How to Visit La Huasteca Potosina Mexico: The only Guide You Need

Planning a visit to La Huasteca Potosina? I am here to help! This massive guide to la Huasteca Potosina in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, will tell you everything you need to know about this magical place, how to get around, and what to see.

I live in Mexico since 2010 and I visited la Huasteca Mexico during my solo trip around the most beautiful places in Mexico. Of course, I couldn’t skip la Huasteca Potosina, one of the most spectacular regions of Mexico.

I usually rent a car but this time I traveled by local buses, and I even did a bit of hitchhiking with a girl that I met in the hostel. (disclaimer – it went well, but I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you are traveling on your own)

In this post, I will explain all the possible ways to visit la Huasteca Potosina, this magical place in Mexico, the Huasteca Region.

You can read the entire post (very informative) or skip to the part you like using the Table of contents here below.

Where is La Huasteca Potosina

First of all, let’s clarify what is the Huasteca Potosina. It’s not a state, but a specific area located in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, bordering Tampico and Veracruz on the eastern side, Hidalgo south, and Queretaro on the west side.

The Huasteca Potosina region comprises many small towns and Ciudad Valle is the main one, where you could be based and take daily road trips from there.

It’s part of the bigger region of the Huastecas, so named after the prehispanic civilization living here, the Huastecan.

Morphologically speaking the entire area presents a variety of landscapes, from flatlands to hills made of calcified sand, and basalt from old lava flows which penetrate the primarily sedimentary rock molded by the wind and water erosion.

As a result, the Huasteca Potosina is characterized by a huge amount of waterfalls, canyons, natural pools, and caves; a huge natural playground to discover, for nature lovers like us.

I’ve spent only five days, but if you want to really familiarize yourself with everything this area has to offer, one month is not enough. 

Practical Facts about La Huasteca Potosina Mexico

A brief history of the huasteca Potosina

The Huastec civilization (sometimes spelled Huaxtec or Wastek) was a pre-Columbian civilization of Mesoamerica, occupying a territory on the Gulf Coast of Mexico that included the northern portion of Veracruz state, and neighboring regions of the states of Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas.

How many days do you need to visit the Huasteca Potosina?

You need at least five days to see all the spectacular attractions in the Huasteca Potosina Region, including all the waterfalls and caves and the spectacular Edward James Surrealist Garden in Xilitla.

I stayed in Ciudad Valle, and from there, I visited different waterfalls and caves every day.

I was lucky as at the hostel where I was staying I met a girl who was traveling with the same purpose and we decided to venture together for a couple of days on local buses and a couple of days by a private taxi.

The latter was much comfier and easier, although hitchhiking for the first time in Mexico was really fun!

However, you can read below to learn more about each place, how to get there, and how much it costs.

Also, I will tell you other more comfortable options for where to stay in Ciudad Valles.

Is it safe to visit the Huasteca Potosina?

I have never felt in danger, even hitch-hacking. If you want to know about safety in Mexico, here is a full guide on how to stay safe while traveling in Mexico.

La Huasteca Potosina Map

How to organize your itinerary and visit the entire region of la Huasteca Potosina?

There are different ways to visit the Huasteca Potosina and here I am sharing a few useful notes.

1. You could stay in every place you go visit and keep moving arondn, if you rented a car, which is the best way to do that. You will find pretty villas and small hotels near every major attraction.
2. If you love comfort and luxury, you could just split your trip in two 2 parts, 3 or 4 days in Xilitla and the rest, around 4 full days in Ciudad Valles, which is the most convenient city from where all the organized tours start and the most strategically located. Ciudad Valles in itself is not a particularly attractive city, but you will arrive happy and exhausted at the end of your day. So make sure you will book a comfortable place to relax and chill to get ready for the next day.
3. If you arrive from Queretaro and the Sierra Gorda, you should stop first in Xilitla and then move to Ciudad Valles. (See below for the bus schedules.) If you are coming from San Luis Potosi (the city), you should stop in Ciudad Valles first.
4. Many people stay in Ciudad Valle the whole trip and go to Xilitla just for one day, which is about 2 hours by bus (130mxn).
5. In Xilitla, beside the famous Edward James Surrealist Garden, the most popular attraction you would find within walking distance from the town center, there are a couple of other things to do if you have time and budget availability.
6. One of the amazing attractions of the Huasteca Potosina, the Sotano de las Golondrinas, is much closer to Xilitla than Ciudad Valles, which is on the way to.
7. So keep it in mind when you are planning your itinerary, especially if you are planning to see it early morning when the birds come out and need to be there by 6 am, you will want to sleep as close as possible.
8. We went from Ciudad Valles and had to leave from there at 4.30. It’s not fun! 🙂
9. There are also Huasteca Potosina tours that you could join by contacting local travel agents.

