A local paradise that I would highly recommend for a visit. Tolantongo is about 5 hours from Guanajuato and about 4 hours from Mexico City. Getting here by public transportation is possible and very straightforward. Grutas de Tolantongo is situated in a canyon and has several hot spring pools, a waterfall and a river all with beautiful turquoise water. I would recommend spending at least 2 days here as the journey from any major city is quite long and you'll want plenty of time here to enjoy the water. The park gets very crowded on weekends, so I highly recommend visiting during a weekday. This area is cash only so also make sure to bring enough cash. The closest ATM is about 1 hour away in Ixmiquilpan. Cell service is also very limited in the entire area.
All information can also be found on the Grutas de Tolantongo website: http://www.grutastolantongo.com.mx/
Table of Contents
Things to do
Guanajuato to Tolantongo
The journey from Guanajuato to Tolantongo is long and will take at least half a day. My day started at 6 in the morning where I took a bus from Guanajuato to Queretaro on the Primera Plus bus. The bus was very comfortable and there was air conditioning. This ride took about 2 and a half hours.
Once I arrived in Queretaro at the bus station, I walked over to the Conexion bus ticket counter to get a ticket to Ixmiquilpan. The final destination for this bus is Pachuca so when looking for the bus, look for a bus that says its going to Pachuca and confirm with the driver that it will stop in Ixmiquilpan.
In Ixmiquilpan there is a small bus station called Central de Autobus that you can get off at, but then you will need to take a taxi to the Tolantongo shuttle stop. I got off at the stop near the second bus station called Terminal de Autobuses La Huasteca, which can be found at this location: https://goo.gl/maps/3U88CfkHK4x7jESS9. You may have to tell the bus driver to stop here because I don't think this is an official bus stop. From here I walked along the main road in Ixmiquilpan called Av. Felipe Ángeles until I saw signs for "Grutas Tolantongo". I walked up to Plaza Diana Cazadora and made a right to Mercado Morelos, and this is
where I began to see the sign. The signs will lead you to a parking lot with an area for the shuttles to Grutas de Tolantongo. Here is the exact location on google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Atr9oxpkPiHfstUy9. The walk from the bus stop is about 15 minutes. The shuttles leave every few hours or so so make sure you check the timetable before you arrive. I was able to catch the 1:30pm shuttle and I didn't have to wait too long for it.
"Grutas Tolantongo" sign near Mercado Morelos
Grutas de Tolantongo shuttle stop in San Antonio parking lot
The shuttle ride to Grutas de Tolantongo is about an hour and it goes through the canyon. The views are beautiful but the ride is very slow. When you reach the park, they will ask you to get off the bus and walk through a sanitizing station. Then you'll hop back on the bus and continue into the park. There will also be someone who hops on the bus that you have to by the park entrance tickets from. If you are staying overnight, you will have to buy a ticket for 2 days. I was planning to spend 2 nights so I bought a ticket for 3 days. The tickets are 150 pesos per person per day.
Shuttle ride from Ixmiquilpan to Grutas de Tolantongo
The shuttle drops you off at Hotel la Gruta, which is closest to the river and the waterfall/tunnel/cave. I wanted to stay near the pocitas or the pools, so I took another shuttle from Hotel la Gruta to Hotel Paraiso Escondido.
Quick Summary on how I got to Grutas de Tolantongo:
Take Primera Plus bus from Guanajuato to Queretaro (315 pesos).
Take Conexion bus from Queretaro to Ixmiquilpan (200 pesos).
In Ixmiquilpan, get to the Gruats de Tolantongo shuttle stop.
Take the Grutas de Tolantongo shuttle (60 pesos) and arrive in Grutas de Tolantongo at Hotel la Gruta.
Take shuttle to Hotel Paraiso Escondido (10 pesos).
Hotels at Grutas de Tolantongo
There are several options for accommodation here. The cheapest option is camping and you are able to rent all equipment on the spot and set up camp. I decided to get a hotel for the 2 nights I had planned to stay. Hotel Paraiso Escondido is right by the picturesque pools and I wanted to be able to wake up early before the crowd to get some photos there. The hotels are only able to be booked in person on the spot, there is no way to make advanced reservations. Once I got there I went to the reception area and asked for the cheapest room they had available. I ended up getting a room for about 850 pesos a night. The room was very basic with a bed and a private bathroom. Nonetheless it was very comfortable and I had no issues with it.
For more information about the room prices and tent rentals, check out the Grutas de Tolantongo website: http://www.grutastolantongo.com.mx/costos.html
Things to Do
Pools
The pools may be the most popular at the park and get very crowded during the day, especially on weekends. I woke up very early to get to the pools right when the park opened. The pools are split into two sections, where one section is used during the morning hours and the other section is used during the afternoon. The park staff clean the section that is not in use, while the patrons are able to enjoy the other section.
The pools are warm and relaxing, and the view from the pools is spectacular. I spent some time in the pools early in the morning as well as in the evening and both times are wonderful for taking in the scenery.
Waterfall, Tunnel and Cave
Since I was staying near the pools, I had to take the 10 peso shuttle to Hotel la Gruta which is closest to the waterfall. The shuttles come by every half hour or so and there is an attendant near the waiting area that you can ask for help.
The waterfall was a short walk from Hotel la Gruta. The cave is right under the waterfall and the tunnel is through the waterfall. By the time I arrived in the late morning, the place had already gotten a bit crowded. Most visitors were enjoying the warm water in the cave. The cave was spectacular filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The tunnel went from the cave to an area above the cave. I didn't spend too much time in the tunnel as it was very crowded in there and it was hard to breathe with all the heat and people inside. I'm sure it is a cool experience with less crowds.
River
The river is something you won't miss. It's a long trail of warm turquoise blue water starting from the waterfall and running all the way through the canyon. There are many areas to jump into the river, most of them being around Hotel la Gruta.
Hike
There is a short hike from Hotel la Gruta to Hotel Paraiso Escondido. I started this hike near Hotel la Gruta and just walked along the river until I reached Hotel La Huerta. I walked into the parking lot and saw a sign labeled "Senderismo", which means hike in Spanish. The trail will lead you behind the parking lot into the trees, which you will walk through for about 10 minutes. The trail will come up to a road, which I walked down and found myself in a parking lot near this location: https://goo.gl/maps/EdDTExYfu65kRMQ36. I walked through the parking lot and came across a few pools. The trail is now uphill past these pools and will eventually lead to the restaurants and the camping area near Hotel Paraiso Escondido. All in all the hike took about 30-45 minutes and wasn't too strenuous.
How to get back to Ixmiquilpan
To get back to Ixmiquilpan, I took the 10 peso shuttle to Hotel la Gruta and took the 60 peso shuttle to Ixmiquilpan. This shuttle runs every few hours so make sure to check the time table in advance. The shuttle dropped me off at the same parking lot that I had first arrived at in Ixmiquilpan. From there I found a taxi (30 pesos) to take me to the Central de Autobuses where I could catch my next bus to Mexico City. I took the Ovnibus bus to Mexico City.
Central de Autobuses in Ixmiquilpan
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