One of the largest, most populated cities in the world Mexico City is a wonderfully
chaotic tangle of complexities. With a population of more than 20 million,
the Mexican capital is an ever-changing metropolis. But just three and a half hour
drive away from Mexico City is a beautiful hidden gem called Grutas De Tolontongo.
You will have to go on a venturesome journey to reach this place. It is recommended that you head
there by day as, on the last leg of the journey, the road is unpaved and has lots of tight curves.
Join me as we get to know this place. Right now we are at Grutas Tolantongo
if that's how you pronounce it. We just drove from Mexico city myself and my friend Shellica. If you
make the drive just pay attention to the speed bumps they just creep up on you there's no warning
and next thing your head is in the roof it's not fun. It's a fairly easy drive you know
just putting google maps and pretty much takes you right here. But yeah overall the
drive is nice uh smooth easy drive the last 15 minutes is very scenic that's about it.
Now it's time to go and show you the hell around so let's go and see what the space is all about
Your destination is on the left.
You don't speak English? How much? Quanto? $150 per person. Arrive early at least by 9am
to book your hotel on site since you can't make reservations ahead of time; the rooms fill up
quickly especially on the weekends and there's a process to get your room. First you will put your
name on a list return at 12 30 pm to confirm and pay and then pick up your keys at 3 30pm.
The park has four hotels but everyone favors hotel Paraiso Escondido
for its refreshing pools of water. The rooms are very basic no AC, no wi-fi,
no tv so just know that you're paying for a place to rest your head. The park has two sides the hot
pools are located on one side and the river, cave, and tunnel are located on the other side.
To get to the section with the river you'll need to drive. If you didn't drive there are buses that
will take you from one side to the other. This place has four sections um the hot pools, the
waterfall, the tunnel, and the river. Right now we're gonna go check out the river from the images
i've seen online the water looks beautiful so i'm gonna go check it out and see if it feels as good
as it looks. In the heart of Hidalgo's mountain range flows a river of turquoise thermal waters
that has been known as Tolantongo for hundreds of years. The river's color is due to the presence of
mineral salts in the water which filters through rocks that have been subjected to various degrees
of volcanic heating. The water flows over a series of shallow cascades that over the years
have forged several natural pools perfect for swimming. It is so beautiful out here
so beautiful and the water is at perfect temperature wow this is this is freaking amazing
all right uh rivera from el paso texas here vacationing for the weekend at Tolantongo Mexico.
It's a place to be man if you want to get some good places to sit family getaway it's
perfect. Since the hotels tend to fill up pretty quickly the park rents out camping gears and has
a campsite near the river. You can rent all the gear you'll need for your stay and the campground
is set up with showers, bathrooms, and changing rooms. On the weekend it gets really crowded and
like the hotels you can't make a reservation for a space on the campground so come early to find a
spot. After washing away all crosses we headed over to the cave and tunnel area of the river.
The Tolantongo cave and the tunnel are right next to one another. This is the area of the Tolantongo
river where most of the hot water originates and then feeds out to the rest of the river.
The fact that you enter the cave through a magnificent waterfall makes the experience
that much more memorable. As the waterfalls do not feed from the cave and tunnel area
be prepared for a brisk shot of cold water before entering into the warm pools just behind it.
Once inside you'll be able to see some signs of what the waters have been
forging for thousands of years. The cave is a bit narrow and sometimes crowded,
so it may not be ideal for those faint of heart. If you're lucky enough to visit on a day when
it's not too crowded, you'll be sure to enjoy the all-natural mineral hot spring that awaits you.
The tunnel is a 40 meter long passage molded inside of the rock.
The water inside the tunnel is warm and gets warmer the further you go in. It is
very dark so bring a waterproof light with you and take small calculated steps to avoid
injuries. These are Tolantango hot springs where most of the instagram worthy shots happen.
These little pools are supplied by a spring located at the top of the mountain
and though they are man-made it doesn't take away from the magic experience once you're here.
The pools are around 90 degrees fahrenheit and each is unique.
All you people that are germaphobes out there they do clean these things okay and they
actually empty every one of these pools drain them out sweep it out and you know clean it
and then refill it in case you're wondering. It's pretty nice. The water temperature is pretty
good as well nice and warm. This morning we woke up to around 45 degrees weather
not my type of weather but once you get in the pool you don't notice it when you get out you may
notice it. It's hard to explain in words the sense of tranquility that this landscape denotes. You
just have to experience it for yourself. If you're looking to get that money shot and don't want any
other people in your photos you will need to be at the pools within the first 30 minutes of opening.
If you are hungry or thirsty after adventuring there are three formal
restaurants and at least nine casual restaurants in the park.
As you can see there are quite a few things to do at Tolontongo.
If you have the time on your trip to Mexico, love being in nature,
enjoy venturing off the beaten path, and want to visit one of the most beautiful places here then
Tolantongo is the place to go. Thanks for having us. If you enjoyed this video or found it helpful
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have any questions drop them in a comment and i will answer them. Thanks so much for watching.