What to see in the Huasteca Potosina

I have grouped the waterfalls according to their geographical location and in the order that I consider the most convenient and practical way to visit them for their location. I will explain each place in detail.

Visit the Huasteca Potosina from Ciudad Valles

Day 1 – Temosopo and Puente de Dios

Tamasopo is one of the main attractions and the most easy to get to by public transportation.

You can definitely go on your own by local bus from Ciudad Valles to the waterfall of Temosopo, and it’s a great and easy adventure. The bus leaves from the downtown bus terminal of Vencedor buses. It costs 70 pesos (4 USD) and takes 2 hours to get there.

Of course, by taxi, it would be about 1h 20′ because it wouldn’t make all the stops. The bus will leave you right at the gate of the waterfall, which is a huge well-kept garden with natural pools and two huge waterfalls.

It costs 30 pesos 2$ to get in. It is not so dramatic and impactful as  Puente de Dios is, but still worth visiting. The place offers changing rooms, lockers and bathrooms, restaurants, and life vest rentals since in one of the pools it is compulsory to wear it.

You will have platforms and cords hanging to play Tarzan and jump in the water.

It’s a fun place.

Once you get out of Temosopo you will need to ask for a ride to get to Puente de Dios which is just a few km past Temosopo town.

You can either wait for the next bus, get a taxi, or, if you are more fortunate, get a ride (hitchhiking). I felt really safe there, but although we were trying to get a ride, the first car that stopped was a taxi.

We decided to pay the 70 pesos requested and get to our place as soon as possible.

In Puente de Dios, once you get there and pay the entrance fee of 30 pesos, you will have to climb down around 380 stairs to get to the waterfall, which means that you will also have to climb them up. 🙂

It’s not hard, though. You will need to go straight to reach the falls.

You will find deviation on the left but that will take you just along the river which is nothing really remarkable.

When you finally arrive at the fall you find impressive rock formation creating a very deep lake with high walls from where water will continue pouring in from every side.

The current was strong, you could tell.

The water was running underneath the rocks and continuing its stream on the other side where you could enjoy natural pools of turquoise waters and a mild current to get your natural massage.

The area was very safe and well-kept.

I decided to jump in, although the water was freezing and inviting.

I rented my lifejacket which was compulsory and then I jumped in, on the side of the river where the access was easier.

Only then did I find out that you could actually swim through a tunnel and get on the other side where the bigger waterfalls were. That was really cool.

The water was crystal clear, and cords were strategically placed to help you swim against the current, which sometimes was very strong. It was a fun swim and very refreshing. The area also has lockers if you have stuff to store.

I left my big camera and money and I felt it was in good hands. You don’t actually lock it; instead, you hand it to a guy who put your stuff in a box and gives you a number and you will have to write down on the book your name and the given number. Easy.

On the way back we didn’t find any ride to town but it was just 3 or 4 km distance and it was really a pleasant walk among the sugarcane fields.

In town, we reached the bus stop and waited for our ride to Ciudad Valles.

It was a long day but all worth it if you wish to try the adventure and leave the comfort for one time.

This is the only day on which it’s easy and doable to go by public transportation.

 Day 2 – La Huasteca Potosina – Tamul Waterfall

The day we visited Tamul waterfalls, we had an adventure.

I suggest you not to repeat it and hire a taxi and after you read this you will understand why.

We got the bus to Rio Verde and got out at a crossroads to Aquismon.

There, we started to walk towards the town, intending to stop at LA MORENA, where we would have to find a ride another 5 km inland.

As we walked we doubted our luck in finding somebody, not because they didn’t’ stop but because the road was deserted, apparently nobody was going in that direction.

After a good 20 minutes of walking, we found 4 motorbikers passing by. We stuck out our big fingers in sign to ask for a ride and they waved at us happily.

Damn! A good bike ride would have been nice.

