Hierve el Agua Oaxaca: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Planning to visit Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico?

You’ve come to the right place because I’ve been to Hierve el Agua several times. In this article, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about Hierve el Agua so you visit like a pro.

As one of the best things to do in Oaxaca City, you do need a plan when visiting Hierve el Agua — but that’s exactly what you’re about to get.

Located about 1.5 hours from Oaxaca City, this is one of the most popular day trips from Oaxaca. It is also one of the top places to visit in Oaxaca state.

What’s the best way to go to Hierve el Agua? For convenience, opt for this Ultimate Hierve el Agua Hike & Mezcal Tasting Tour (Rated 5 Stars).

If you’d rather DIY it, you can also or visit Hierve el Agua on your own. Once you get there, there are the Hierve el Agua natural hot springs and Hierve el Agua hikes to enjoy.

Sound like a lot? Don’t worry; by the end of this article you’re going to have all the Hierve el Agua facts, travel tips and tricks so you can plan to visit Hierve el Agua like a pro.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in and get to this Ultimate Hierve el Agua Guide. As this article contains a lot of information, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to the info you need.

That’s right, after being closed for nearly 1.5 years, Hierve el Agua is open to the public now. However, there are a few other things to keep in mind when visiting Hierve el Agua Oaxaca Mexico.

Hierve el Agua capacity is limited to 200 people per day

While Hierve el Agua has reopened, the locals from San Lorenzo Albarradas, where Hierve el Agua is located, have limited the number of people who can visit per day to 200. If you want to be one of the lucky 200, arrive early!

⚠️ Update: It seems there’s no longer a capacity of 200 people, but it’s been hard to get a definitive answer! I’m leaving this in the article because I’ve heard from other Mexico bloggers that the capacity limit may still be in effect.

If you want to be sure you get in, arrive early.

⭐️ Hierve el Agua tips: It is at a high elevation

This is one of the highest elevation points in Oaxaca state, so be mindful of altitude sickness and dehydration when you visit Hierve el Agua Oaxaca. In fact, you don’t want to forget your reusable water bottle.

You have four options, the quickest and easiest being on this Hierve el Agua Oaxaca tour or driving yourself there in your rental car.

You can also negotiate a day rate with a taxi driver or private driver, or take public transport if driving to Hierve el Agua is not in your plans.

1. Take the best tours of Hierve el Agua

There’s no shortage of great Hierve el Agua tours, but you’ll want to be mindful when you pick one.

Some tours just go to Hierve el Agua, like this Ultimate Hierve el Agua Hike + Mezcal, while others combine a 1-2 hour Hierve el Agua visit with other best places to see in Oaxaca.

The tour you pick will come down to how much time you want to spend at Hierve el Agua. If you want to spend the day there to do all the hikes, soak in the thermal pools, and relax, choose this full day tour.

If you want a quick visit, this Hierve el Agua Half Day Tour is perfect.

Besides Hierve el Agua, you’ll also see the Arbol de Tule Tree, Mitla pueblo mágico (magic town), village of Tlacolula de Matamoros Oaxaca, and Fabrica de Mezcal Artesanal to see how Oaxaca mezcal is made.

2. Rent a car and drive to Hierve el Agua

Want to visit Hierve el Agua without a tour? You can certainly do that as well.

If you’re renting a car in Oaxaca, that is the easiest, fastest and best way to get to Hierve el Agua on your own. In case you have safety concerns, know that it is safe to drive to Hierve el Agua.

Download this map for directions to Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca City, and remember to have about $200 pesos ($10 USD) on you for tolls and parking fees.

🗺️ Oaxaca to Hierve el Agua Map

Driving to Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca? Then you’re going to need to know How far is Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca City — and the answer is 43 miles, or about 68 kilometers.

The road to Hierve el Agua (Oaxaca Highway 179) is a one-lane, dirt road that goes up a mountain, so traffic does build up the later in the day you visit.

In fact, the earlier in the day you go, the more traffic you beat getting up there.

3. Hire a private driver for the day

You can often negotiate a day rate with the local Oaxaca taxi drivers.

For a private driver to Hierve el Agua, ask your hotel staff or Airbnb host for a driver recommendation, or negotiate with a cab driver directly. It usually costs about $75 USD for the day, but rates vary.

⚠️ Note: There’s no Uber in Oaxaca City, and no Lyft in Oaxaca City either.

However, if you’re traveling with a group you pay one price for the shared taxi to Hierve el Agua, so $75 USD for the taxi itself, not $75 per person.

🚌 How to get to Hierve el Agua on Public transport

Since there’s no direct Hierve el Agua bus, you’ll first take a bus or taxi to Mitla Oaxaca pueblo magico (magic town). You can get the bus near the Oaxaca baseball stadium in the northern part of Oaxaca City.

From the small town of San Pablo Villa de Mitla (usually just called Mitla) you’ll take the camioneta to Hierve el Agua.

