How to Hike Tamul Waterfall
When I decided to visit the best waterfalls in San Luis Potosí, Tamul Waterfall (Cascada Tamul) was at the top of my list. Tamul Waterfall is the tallest one in the state, sitting at 105 meters tall (345ft).
I knew I wanted to see this beauty I had seen in pictures before. Although La Huasteca Potosina has many beautiful waterfalls, this one quickly became one of my favorites because it’s more dramatic.
Getting there was a bit of a mission, mainly because there is misinformation upon arrival. When you research online and ask locals, they always point you in the direction of taking a paddle boat down the river to see the waterfall.
However, I’m here to tell you that hiking the Tamul waterfall is possible and in my opinion might be better than paddling to the waterfall.
I’ll explain in this post how to hike Tamul Waterfall so that you can have an easier and more straightforward experience than my friend and I did.
How to Hike Tamul Waterfall
Table of Contents
Two Ways to Visit Tamul Waterfall
First and foremost, you can reach Tamul Waterfall from two different vantage points. You have the option to ride a paddleboat to the front and lower part of the waterfall, or you can hike to the upper part of the waterfall.
There is no wrong option because each way is beautiful. But in my opinion, the hike is better for a few reasons. You not only get the upper view, but you also get up close to it and can swim in it.
Each will require a different route which I’ll share in this post to facilitate your getting there.
Riding the Boat to Tamul Waterfall
If you choose to ride the paddleboat, you will need to get to the town of La Morena. From the town of La Morena, you will go to embarcadero de La Morena.
The boat ride is a little longer than 2 and a half hours, and it includes a stop at Cueva del Agua Cenote, with the final stop close to the foot of the waterfall. The return is about 45 minutes downstream. For safety, the paddle boat doesn’t get too close.
It’s recommended to go during the dry season because the rapids around the waterfall get quite strong.
One thing to know is you’ll be paddling on this boat. Therefore I recommend going early when it’s not too hot. Use a hat and sunscreen because you’ll be directly in the sun. The boat stops at a rock where you will take pictures. During the busy season, it can get crowded. So plan accordingly.
Some tours leave from Ciudad Valles, or you can get a guide in La Morena or Tanchachin (the other small town near the docks).
The tours run at about 1,600 MXN. If you arrive directly at the docks at La Morena, the price to ride the paddle boat is 150 MXN per person, but the price can vary if the boat doesn’t fill up.
It will cost more for the seats they didn’t fill. The boats hold up to 20 people, so they can charge you the whole thing or a standard rate of nearly $30-$40 if you have to take the boat yourself.
If you go during a low season, you won’t find a full boat, and you’ll have to pay more. It’s important to note, that because of the current, they might not take a paddleboat with a few people in it.
You don’t go swimming in the river or near the waterfall with this option. However, you get a different perspective, and the view is lovely.
How to Get to La Morena For the PaddleBoat
To get to La Morena or Tanchachin, you’ll most likely come from either Ciudad Valles or Tamasopo. From Tamasopo, you can take one of two routes. The top route through Rio Verde is more transited and lovely. Then you turn south.
If you take the lower route (also the one that takes to the hike instead), you drive through a more deserted path. When you get to El Sauz town, you head south to El Naranjito. From El Naranjito town, you continue to Tanchachin and down towards La Morena.
At La Morena, you find the docks for Tamul Waterfall.
How to Hike Tamul Waterfall
I knew before arriving that I wanted to hike to the waterfall. You get a closer perspective and it’s a photographer’s paradise. Plus, you can cliff jump and swim if the current isn’t too strong.
If you choose to hike to Tamul Waterfall, you will be going to the upper part of the waterfall but also to the bottom part where you can swim under the waterfall. You actually get to experience both, the upper and lower part. The hike is not strenuous or lengthy, but it is hot.
You’ll need to go prepared with water and comfortable shoes to walk in. The hike itself will be a total of about 30 minutes, and the drive from the small town of El Naranjo to the campsite where you begin will be about 35 minutes along a very bumpy dirt road.