After about 5 minutes they did stop and for an unknown reason, they came back to ask if we wanted a ride. Of course, we did, with no hesitation.

They seemed nice. It turned out that they were going exactly where we were going, to the Waterfalls of Tamul. That was an awesome ride.

Once we got there we introduced to each other and we decided to hire a boat altogether and it was great fun.

However, our luck had abandoned us for a moment, and on the way back we didn’t find a ride to get to the Sotano de las Golondrinas where we were supposed to go, and we decided to get back to Ciudad Valles, which was not so easy either.

We started to walk on the road back to the bus stop and we had calculated that if we didn’t find a ride we would have needed to walk about 3 hours as it was about an 18 km distance.

It was 3 pm, which meant that in the worst-case scenario we would have arrived at the bus stop before dark.

 I was still hoping for the ride, and it eventually came.

A nice gentleman picked us up and took us to the bus stop in about 20 minutes ride. We were lucky once again.

How to visit the Tamul Waterfall

You will need to get to this place called La Morena, where all the fishing boats and guides are.

This is located about 3 km from the waterfall and you will have to row to get to see it.

It’s a beautiful ride through a canyon where you will be surrounded by solidified sand rocks and small waterfalls here and there.

If you can’t row, no worries; the guides will take you. (just tip them a little more).

Once you get to the fall you will get out on the boat and stand on a huge rock from where you can get your picture.

You will need to be quick because boats there take turns as there is not a lot of space.

On the way back as you go with the current, it will be much easier to row and you can also swim and let the current take you.

There are a couple of mild rapids as well which was so much fun.

On the way back, you stop to see a cenote, which would have been beautiful if it wasn’t so crowded with people (and I was told there were not a lot- AH! I don’t want to imagine if they were.).

At the entrance, before embarking, you can buy shoes that go in the water and prevent your feet from hurting if you walk on rocks.

Those are useful there because there is a point in the river where you will have to leave the boat and have a brief walk on the side and it’s not advisable to go barefoot.

They sell them for 150 pesos, and you would use them for all the waterfall visits.

It was a great morning, but I suggest you take a taxi and have them wait for you or rent a car. It will spare you lots of time unless you love adventure.

Day 3 – la Huasteca Potosina – Visiting el Naranjo – salto del Meco – Minas viejas – Micos

El Naranjo is a region or better said “Municipio”, where all these mentioned waterfalls are located. Actually, the falls are happening in different locations of the same river, the first being El Salto, at about 2 hours from Ciudad Valles.

For this tour it is very convenient to take a taxi because the busses would take you to the town El Naranjo but to reach the waterfalls you need to take secondary roads where no bus is going or if they do, God knows when.

So you will risk standing in the middle of the countryside waiting for Godot! 🙂

My new friend and I decided to hire a taxi driver who, for 1000 pesos ( 50 USD) altogether, would take us anywhere we wanted and knew his way around.

This way it was very easy to move from one fall to another and enjoy it all, and most of all we have managed to see all the waterfalls.

We left the hostel at about 8.00 am to see as much as possible.

El Salto

Is the farthest and the most beautiful to me, the only problem was that there was no fall, just natural pools but they were still filled with water coming from below and from lateral smaller streams. ;).

They explained that in winter, the dry season, the hydro-electric company situated just beside the fall, is using all the water which is therefore deviated from its original stream right before the fall.

If you want to see it you will need to go there in the rainy season when there is enough water for all.

The scenery was majestic anyway, with a little imagination, and the natural pools at the bottom were still full of emerald-colored water coming from subterranean or lateral streams.

It was a beauty indeed and definitely worth the trip.

We didn’t swim there, just took lots of pictures and admired the scenery.

El Salto del Meco

…or just commonly called EL MECO. You will see these waterfalls from “El Mirador,” a terrace created on the road where you can admire the huge waterfalls.

Over there you might find somebody offering tours, such as jumping from one natural pool to another, following the stream of the heavy waters, and a boat tour upstream from the riverside towards to fall to take you as close as possible.

We didn’t have time to do the tours, but they would have been much fun, and they were not expensive at all.

300 pesos for the jumping one and 200 for the boat ride, per person of course.

Right by the “Mirador”  there is a restaurant which is open to the public only for lunch and dinner, from after 2 pm.

