We decided to take the long drive to Hierve el Agua to check out this cool natural rock formations in the Mexican state of Oaxaca that resemble cascades of water. It is absolutely breathtaking with gorgeous views. It was a bit of a drive, so we hired a driver for the day to take us here as the site is located about 70 km east of Oaxaca city, past Mitla and took advantage of also stopping at Mitla which I will write a separate blog for that visit.

This area is set of cool rock formations on mountain sides that make it look like there are actually cascaded on the side of the mountain. These formations are created by fresh water springs, whose water is over-saturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals and so it’s a great place to take a swim in and rub some of the minerals on your body for some healing and cleansing and you will see people rubbing the mineral mud on themselves.

There are 2 large “natural pools” that are here where you can enjoy a nice relaxing swim and depending on the day the water can be lukewarm. The waterfall-like rock formations which have been formed over thousands of years look so cool we took a few pictures of them but we did not do the hike to this particular are, we stayed where the pools were at.

According to some locals this place was a sacred site built by the Zapotecs as many as 2,500 years ago. Hierve el Agua is a hot tourist destination, they have bathroom facilities and a lot of food stands so if you get hungry after your hike and swim you will not have a problem finding something good to eat. Hope you get a chance to visit this amazing place when you’re in Oaxaca.

Happy Travels!