This is a bumpy ride that lasts about 45 minutes to an hour — so if you can, snag a seat in the front of the truck with the driver.

⭐️ Hierve el Agua tips: Practice responsible tourism at Hierve el Agua Oaxaca

While one of the reasons Hierve el Agua closed in 2020 was related to the “you know what,” it also had to do with the exploitation of this natural area.

You can read this article from Mexico’s El Universal newspaper to learn more. 🗣️ It’s in Spanish, but you can use Google translate.

In short, the local people from the small village of San Lorenzo Albarradas, where Hierve el Agua is located, get very little support (if any) from the Mexican government and local tour operators from Oaxaca City.

While tours bring in money, not all tourists are responsible and respectful.

As part of the reopening agreement, locals have actually banned some tour companies from returning — including Indajani Tours and El Andador.

Visiting Hierve el Agua: What to know before you go

Keep in mind the 200 person capacity when you plan your visit, because the site can reach capacity quickly during the busy season in Oaxaca, from October to March.

⭐️ My best Hierve el Agua tip? Leave Oaxaca City by 8am to arrive at Hierve el Agua at 7am, as the best time to visit Hierve el Agua is in the morning.

With this strategy, you’ll be one of the first 200 people in, and you’ll get to see some of the site before the midday sun hits.

After re-opening in 2021, the entrance fee to Hierve El Agua doubled, so if you see any info that was published in 2020 or anytime pre-2021, it won’t be accurate.

The Hierve el Agua entrance fee pre-2021 was only $25 pesos ($1.50 USD).

What to bring to Hierve el Agua

First and foremost, don’t forget your reusable water bottle.

Oaxaca has a desert climate, and is hot year-round. There’s also little to no shade at Hierve el Agua, so you can overheat or dehydrate easily, especially if you’re doing the Hierve el Agua hike.

I recommend Water-To-Go bottles, which filter your drinking water so you don’t get sick in Oaxaca. Use code SOLO15 for 15% OFF your purchase!

▶︎ SHOP Water-To-Go Bottles

Besides that, you’ll also want a sun hat and sunglasses.

Two other things that really come in handy are this waterproof phone pouch and water shoes because the ground can be a bit slippery.

Hierve el Agua facilities

🌮 Food at Hierve el Agua

There are a few food stalls with local vendors selling snacks and a few traditional Oaxaca foods, like quesadillas made with Oaxaca cheese.

You can also buy Oaxaca mezcal, Mexican beers, micheladas, sodas and bottled water.

🍽️ best restaurants near Hierve el Agua

Wondering, Are there restaurants at Hierve el Agua? That depends on what you consider a restaurant!

While there are food vendors, if you want a true sit-down restaurant, head to Mezcal y Leña and Comedor Citlaly, both located just outside Hierve el Agua.

You can also just head back to town and visit to these best Oaxaca City restaurants.

🚻 Restrooms at Hierve el Agua

There are bathrooms at Hierve el Agua, but know that space is pretty limited if you need to change into your bathing suit (it’s better to wear it).

The restrooms cost about $10 MXN pesos to use ($0.50 USD), and you will need pesos to enter. 🧻 Note: The attendant should provide you some TP when you pay, so don’t forget to grab it on the way in.

What are the best things to do at Hierve el Agua?

1. Swim in the Hierve el Agua pools

The Hierve el Agua hot springs and thermal pools are located at the top of the site, and you can see the waterfall from there.

You can swim in the pools at Hierve el Agua, or soak in them, which is nice after the hike down to the waterfall.

2. Marvel at the Hierve el Agua waterfalls

While the natural mineral pools are the most photographed places here, you should also check out the amazing “cascadas” (waterfalls).

Now, “cascadas” is in quotes for a reason — and that’s because these waterfalls aren’t really waterfalls, though they sure do look like it.

There are two cliff faces at Hierve el Agua that look like waterfalls because they are covered in calcified mineral deposits, which look like falling water.

You can see this from afar at the pools, or you can hike down for a closer look.

If you if you hike down, you’ll have an amazing view of the Hierve el Agua waterfall from the bottom of the hill.

💧 Cascada Grande (Large Waterfall at Hierve el Agua)

This is the larger waterfall, or main waterfall at Hierve el Agua. It is about 197-feet-tall (60 m).

If you’ve seen photos of the Hierve el Agua Waterfall, then you’ve likely seen the Cascada Grande — or you can check it out in the photo above.

💧 Cascada Chica (Small Waterfall at Hierve el Agua)

The Cascada Chica is located just beneath the pools, so you have to do at least some of the Hierve el Agua hike to see it.

You can walk up to the edge and look over, but for the best view of the small waterfall, you have to walk a few minutes down the hiking path.

3. Go hiking at Hierve el Agua

The Hierve el Agua hike is a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) loop trail.

It is a pretty easy hike that takes about one hour to complete. When you reach the bottom, you’ll be underneath the Cascada Hierve el Agua (Hierve el Agua Waterfall).