It belongs to the nearby luxury hotel, which is actually a great option if you wish to travel easily and comfy.

The hotel is called Huasteca Secreta, and it has a sort of glamping and luxury room right by the river below Salto del Meco.

From there, they will take you on private tours anywhere you go. This is a very comfortable way to see the Huasteca Potosina.

Minas Viejas

This was our fun moment of the day. You will get there in 30 minutes driving off from the main road.

It’s impossible to find a ride, so you will definitely need a private taxi or to rent your own car. The site is incredible.

Once you park your car in the parking lot, you will need to pay a 30 PESOS (1.5 USD) fee and climb some stairs.

It looks long but it’s just about 200 stairs. Once you get to the river and waterfall you will just be left speechless by such beauty.

It is compulsory to wear a life jacket for your safety and the rental costs only 20 pesos. ( 1 USD). The water was freezing cold but all worth it.

You must enter to appreciate the whole place, or not, depending on what you like.

I did swim up to the rocks in between the two bodies of the waterfall and if you manage to climb up you can have fun jumping.

I could only because there were a couple of guys helping me, as I was scared of everything.

There is no official locker room but if you ask the guy who sells the lifejackets, he will look after your belonging.

Also remember on the way back up, halfway where the bathrooms are there is a path that leads you to a “mirador” where you can check out the fall from above. It’s amazing.

Micos waterfalls

On the way back towards Ciudad Valles, and at 30 minutes only, you will find the waterfall of MICOS.

You can decide whether to include them in your tour at El Naranjo or keep them for another day.

The thing is if you go there after the other falls above mentioned you would get there by 4/4.30pm right before it closes and if it’s wintertime from October through April or May, it might be cold by that time.

If you go there in the morning or by noon it would be the best time and you can enjoy the water.

The entrance is 30 PESOS (2 USD) then you will walk through a lovely park and pass through shops and restaurants and you will get to a huge concrete terrace right in front of the waterfalls.

There are a couple of activities that you can do inside the park. You can take a boat ride to get close to the waterfalls, which costs 200 pesos (10 us) for 30 30-minute ride.

Or you could hire a guide to take you across the mountain up to the beginning of the waterfalls and natural pools with a special life jacket that allows you to float and jump from one fall to the other.

I don’t remember the price for this one, but I guess it would be around 350 pesos (18 USD ) for up to 3/4 people. When we arrived there, it was quite late, and we were tired and cold.

Therefore, we had skipped it, but I managed to take a nice picture anyway. 🙂

This was the last stop of the day and reached back to the hostel around 6.30 pm tired and happy.

Day 4 – Sotano de las Golondrinas, Puente de Dios y Caves of Mantezulel

We have done this tour from Ciudad Valles, but I have included it in the attraction of XILITLA since it is much closer and, therefore, more convenient.

While visiting El Naranjo (see above), our taxi driver mentioned a couple of other places I hadn’t heard of before.

One was called the Caves of Mantezulel, in a community near Aquismon, where the Sotano de las Golondrinas was.

And the other was another part of the river which they called  Puente de Dios, it’s the same river of the Tamul Falls, just further down the stream.

We decided to go and check it out, since we were there, an extra day of tours wouldn’t hurt.

I was tired, though, I really wanted to get on my computer and start writing and editing all the thousands of pictures and information I have been collecting in the past 3 weeks.

I was starting to feel overwhelmed thinking about the next weeks and the amount of work waiting ahead and I was kind of exhausted, but I thought that since I was there I should have made the most of my time and seen as much as possible.

My friend Karla who has been my travel buddy for the past 3 days agreed with me and we planned our trip for the next day with our taxi driver/guide.

Sotano de las golondrinas

The first stop was the Sotano de las Golondrinas, but there was a little detail. We needed to leave the hostel at 4.30 am, which means waking up at least at 4 am.

Oh gosh! we can do it, we thought, and sure we did but it was tiring and for the rest of the day we felt a lack of sleep despite the excitement.

The reason for this early wake up was that we had to get to the cave (Sotano) before dawn, so as to see the birds coming out forming a huge vortex, thousands and thousands of birds use the caves as their night refuge and come out early morning just before the sunrise and go back to sleep in the evening around 4.30/5 pm.

So if you want to see the show you got to be there by those times. We chose the mornings, it was more surreal.

