Dreaming to spend hot summer in White pools? Then you must go to Grutas de Tolantongo outside the hustle and bustle of Mexico City. Here you will find the world’s coolest touring spot with cotton-candy blue clouds, caves, pools, and the Tolantongo River.
After visiting 30 Countries I choose Mexico as my destination, and I found this spot 3 years ago, and I love to spend my spring vacation in Las Grutas Tolantongo. That is why I want to tell you about this heaven destination Grutas de Tolantongo in this article with my own experience. Therefore, there are some essential things before you go to visit, you will go through all details below. So stay tuned with me.
Things You Should Know Before Visit Grutas de Tolantongo
- Park Ticket is not for 24 Hours if you buy a Ticket at 7:00 am it will expire after 8:00 pm.
- You need to bring cash with you, they don’t have the service of debit and credit. So if you forget to bring cash with you, you will find ATM service in Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo City which is 1 hour far from the park.
- In Tolantogno you can access all attractions including, Waterfalls, caves, rivers, bathrooms, general security, and other basic services except Zipline.
- You can bring your own food but are not allowed to eat in the water spots. You can just eat it under the camping area.
- Above 40-person group, you will get a 10% discount and 2 free tickets. Moreover, they don’t offer promotions and o sell packets, they have all separate prices.
- If you don’t bring food with you, note that your food and hotels do not include in your daily ticket.
- Less than 5 years of children’s entry is free.
- You cannot reserve a room or hotel online. So make sure to check in at the hotel from 7 to 8 am.
- You can go to the park when you want they provide their services all day of the year.
- All Natural spots are closed at night including tunnels, rivers, Caves, Pools, and others. So make sure to arrive at the park at 8:00 am.
- Inside the park, alcoholic drinks and Pets are not allowed.
Where is Grutas Tolantongo Located?
Location: Grutas de Tolantongo located in San Cristóbal Municipality of Cardonal Hidalgo, México. CP. 42374
Travel Time from different City to Tolantongo:
| From | Travel Time |
| Mexico | 4 Hours |
| Guanajuato | 4.5 Hours |
| San Miguel de Allende | 4 hours |
| Queretaro City | 3 Hours |
Tolantongo Map
If you go from the way to Hidalgo City, you will enjoy a beautiful drive of mountains. In Mezquital Canyon these mountains stand at 4,200 feet in height from the ocean.
How many ways to arrive at Grutas de Tolantongo from Mexico City?
You have four ways to arrive at Tolantongo from the city of Mexico:
- Get a Group Tour – this is a great trip plan from Mexico City and a reasonable way to interact with people without worrying about anything.
- Renting a car – from the car drive you will save time from Mexico City traffic.
- By shuttle service – usually, you can get a Public shuttle service from Terminal del Norte.
As stated above there are various transportation options but the best way is to get Tolantongo from a personal car if you are going solo. Therefore, you should check their latest parking charges which are around $30.00 MXN per car parking.
On the other hand, if you take public transport it could be most cost-effective and take more time from personal transport. So you will your time traveling instead of Grutas Tolantongo.
Another way to take a Group tour plan. Tour group charges depend on your stay duration. Most visitors take a day trip from 5 am to 7 pm, who don’t speak the local language comfortably. So a Tour guide is the best option for international tourists.
How much Grutas de Tolantongo Ticket Cost?
As an update of July 2023, the ticket price of Grutas Tolantongo is around $150 to $180 MXN and you can buy it just from cash. They do not offer a Debit card service. Moreover, if you buy a ticket at 7 am it will be valid until 8 pm. Therefore, food and hotels are not included in daily tickets.
Which is the Best Time to visit Grutas de Tolantongo?
Don’t get bored by their robotic system, the park is open all day of the year. If you forget the destination the locals will guide you properly. Because you will find all the peoples well coming in this area.
Make sure to plan your visit in the mid of the week, because on the weekend park is incredibly crowded, especially when on Public holidays. Therefore, this park is blessed with the weather so you can plan to visit any month of the year.
But summer and spring is the best time to visit the watery park because, in the winter season, you cannot enjoy pools and river attraction as in summer.
Where you can stay at Grutas de Tolantongo?
Grutas de Tolantongo Hotels:
You can choose the hotel from the below list to stay near Tolantongo and check their price according to your budget:
- Hotel Paraiso – Near to the Zipline and hot springs
- Hotel La Huerta – Near the River
- Hotel La Gruta – Near to the caves and waterfalls
- Hotel Molanguito – Located at the top of Grutas Valley
Note that, you cannot make hotel or rooms reservation online, so the best way is to arrive at 7 am and reserve your room in your chosen hotel. You can get all the reservations under $750 to $2400 MXN in cash.
Most of the visitors recommend staying at Paraiso Hotel because it is located in a great location and they offer great services. But it is a little more expensive than other hotels. Therefore, from this location, you can start your day with pools that are next located to the hotel.
As it is a local area that does not have luxuries and the latest services including 5-star infrastructure, Wi-Fi, and TV expect some special rooms. But I think it’s a great thing to spend a few days without luxuries.
Although Molanguito Hotel has all facilities including, Wi-Fi, TV, and additional shower rooms, it is located outside Tolantongo Park and opens just on the weekends.