Hierve el Agua cabins: Stay at Hierve el Agua

🏡 Looking to enjoy Hierve el Agua without the crowds?

The best way to do that is by booking one of the six cabins at Hierve el Agua for the night.

With these, you’ll have access to Hierve el Agua after all the tourists leave at 5pm, and before they arrive the next morning at 7am.

How to book a Hierve el Agua cabin

There’s no website for the cabins, so when you arrive at Hierve el Agua, just let them know at the entrance gate that you want to rent one.

🙊 Don’t speak Spanish? You can ask, ¿Cabaña por favor? (Cabin please), or ¿Hay cabañas disponibles? (Are there cabins available?).

Since there’s no ​​advertisement for the cabins and you can’t reserve them online, they’re usually empty — but of course, there’s no guarantee.

Your best bet is to arrive at Hierve el Agua early in the day so you can snag one for that night.

Cabins at Hierve el Agua have two beds (one single and one double), a bathroom, and little else. There’s basically no cell signal or WiFi at Hierve el Agua, so be prepared to be off the grid for the night.

⚠️ Hierve el Agua cabana tip

Make sure to arrive with your own non-perishable foods and bottled water.

There’s food for sale at Hierve el Agua, but vendors leave around 5pm when Hierve el Agua closes for the day, and don’t return until the next morning.

Hierve el Agua Facts & FAQ

It is about 1.5 hours by car from Oaxaca City, and one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in Mexico.

Note: You may see it written as Hierve Agua Oaxaca, Hierve de Agua Oaxaca, and other misspellings, but Hierve el Agua Oaxaca is correct.

The Hierve el Agua weather and water is warm year-round, and temperatures don’t fluctuate much. However, for those IG worthy Hierve el Agua photos, mornings have less people and better lighting.

Why was Hierve el Agua closed?

In April 2020, residents of San Lorenzo Albarradas blockaded the road to Hierve el Agua over concerns that uncontrolled tourism would spread the “you know what” virus into their town.

There’s a lot more to the complex story on why it closed, but it also comes down to over-tourism.

At the end of the day, unchecked mass tourism can ruin natural places, especially small villages like San Lorenzo Albarradas.

Further, some tour operators have little regard for the livelihoods of the town’s locals.

The people of San Lorenzo Albarradas kept the bloqueo (roadblock) in place from April 2020 to October 2021, when the site reopened at limited capacity.

They then started allowing just 200 visitors per day, but that restriction has since been lifted.

⚠️ Note: If you see any article that says Hierve el Agua permanently closed, know that is an outdated article because it is currently open.

However, this is mostly an optical illusion, as this is a petrified waterfall.

The rock formations at Hierve el Agua are what’s known as cascadas de sal (salt waterfalls), cascadas petrificadas (petrified waterfalls), or cascadas pétreas (rock waterfalls).

As you might have noticed, there’s no mention of actual water in any of those names — because there’s really no falling water at these “waterfalls.”

🤔 What is a Petrified Waterfall?

The waterfalls of Hierve el Agua are the result of small streams and droplets of mineral-rich water falling over the side of a cliff.

After many years, the water and minerals petrified in a stream-like formation. Centuries later, it now looks like a waterfall cascading over the cliff face.

Wondering how Hierve el Agua got its name? The water from a natural spring located underground “boils up” from deep within the Earth and into the pools at Hierve el Agua Mexico.

The water underground would bubble up on its own, and the pools act as a place to catch and collect that water so we can swim or soak in it.

According to Wikipedia, these irrigation canals are unique because irrigation was not common in pre-Hispanic Mexico. In fact, Oaxaca’s Hierve el Agua is the only example of lined irrigation canals in the world.

Final Thoughts: Traveling to Hierve el Agua

If you were wondering, What is so special about Hierve el Agua? — hopefully this article shed some light on why this is one of the top Oaxaca attractions.

You can visit on Hierve el Agua tours, like Ultimate Hierve el Agua Hike & Mezcal Tasting (Rated 5 Stars), or go to Hierve el Agua on your own if you’re a more adventurous traveler.

If you love nature, hiking, hot springs, beautiful and interesting places, then yes, Hierve el Agua needs to be on your Oaxaca itinerary. Keep in mind, there’s what you see on Instagram, and then there’s reality.

Hierve el Agua is a rustic place, maintained by the townspeople in a small Oaxaca village. It is not fancy by any means, but if you’ve managed your expectations, you’ll enjoy your Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca.

Note: You might see this place misspelled as Hierve del Aqua Oaxaca, Hierve del Agua Oaxaca, Hierve Oaxaca, Oaxaca Hierve de Agua, Agua de Hierve, Hierve de Aqua, Agua el Hierve, Hierves Agua, Hierva el Agua, Hierve al Agua, Hierve al Aqua, Hierbe el Agua — but it is Hierve el Agua.