Also there you need to go by car either private or by taxi as there is no public transportation at that time and in the afternoon, you risk getting there.

Once we arrived at the entrance, we paid a 20 pesos fee and a guide took us down to the cave the guide is not necessary if not for the darkness in which we had to walk, as he had a light to help us see where we were stepping. You will just have to tip him at the end of the tour.

We gave him 50 pesos each. I would hire the guide anyway just to help and support the local community.

Once we arrived at the cave, a huge dark deep hole, we all sat there with other visitors waiting for the birds to come out.

When the sky started to get clear a few birds were starting to come out and then more and more until we saw a black cloud moving like a whirl in the sky. It was impressive indeed.

You can also get closer to the edge, as a guide was there helping you and holding you with a cord skillfully placed around your body.

I did it and I was scared to death but it was fun.

Once we climbed out we found an amazing sunrise sky waiting for us lightening up the entire valley which we couldn’t see when we arrived. It was beautiful and only for that view it was worth our so very early wake-up. (see above picture)

We had breakfast and then off we went to the next stop.

Caves of Mantezulel

This was an extraordinary surprise since I had never heard of them and they are not really advertised as they should.

This area is managed by a local community that lives there and looks after the maintenance of the paths and the caves.

There are 3 caves one of which is the biggest and the farthest. It was a 45 minutes hike all up. It was an easy hike as it was made of all man-made steps although tiring.

Once we arrived at the cave we could not believe our eyes.

It was a beautiful natural artwork of stalactite and stalagmite forming internal canals and spaces. It was huge and overwhelming.

On the way down you will find the other two caves, although we saw only one as we were exhausted. It was like walking in the belly of mother earth, reconnecting with your source.

And you feel so small. I loved the experience. The cost of this tour was 150 pesos per group. We reached back to the car happy and tired and off we went to the next and last stop.

Puente de Dios (2)

This was another beautiful boat ride on a calm river up to a cave where you would leave the boat and climb on top of the tunnel where the river was passing through.

You can swim in the turquoise chilly water and jump from the cliff. I loved that place because it’s not very much known and quite isolated.

However, it would be much nicer to visit it in the rainy season from September through December as there you will see more streams of water coming down from the top of the hills and filling the natural pools that were empty then.

With some imagination, we thought that place was another secret magic place in the region.  If you have some spare time you should definitely go and see it. The ride is only 300 pesos, for one hour.

Visit the Huasteca Potosina from Xilitla

Edward James Surrealistic Garden

This place is definitely the main attraction of Xilitla and the only reason why I stayed there.

It’s been created by one of the most eccentric surrealistic collectors of art, Sir Edward James, who came to Mexico in the 40s and remain so impressed by Las Pozas and its tropical forest that decided to build his home there mimicking forms he found in nature and create an art space unique in the world.

So much so that he has been featured in many art magazines such as Art Daily.

You can walk to the Garden from town. If you are coming from Ciudad Valles on a day trip, remember to ask the driver to leave you close to the Garden as it has a stop right before the main station.

It’s a 30 minutes drive in the jungle on a dirt road surrounded by trees, birds, a few random houses, and a little bed and breakfast. If you wish to stay there are a couple of options (check out the below link ).

Right before arriving at the Garden, you can check out two beautiful waterfalls: the first is Cascada Cebolla and  Cascada Comales, which are right before Las Pozas, where the garden is.

The entrance to the Garden is 70 pesos (4$) which includes the garden itself and the waterfalls Las Pozas.

You can leave your bag in a locker room for free.

On-site, just outside the garden there are a couple of restaurants that are not remarkable. Inside Las Pozas there is a coffee shop instead, quite cute.

The visit to the garden could last from 2 to 3 hours depending on whether you get lost or not. 🙂

There is so much to see in the garden and area where you just want to sit down and observe. It is structured like a maze and you could go up and down right and left and never pass by the same place.

I was there on a misty day and it was the perfect weather for such a place.

I also was alone at the beginning, very surreal. I left after a couple of hours when a huge noisy group arrived and the sun came out and the magic ended.

About Xilitla

Xilitla is also been nominated pueblo Magico although, besides the historical Monasterio of San Agustin, I didn’t find it particularly attractive for any other reason than  Edward James’ Surrealistic garden and the Sotano de las Golondrinas.

