Visiting Cascada El Meco
While visiting waterfalls in La Huasteca Potosina, Cascada El Meco quickly became one of my favorite waterfalls in the region. Visiting Cascada El Meco is like entering paradise.
This waterfall is stunning and breathtaking. It’s the last waterfall we explored on our road trip through Las Hausteca Potosina, and it was well worth the long and wild drive to get there.
Cascada El Meco is well known among locals, but its remote location still keeps massive tourism away. If you skip this waterfall, you’ll be missing out on a true gem.
Here is some information about visiting Cascada El Meco in la Husateca Potosina.
Visiting Cascada El Meco
Table of Contents
How to Get to Cascada el Meco
Cascada el Meco is about 2 hours from Ciudad Valles, the closest large city. You have a few options on how to arrive. You can rent a car, go on tour from Ciudad Valles, or hire a private taxi.
If you’re looking for the most convenient way to get around, I recommend renting a car to travel through La Huasteca Potosina. This will give you the freedom to take your time and to stop where and whenever you want.
Renting is probably also the cheapest way to get around as private taxis and organized tours might get costly.
You’ll probably start your journey in San Luis Potosi, the capital city of San Luis Potosi. We opted to rent a car from this point instead of taking public transportation to Ciudad Valles, where you can also rent a car.
Ciudad Valles is the central city where you can base yourself to travel through La Huasteca Potosina. Each day you can sleep there and visit the different spots.
We, on the other hand, decided to book hotels last minute and stay in whichever town the night caught us in. This will be a good option if you can go with the flow.
However, if you like to be organized, I recommend you book a hotel in Ciudad Valles and begin from there.
From Ciudad Valles, you will travel north along a small paved road until you reach the small town of Naranjo, where the waterfall is.
Along the way, you will pass a few waterfalls, including El Salto del Mico and Minas Viejas. You can stop at these along the way or start the opposite way from Cascada El Meco and work your way back to Ciudad Valles.
Driving to Cascada El Meco
Getting to Cascada el Meco is a wild journey in every sense. The drive is long, full of curves, and the road has the most potholes I’ve ever seen in my life.
Driving this road is like playing a game of Tetris as you swing your car from left to right to avoid them all.
Unfortunately, I can say I accidentally drove through a few of them. Not to mention the number of huge speed bumps in every town on your way there.
But if you’re up for an adventure, driving this crazy road can also be fun with some good music and good company.
At some point, the road was quite deserted, and we didn’t see cars. This was perhaps because we were headed towards Cascada el Meco around 5:30 pm. It was a bit late, and we weren’t sure if to still go.
But, we decided to go still, and it was a great choice. By the time we got there, tourists had already left, and we basically had the waterfall to ourselves.
The viewpoint of Cascada El Meco
There are two options for visiting Cascada El Meco. The first way is to simply stop at the viewpoint along the road. Stopping at the viewpoint gives you a more aerial view of the fall. This option is entirely free, and it’s a gorgeous view.
I think it’s worth a stop even if you choose the other option. There are spots for taking pictures, or you can stand there in awe to admire the beauty of the falls. When we stopped, there was not a soul around. So we had the viewpoint to ourselves.
If you arrive earlier, some locals will be at the viewpoint offering boat tours that take you directly up to the waterfall.
If you are on a budget, seeing the waterfalls from this viewpoint can be fulfilling. You can stay there as long as you want and walk around the platform while enjoying the view.
However, I highly recommend spending a little more money to go on the boat tour, which I’ll talk about next.
Boat Tour to Cascada el Meco
The second way to view Cascada el Meco is to hire a boat tour that takes you upstream to view it upfront. You enter the small road that leads to the river and park along the sides. As soon as you get off your car, locals will offer boat tours for 150 MXN pesos.
The price includes the mandatory life vest, and once the boat fills up, they take you to the waterfall. The water is some of the bluest I’ve seen to date. It was a mesmerizing blue-green color, which made the long drive there worth it.
I was in awe.
Another thing to note is there is a recreational 35 MNX peso fee. Although this is a recreational area, I liked that it wasn’t over-developed into a tourist spot with activities. The only things available in the area are the boats, a few picnic chairs, and some swings by the water.
The Boat Tour
The boat tour takes you up close to the waterfall, but you can also jump into the water for a swim. The boat will pull to the side of a huge boulder where there is a spot of rocks you can walk on. You can get into the water from there or take some pictures.
If you are a good swimmer and have strong arms to hold yourselves by the rocks against the strong current, you can swim to the side of the waterfall and climb it. Then you can jump from there.
The current will quickly take you down the river when you jump from the waterfall, but it eventually calms. Please only do this if you are a good swimmer.
My friend Fernando did this, but I didn’t want to fight the current against the rocks to climb it. So instead, I got into the water from a safe distance to swim.
The tour lasts about an hour. If you’re lucky, you might even get the boat to yourself.
As mentioned above, we arrived late. We were the last people to arrive. There was only another couple around who went with another tour company.
So, we got the boat to ourselves, and we had the waterfall to ourselves too. This made it 1000 times better because we enjoyed the area without other people around. Plus, it made for great pictures too.
The Views at Cascada el Meco
Once back on the boat, again, we were in awe of the color. It was unreal. We sat in the boat, enjoying our surroundings and listening to our boat driver.
He told us about the fancy eco-friendly hotel along the river and how it was used to film telenovelas. He also told us the swing in front of the hotel is a popular spot for picture taking.