It’s also a more intimidating process because there is not much information about it on the web and when you arrive you are made to believe you can’t hike it alone. Taking a tour is also an option, it all depends on your budget. I’ll break down how to get there.
How to Get There
You’ll most likely be coming from either Tamasopo or Ciudad Valles. From either city, you want to drive towards El Sauz. The drive is about 30 minutes from either side.
El Sauz is the small town where you will turn south towards the small town of El Naranjito. It will take about 15 minutes on a small paved road to arrive.
Here is where it gets tricky. When you arrive at the town, you see a sign that says, “Bienvenidos a Cascada Tamul” (Welcome to Tamul Waterfall).
You are at the right place. The road where the sign is placed is public. You are allowed to drive through.
However, this is where there might be misinformation from the guides that stand next to the sign. These guides, put up a rope on the street and when you stop to ask for information, they tell you that to get to the waterfall, you need a tour.
Getting There Continued...(How to Hike Tamul Waterfall)
We asked if we could hike it on our own, but unfortunately, the guides make you believe the only option is to be guided. So they do not put down the rope.
The price of the tour is 1,000 MXN pesos for a guide. It was high for our budget. But if it’s within your means, perhaps taking a tour is a good option for you.
It’s a great way to support the local community. A guided tour includes guides for the hike and life vests for cliff jumping if you decide to go for a swim.
We were a bit confused because we thought we could hike it alone. So, we said thank you and drove off to eat breakfast and look for Wifi so we can read more about it.
Indeed, we read hiking alone is possible without a tour but the guides made us believe we couldn’t. So, we got back in our rental car and drove back to a side street that would take us to the main road that was blocked by the guides.
It almost felt illegal, but I assure you it’s not. We turned on a side street (5 de mayo) that wasn’t well marked. It was covered in grass, bumpy, uphill, and unnoticeable.
It led us to 25 de Septiembre, the main dirt road that would lead us to the Campamento Tamul, where the hike begins.
Although we were doing nothing wrong, we got worried the guides would come on their motorcycles to tell us something. But they didn’t. We planned to say we were headed to Campamento Tamul, where the hike begins.
In fact, when we arrived at Campamento Tamul, we ran into the guides again and they had a group of people. They didn’t say anything to us.
Again, taking a tour is a good option too. It’s a great choice for people who don’t hike much, if you have kids, or you simply like being guided.
El Naranjito to Campamento Tamul
Once on the dirt road towards Campamento Tamul, it was a very bumpy ride. A 4×4 is definitely much better for driving this road, but our small compact car was fine by going very slow. This was definitely an off-roading experience.
After about 15 minutes of driving, we came to a fence where a rancher with a hat stopped us. He charged us 20 MXN pesos per person and let us through.
I believe this part is called El Corozo. It’s private property, so the owner charges for cars to pass. He gives a small paper ticket to you after you pay.
How to Hike Tamul Waterfall......
We kept driving for about 20 more minutes on the bumpy road until we arrived at Campamento Tamul. We parked our car and saw 3 more cars with people who took tours with the guides at the entrance.
The guides saw us but didn’t say anything to us. It turns out we could pass without getting a tour.
We walked into the Camp, and the worker at the front desk charged us 50MXN pesos per person for entering the private property to hike. If you come with a tour, the two prices are included.
I read on other blogs that sometimes the guides are there at the camp and they tell you guides are mandatory for 150 MXN pesos.
The hiking trail is not run by the government, it’s run by the community. So they charge to upkeep it. I’m not sure how it works, but the day we went, they weren’t at the camp charging. We only paid 50 MXN.
Hiking from Campamento Tamul to Tamul Waterfall
When you see Campamento Tamul, you made it to the official hike to Tamul Waterfall. The adventure continues. The hike is an easy 20-minute flat walk to the top viewpoint.
Here you can stop for some pictures from above the waterfall. But if you want to walk down for a closer look, you’ll need to walk down some sets of stairs for another 10 minutes until you reach the rocks with a close-up side view of Tamul Waterfall.
