Cascada de Texolo: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm. Fotografiando México · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- Free to walk in. If you drive, neighbours charge a flat 30 pesos to park; toilets at the stalls cost about 10 pesos. Fotografiando México · checked Oct 2026
- Best time of day
- Come early in the morning for parking near the entrance, fewer people and the best light; afternoons often bring sudden showers. Fotografiando México · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- The falls are at their fullest in the rainy season. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- A small backpack with water, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. The 300-plus log steps down to the lower viewpoint are hard going for small children. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- Swimming in the main plunge pool is strictly forbidden; stay behind the railings and follow the signs. Fotografiando México · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Cascada de Texolo: what to see and do
Take in the gorge from the main viewpoint and cross the bridge over the canyon.
Walk a few minutes to the Cascada de la Monja, the smaller fall seen in Romancing the Stone.
If you are fit, take the steep path down toward the base of the falls; there is usually a small fee.
Go in the rainy season (roughly June to October) for the most water, and in the morning for fewer people.
Stay for lunch at the restaurant by the viewpoint, or head back to Xico for mole.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cascada de Texolo
Finca Vacacional Santa Rosa Hotel · ★★★ · 340 m from the center Find on Expedia Posada La Querencia Hotel · ★★★ · 1.0 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Coyopolan Hotel · ★★★ · 2.4 km from the center Find on Expedia Las Magdalenas Hotel Boutique Hotel · ★★★ · 2.5 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Hacienda San Bartolo Hotel · 1.2 km from the center Find on Expedia Estación Santa Cruz Hotel · 1.6 km from the center Find on ExpediaTours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Xico often include Cascada de Texolo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at VER (Veracruz): about 1 h 44 min by road to Xico, then 2 km more to Cascada de Texolo, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Veracruz (VER), about 1 h 44 min by road from Xico, the base for Cascada de Texolo.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming and hiking at Cascada de Texolo, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Xico: download a map of the way to Cascada de Texolo 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.
When to go to Cascada de Texolo mild
Cascada de Texolo shares the climate of Xico, 2 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.
Waterfalls like Cascada de Texolo run fullest in the rainiest months here (June, August, and September) and can thin out at the end of the dry season (February, March, and April).
See the month-by-month climate of Xico
Weather in Cascada de Texolo now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Xico your base
Cascada de Texolo is an easy trip from Xico, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Coatepec · Veracruz · 7 km away
- Naolinco · Veracruz · 31 km away
- Coscomatepec · Veracruz · 37 km away
- Córdoba · Veracruz · 57 km away
- Teziutlán · Puebla · 63 km away
Closest to Cascada de Texolo
-
Teocelo · Town · 3 km away
-
San Marcos de León · Village · 4 km away · Veracruz
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La Ceiba Gráfica · Landmark · 8 km away · Near Coatepec
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Cascada Bola de Oro · Waterfall · 9 km away · Near Coatepec
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El Grande · Village · 9 km away · Veracruz
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Jardín Botánico Clavijero · Nature reserve · 14 km away · Near Coatepec
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Barrio de Xallitic · Landmark · 16 km away · Veracruz
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Catedral de Xalapa · Landmark · 16 km away · Veracruz
Near Cascada de Texolo
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Cascada de Texolo
Waterfalls in Veracruz · 6 Waterfalls near Xico · 5 Waterfalls near Xalapa · 4 Waterfalls near Naolinco · 3 Waterfalls near Coscomatepec · 5 Waterfalls near Córdoba · 4 Waterfalls near Teziutlán · 6Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.