Waterfall 2 km south of Xico
Xico's best-known waterfall, dropping into a deep cloud-forest gorge just south of town; La Monja falls is a few minutes away.
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.
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.
Getting there
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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Places to stay in Cascada de Texolo
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Weather mild
Cascada de Texolo shares the climate of Xico, 2 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, May.
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 · 7 km away
More around Xico
-
Teocelo
· Town · 4 km away
A quiet coffee town next door, home of Radio Teocelo, founded in 1965 and one of Mexico's oldest community radio stations. -
Cofre de Perote
· Mountain · 18 km away
The 4,282 m volcano that looms over Xico, a national park of pine and fir forest with a road almost to the rocky summit. -
Jalcomulco
· Town · 27 km away
A warm river village known for whitewater rafting on the Río Pescados, with rappelling, ziplines and temazcal. -
Fortaleza de San Carlos
· Landmark · 31 km away
A huge 18th-century Spanish fortress in Perote, later a military college and prison, now a museum; Guadalupe Victoria died here.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.