However if you love to hike and you have a couple of extra days available you should pass by the tourism office by the main plaza, where they can offer you information on how to hike the Sierra Madre, the surrounding mountains.

I didn’t stop as I was too tight with time and it was freezing cold when I arrived in Xilitla.

How to get to Xilitla and move around

As I was mentioning before you can get to the Huasteca Potosina from either San Luis Potosi or from Queretaro through the Sierra Gorda.

FROM SAN LUIS POTOSI – there are different bus lines that will take you to  Ciudad Valles from where you can start your tours (see above).

FROM QUERETARO – If you are traveling from Queretaro you will want to stop in Piñal de Amoles and visit the Sierra Gorda and all its natural wonders which I will talk about in the next post.

Then you can travel from Jalpan (a Pueblo Magico in Queretaro right in the heart of Sierra Gorda)  to Xilitla by the bus line VENCEDOR.

I need to warn you that it’s going to be 2 hours winding roads. I was scared I admit because sometimes you had a cliff on your side of the road and it’s not fun, because it was foggy and rainy.

But my bus had a great driver who was very cautious and careful and took us all safely to the destination.

Since you are in Xilitla you can spend 1 night there, visit the Surrealistic Garden early morning, and in the afternoon head to the Sotano de las Golondrinas.

You could take the bus to Aquismon which is on the same route to Ciudad Valles. And once you get to Aquismon you will hire a taxi to take you to the Sotano by 5.00 pm so you will be able to see the birds coming back to the cave.

If you want to visit the caves of Mantezulel you will need to spend one night in Aquismon and then hire a taxi the following morning to visit the Caves and also Puente de Dios and you can jump on a bus to Ciudad Valles the same evening so that the following days you can start the waterfalls tours.

How to get to the Huasteca Potosina

Depending on where you are, the best way to get to the Huasteca Potosina is to fly to Tampico or San Luis Potosi and rent a car from the airport. Tampico is not one of the safest places in Mexico, but if you rent a car at the airport and drive to Ciudad Valles and around the Huasteca, it should be just fine.

Once you get to Ciudad Valles, the best way to visit all the Huasteca Potosina attractions is by guided tours

Getting to the Huasteca Potosina from San Luis Potosi

From san Luis potosi to the Huasteca Potosina by car

From San Luis Potosi, you have the option of renting a car to drive all the way to Ciudad Valles (3 hrs and 30 minutes). Before getting to Ciudad Valles you may want to stop at the Media Luna, another beautiful natural spot worth visiting.

From san Luis potosi to the Huasteca Potosina by Bus

An easy option is getting from San Luis Potosi to the Huasteca Potosina (Ciudad Valle) by bus. Different local companies offer this service, such as Buses Oriente and Futura. I usually check out the routes on BusBud, but then I make the reservation on the company site, if available.

From san Luis potosi to the Huasteca Potosina by tour

If you are short of time you could visit the Huasteca Potosina from San Luis Potosi with this 2 day guided tour to Tamul and Xilitla from San Luis Potosi.

This is quite a comprehensive tour that includes 1 day at the Tamul waterfall, the most iconic one, where you will navigate the blue water river with local boats and swim in the pools – On day two you will visit the famous Eduard James Surrealistic Garden. Overnight in Xilitla.

However, it’s not the best option, as you won’t see much. You will be able to see more of it and enjoy the spectacular blue water of these precious waterfalls if you go to Ciudad Valles and book tours from there.

Getting to La Huasteca Potosina from Queretaro

From Queretaro, you can rent a car and get to Ciudad Valles, via San Luis Potosi, or you can drive through the Sierra Gorda and get to Xilitla first and then to Ciudad Valles. This is recommended only if you have some time.

Getting to La Huasteca Potosina from Mexico City

From Mexico City to La Huasteca Potosina it’s a 7-hour drive so it’s impossible to do it in one day and there are no tours available. I recommend flying to San Luis Potosi and then choosing one of the above-mentioned options to reach la Huasteca Potosina.

How to move around in the Huasteca Potosina

Rent a Car to visit La Huasteca Potosina

Renting a car to visit the Huasteca Potosina, is the best way to explore it in total freedom and stress-free. favorite because you will be free to drive around at your own pace, store your stuff, and do everything that you want to do.