Grutas de Tolantongo Camping:
If you want to enjoy outdoor nights in camps instead of hotels, you can choose from four Grutas de Tolantongo campgrounds:
- La Ortiga
- Huamuchil
- La Huerta
- Paraiso Escondido
If you don’t have a tent and forget to bring it. Don’t worry Park provides all camping equipment at an affordable cost per night of $150 MXN which is less cost than a hotel room. Moreover, you can rent Firewood, Grills, Chairs, and blankets at reasonable prices.
Although, if you have no experience of camping, their staff will help you out. You just choose the camping place. It is a great adventure to spend a night under the sky of stars after spending an enjoyable day.
Best Thing to Do at Grutas de Tolantongo [Step-to-Step Plan]
The park has various attractions for you and your family entertainment including, rivers, caves, pools, Zipline, and many other things. If you go to visit all the destinations you may miss some attractions to see on a day trip. So the below attraction plan helps you to enjoy all the attractions of Tolantongo without missing one.
I recommend you spend at least one night at Tolantongo for exploring every attraction under the park. Here are all the attractions mentioned below you can explore one by one all the attractions in a whole day:
1 Thermal Pools (Las Pozas) de Tolantongo
Las Pozas de Tolantongo is one of the most beautiful attractions to begin Tolantongo Adventures. You can choose from 30 thermal pools from de Tolantongo. Pool water has up to 38 Celsius temperature that flows from the earth’s ground crust.
These pools contain Volcanic mud that looks like white charcoal, this mud is beneficial for health and keeps you relaxed with Pozas healing effects. You can choose the pools from two sides at the entrance of the park. You don’t allow bringing food and drinks to the pool area and its close at 6 pm.
Though, the attraction of this pool is best for those who want to spend some time for themselves.
2 Waterfalls
After spend a great time on the poolside, you should go to watch the magical waterfalls. You just need to go on the way to the caves you will find waterfalls there. In this attraction, you can see hundreds of limestone in one spot.
3 Natural Hidden Cave
After enjoying the waterfall continue onto Hidden Cave (Gruta Escondido). It is best to cross the suspension bridge that is connected with the Gruta Escondido.
Stay alert while going inside the hidden caves, these are small but looks stunning with slippery path. Because water becomes from so many natural holes you should need to walk carefully. Therefore, you need to bring proper water shoes and bathing attire before entering the cave.
4 Zipline
Zipline is one of the few attractions which is not included in your daily ticket, you need to spend $250 MXN extra to do a Zipline activity. Because if you want to go for a Zipline activity you need a lot of time. You cannot do it with other attractions. So if you plan to stay just one day and want to visit the Zipline, it’s best to buy a Zipline ticket first instead of another ticket.
However, Zipline is around 1890 M long and it is divided into four sections but all the Zipline goes in one direction. You will cross the trees and forest, so make sure don’t bring an extra backpack with you.
5 Cave Swimming
As you visit a Zipline it will bring you near to the main cave, because it’s the single finishing point of the Zipline. So it will be a great chance of swimming after a long walk. The cave water is slightly warm and relaxing.
Note that you have good and confident swimming skills because the cave water is dim and deep which is no light. It’s good for you if you bring a head cap waterproof torch with you. Otherwise, you can go for a swim in an underground river.
6 River Swimming
If you don’t want to go inside the cave for swimming you can choose the Cool River swimming under the sunlight and blue water of the Tolantongo River. Especially after a long Zipline walk. It is also closed after 6 pm for swimmers. Therefore, river water has a high amount of magnesium and calcium which is great for health.
Where do you get the Food at Grutas Tolantongo?
After spending a day full of adventures, it’s a must to have a delicious meal. So you can choose a food spot from 3 hotel kitchens that offer different Mexican restaurants from Casual to Dinning with delicious seafood.
La Gruta
- Las Palomas Restaurant
- El Huamúchil Restaurant
- El Paraje Kitchen
- El Malecón Kitchen
- El Huamúchil Kitchen
- La Huerta Kitchen
Molanguito
- Molanguito Kitchen
Paraiso Hotel
- Molanguito Kitchen
- Paraíso Escondido Restaurant
- Paraíso Escondido Restaurant
All restaurants are known for their yummy Mexican food. You will get the food on traditional plates including, Fried Fish, Lunch, a variety of soups, and Quesadillas.
What to Bring for Grutas de Tolantongo Trip?
When you ready your backpack for a Tolantongo adventure trip, make sure to bring some dresses according to the chosen activities. Including:
- Tracksuit for Zipline
- Track shoes for Zipline
- Waterproof shoes
- Light cloths
- Bathing suits
- Blankets
- Towels
- Sun Blocks
- Hats
- Glasses
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Is Grutas de Tolantongo worth it?
Absolutely it is worth it! Once you visit Grutas Tolantongo, you will accept you have never seen this place before. It is the world’s coolest touring spot with cotton-candy blue clouds, caves, pools, and the Tolantongo River.
Q. Is it safe to travel to Grutas Tolantongo?
Hidalgo City is known as one of the safest places on the earth, even Pachuca is a great place to walk.
Q. How much does it cost to go to Grutas de Tolantongo?
1-day Ticket Cost = $180.00 MXN per person
Parking cost = $30 MXN per day
Camping, Hoteling, and Food need extra expense.
Conclusion
The Grutas de Tolantongo is a truly natural hidden heaven destination for nature lovers. It is located near the Hidalgo Mountains in Mexico State. This place is blessed with a natural, River, caves with natural warm water, waterfall, and mesmerizing Canyon.
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