The hike is pleasant. It’s mostly shaded with trees, and the path is easy to follow. Along the way, you follow the river that leads to the waterfall. There are spots along the way where you can jump in to refresh.
If you continue, you go down the stairs until you reach the light-colored boulders. This view is incredible, and you can get some fantastic pictures! It’s a much closer view of the falls than taking the boat tour. You can even swim in the water just next to the waterfall.
Swimming in Tamul Waterfalls
What I didn’t know about the hike is you can actually swim almost beneath the waterfall. The tour group that arrived before us was cliff jumping into the river with the guidance of the guides.
Beneath, there is a rope you can hold on to because the current can be strong. Therefore life jackets are recommended because the river can be dangerous.
We considered jumping, but we didn’t have life jackets because we didn’t pay for the tour that included them. Instead, we walked on the boulders further away from the waterfall and looked for a calm and safe spot to swim in.
The day was hot, so it was the perfect way to refresh from the 90-degree weather. My friend even jumped from a lower boulder.
If we had life jackets, perhaps he would have jumped from the tall area next to the waterfall. Still, we saved ourselves a lot of money. 70 MXN pesos total in comparison to 1,000 MXN for life jackets, and a guide is a vast difference.
If I were on vacation mode instead of backpacking mode, perhaps I would have done the tour. But we wanted to do it in a more budget-friendly way.
Our time in the water was still incredible, and we didn’t want to leave.
If I were on vacation mode instead of backpacking mode, perhaps I would have done the tour. But we wanted to do it in a more budget-friendly way.
Our time in the water was still incredible, and we didn’t want to leave.
Leaving Tamul Waterfall
The same way you hiked in is the same way to hike out. It’s a bit harder because you’ll be climbing the stairs up to the top viewpoint this time. It will also be hotter!
So make sure you arrive early at the waterfall. On your way out, if you have time, you can jump into the bodies of water along the hiking trail back to the camp.
We were very hot, so we went straight into town and looked for a place to buy cold drinks. Once we refreshed, we drove to Ciudad Valles to spend the night there. We had another day of waterfalls waiting for us, and we chose this spot to sleep in.
Although we started our day early, we wasted a lot of time figuring out how to arrive since the guides made us think it was the only way. Had we had a couple more daylight hours, we would have checked out something else nearby or gotten a proper dinner.
In conclusion, Tamul Waterfall became one of my favorite falls in La Huasteca. Its dramatic presence made it the perfect waterfall to visit.
It was also refreshing to swim in the turquoise-green water and the hike was pleasant. I definitely recommend visiting and doing the hike. Whether it be alone or on a tour, you will enjoy this spot in La Huasteca Potosina.
What to Pack:
How to Hike Tamul Waterfall
- 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.
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 a great option because it’s a large city with pharmacies, stores, banks, restaurants, gas stations, and more.
We, on the other hand, decided last minute where to stay because we decided we would sleep wherever the night caught us.
So, the night before, we slept in Tamasopo because we stopped there on the first day of our waterfall route. Tamasopo is a small town with a few convenience stores and pharmacies, your basic needs.
After leaving Tamul Waterfall, we drove to Ciudad Valles to sleep there because we were headed to the northern waterfalls the following day. Staying in Ciudad Valles would get us closer to our next destination.
In Ciudad Valles, we slept at a hostel in a private room with two beds. The cost was 600 MXN. Here are some accommodation options:
Cuidad Valles:
Tamasopo:
Camping at Campamento Tamul
Throughout La Huasteca Potosi, Camping is a popular form of accommodation. Campamento Tamul is the perfect camping spot if you want to stay near the waterfall.
This could be a great choice if you are doing the van life or you want to travel on a lower budget. It’s inexpensive, especially during off-seasons when few people stay.
Personally, I love camping but after long days of hiking, I like the comfort of a bed. However, this is a choice I’d consider if I was traveling slower through La Huasteca Potosina.
When to Visit
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.
Are you traveling to Mexico? Check out these posts of some great places to visit:
How to Hike Tamul 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!
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How to Hike Tamul Waterfall