With Google Maps, you can find everything. If you don’t have roaming or data, remember to set up the route before leaving your hotel while you have Wi-Fi so that it will stay registered in Google Maps even when you are on the road. 

However, remember that there are no car rentals from Ciudad Valles and you would need to rent your car from San Luis Potosi or Tampico.

Also bear in mind that if the pickup city is different from the drop-off, there is an extra fee to pay which is usually quite expensive.

When renting a car I recommend DiscoverCars because you can compare prices and prebook your insurance immediately.

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Visit the Huasteca Potosina waterfalls via private taxi

Hiring a private taxi for the day could be even better than the car so that you don’t have to worry about anything else other than having fun. 

You should ask the hotel or hostel where you are staying because they are normally able to recommend trustworthy drivers that they always work with.

Public transportation

As you have read before, there are some tours where you can definitely get there by local bus like Tamasopo. For all the rest, it’s not really recommendable just because you run the risk of sleeping somewhere you didn’t plan to. I have to say the area is overall very safe.

La Huasteca Potosina Tours from Ciudad Valle

Ciudad Valle is the best place to use as a base for tours. It is in fact, possible to visit the Huasteca Potosina with organized tours.

In fact, although I prefer a good do-it-yourself road trip, I also believe that on some occasions is more fun to be with friends and if you are traveling alone you can always join organized group tours which have also the advantage of having a local guide to share their knowledge.

I have found some interesting Huasteca Potosina tours for you that will make things much easier, especially if you have little time. Here they are.

See all the tours available from Ciudad Valles

Where to stay in the Huasteca Potosina

If you have a car, the best way to enjoy the Huasteca Potosina is to stay by the waterfalls.

Many cute hotels are scattered around the area for any budget and style. Here are my favorites.

Best hotels near Tamasopo and Puente de Dios

Meson Carranza

Basic but very clean and with excellent service – perfect if you travel on a budget.

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Hotel Cosmos

Guests love this hotel for its great location in Tamasopo in a beautiful setting, and the great restaurant on-site. They also appreciate the cleanness and the great shower, besides the lovely staff.

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Refugio Huasteco

An amazing upscale boutique hotel in Tamasopo. If you are willing to splurge this is your place.

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Hotel Real Tamasopo

This hotel has simple but ample rooms in an extensive property with a pool. The main plus is the location by a river, which offers a relaxing surrounding.

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Best hotels near El Meco, Minas Viejas and El Naranjo

Bel-Há Ecoparque

Rustic but cute cabañas immersed in nature. Guests loved the exceptional service of the staff.

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Cabañas El Sabinito

No-frills hotel with spacious rooms close to El Naranjo waterfall and a short distance from other natural attractions.

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Hotel Del Valle

Conveniently located in the village of El Naranjo, this hotel offers spacious room and a great restaurant serving local food.

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Best Hotels in Ciudad Valles – Huasteca Potosina

Casa AMMAH

Casa Ammah is probably the most upscale hotel that you can get in Ciudad Valle. So if you are looking for a bit of an extra comfort, you may want to check it out.

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Huasteca Mia

A relatively new property with modern and stylish room, in the center of town. Very convenient place, offering a good value for money.

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Hostal Casa Huasteca

Hostal Casa Huasteca is where I stayed. I love the small garden and the friendly staff. You can choose among dorm rooms if you are on a budget or private rooms with bathroom.

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Selva Teenek Eco-Park

Selva Teenek Eco Park is located near the waterfalls De Micos north of Ciudad Valles- The place offers lodging equipped with complimentary WiFi and air conditioning, along with access to its garden that features a terrace.

Each unit is furnished with a private bathroom that includes a shower, complimentary toiletries, and a hairdryer.

Guests at the lodge can enjoy a dining experience at the on-site restaurant, which specializes in Mexican and local dishes. Options for vegetarian, kosher, and vegan diets are available upon request.

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How to visit La Huasteca Potosina: FAQ

The Huasteca Potosina Travel Guide: Final thoughts

Thank you for reading this post. I am sure that by now you have chosen the best way to visit the Huasteca Potosina for you and you are now able to plan your trip to the Huasteca Potosina like a pro!

Before you go…

Check out these Mexican guides written by a local

• How to visit Hidalgo State: 10 day itinerary
• Things to do in Queretaro Mexico
• How to visit Las Grutas de Tolantongo
• Things to do in Guanajuato Mexico