At this point, our entire tour of La Huasteca Potosina was ending, and all I could feel was grateful for the moment. I was grateful to have the whole place to myself, for the incredible views and three beautiful days.
Cascada el Meco and Tamul Waterfall became my two favorite waterfalls in the region.
When to Visit Cascada El Meco
When visiting La Huasteca, it’s essential to consider the right time. There is a rainy season and a dry season. So naturally, you’ll want to avoid the rainy season. Here is a breakdown.
- December-February: The Waterfalls and rivers still have plenty of water. There isn’t rain, and the weather is nice. It’s not hot or cold.
- March-May: This is the season before the rain begins. The rivers and waterfalls have less water (I went in May, and the waterfalls still looked amazing). The temperature is scorching and can hit 40 degrees.
- June-August: These months are the rainy season, and you’ll most likely encounter chocolate-colored water. Some places close because they can become dangerous with strong currents and high water levels.
- September-November: The rainy season has ended, and the rivers and waterfalls will have a lot of water. They will have a lovely turquoise color, and it’s warm.
One thing to note is holiday weekends and Semana Santa (holy week/spring break) get incredibly crowded, and hotel prices go up. So plan accordingly.
Where to Stay
Accommodation will depend on your route. A base city for traveling La Huasteca is Ciudad Valles. Many people book their hotel nights here every day and drive here every night after visiting different waterfalls.
Ciudad Valles is an excellent option because it’s a large city with pharmacies, stores, banks, restaurants, gas stations, etc.
We, on the other hand, decided last minute where to stay because we decided we would sleep wherever the night caught us.
The night before visiting Cascada el Meco, we did stay in Ciudad Valles. We had come from Tamul Waterfall, and staying in this city was perfect for waking up and heading towards the waterfall.
Where to Stay continued
If you visit this waterfall last, you can drive back to Ciudad Valles or stay in the small town of Naranjo. It all depends on your route.
We were done exploring the waterfalls, so we didn’t want to drive back to Ciudad Valles because we were headed back to San Luis Potosi.
However, the night caught us, and we had to sleep in a small town an hour away from Naranjo. We didn’t want to drive the roads in Mexico late at night.
Although in general Mexico is safe to travel to, precautions must be taken, and avoiding night travel is one way to stay safe.
Staying in Ciudad Valles is probably the best option. But you can also stay in Naranjo, where the waterfall is located. This is a good choice if you leave it last and stay late.
Naranjo is tiny, so you won’t have all the basic needs like larger restaurants, banks, and gas stations. The Booking website doesn’t even have hotels mentioned. You’ll have to ask locals or drive around to look for a bed and breakfast accommodation.
In our case, we drove to Ciudad de Maiz to sleep. Then, we were headed towards San Luis Potosi early in the morning, and this was the largest city on the way there. We only drove one hour in the dark until we reached this city.
Cuidad Valles:
Ciudad de Maiz (if you’re driving back to San Luis Potosi):
- 1 Hotel Casa Grande (*we stayed here)
- 2 Hotel La Mision
- 3 Hotel San Jose
- *These hotels don’t show on Booking. The city is small.
What to Pack
- Cash: You will need it for tours, entrance fees, small family-owned restaurants, etc. Although Mexico uses credit cards in cities, it’s still a cash society for smaller businesses.
- Water: This area of Mexico is hot, near 90 degrees. I recommend taking a water bottle that keeps your water cold.
- GoPro/Camera: You’ll want to take some great pictures of this waterfall. The GoPro is perfect if you cliff jump or take photos and videos while swimming.
- Swimsuit: You’ll want to refresh with a swim. Trust me; it’s hot. You can find many cute swimsuits online.
- Towel: A travel towel is perfect because it doesn’t take up much space.
- Water shoes: You don’t necessarily need them, but some rocks have moss and can be slippery. Since you’ll be going around La Huasteca, they’re nice to have as an option.
- Sunscreen: It’s good to take care of your skin.
- Daypack: I always travel with a small daypack to carry for day trips. It’s perfect for having hands-free and carrying your cash, water, clothes, towels, and extra shoes. I also bring my phone, GoPro, phone charger, and sunscreen.
- Waterproof phone case: These are always helpful if you want to bring your phone into the water to take pictures.
- Waterproof backpack: If you don’t trust leaving your valuables on the side while you swim, a waterproof backpack is always a great choice. We didn’t have one, so we put our things on the side where we could keep an eye on them.
Visiting El Meco Waterfall
Travel Booking Resources
Book Your Flight:
To find cheap flights, check Skyscanner and Google Flights. These search engines check airlines to find you the best deals. The more flexibility you have, the better flight deals available.
Book Your Accommodation:
Booking.com is my favorite booking site for hotels but it also shows great deals on hostels and apartments. Plus, when you reach Genius Level, you get special discounts, included breakfasts, and upgrades on some hotel rooms. Hostelworld is specifically for budget travelers who enjoy hostels. This is the best place for finding great options.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance and Visa Applications:
Travel insurance will protect you against theft, injury, illness, and cancellations. Sometimes unexpected things happen during a trip and protections will keep you covered. Two great options are: Safety Wing and World Nomads. Also, iVisa can help you get a visa if you need one.
Book Tours:
Sometimes the best way to see a place is through tours. I recommend checking out Get Your Guide for some fun and unique adventures wherever you go.
Check out my other travel resources to help you book your trip!
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Please note I only recommend products and brands that I personally use or have used and believe in.
Visiting El Meco Waterfall
