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How To Get To Hierve El Agua From Oaxaca – Best Natural Infinity Pool in Mexico: Hierve El Agua seems to still be one of Mexico’s best kept secrets. While this is great in the sense that there won’t be a large amount of tourist, this can make things difficult as information on how to get to Hierve El Agua is sparse.
The natural infinity pools of this location are truly surreal, especially when coupled with the amazing views of the mountain ranges.
Read on and I’ll share with you how to get to Hierve El Agua from Oaxaca so you to can appreciate the best natural infinity pool in all of Mexico.
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Must Haves
The most important things I pack for my trips are a good quality (but affordable) memory card, an international plug adapter, and noise reduction earphones. These three items are lifesavers for long journeys, charging electronics and capturing memories.
How To Get To Hierve El Agua From Oaxaca |
| Best Natural Infinity Pool in Mexico
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About Hierve El Agua: Mexico’s Best Natural Infinity Pool
Hidden beyond a rocky road, and more colourful then you could ever imagine something so far out in the middle of nowhere to be. Hierve el Agua is one of the best reason to visit Mexico’s Oaxaca state, and is one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world – the other is located in Turkey.
The name in English translates to ‘the water boils’ however don’t jump in hoping for a warm swim in the main pools, the water while not extremely cold was not warm either. The term in fact refers to the petrified waterfalls a wonder that are essentially frozen in time – the ‘falls’ are made up of calcium carbonate which gives them the white colour that can be easily mistaken as actually water from a far distance.
The best place to base yourself prior to leaving for Hierve El Agua is Oaxaca. While it is possible to stay in Mitla, the options for accommodation and food are quite limited since it is a very small town.
Click here for the latest prices on hostels and hotels in Oaxaca
Things To Do At Hierve El Agua
- Swim in the fantastically coloured cold water pools and enjoy one of the most amazing views of your life.
- Pose for the classic cliff side photo while sitting on the edge of the pools. Note – this is normally done at the pool not actually over the cliff side, but it looks like it is depending on the way your photographer is pointing the camera.
- Hike to the petrified waterfalls, this takes about 30 to 40 minutes, but if you’re lazy you can see them from the main pools.
- Take amazing photos of the surrounds and prepare to make every single one of your Facebook friends jealous.
How To Get To Hierve El Agua From Oaxaca City
There are three ways you can get to Hierve el Agua. Either take a tour from Oaxaca city, take a shared taxi then switch to a pick up truck, or take a bus and switch to a pick up truck.
Options two and three are a lot easier than they sound, are relatively well organised, and a common transportation option for this trip. These two are recommended for budget and independent travellers for visiting Hierve el Agua independently and cheaply.
Using A Tour To Get To Hierve El Agua
While we didn’t choose this option for ourselves, for those who are wanting a more straight forward manner of getting to Hierve El Agua, we’d recommend looking into booking a tour. A simple Google search of ‘Tours to Hierve El Agua’ will show quite a few tour companies which will pick you up from your hotel/hostel in Oaxaca and take you to Hierve El Agua.
Generally most tours tend to include a tour of the town of Mitla, and can last anywhere from 5 – 9 hours. This is the easiest method for those who aren’t willing to deal with the uncertainty of Mexico.
Another alternative for booking a tour, though it’s more complicated is to walk into a travel agency in Oaxaca and speak to a travel agent directly. The problem with this is that most employees may not speak English, as this can be a bit of a problem if your Spanish is quite limited.
Shared Taxi and Bus from Oaxaca to Heirve El Agua
Shared taxis are generally quicker as they leave more often, with the journey itself to Mitla being slightly quicker as well. Buses leave every hour, they do take slightly longer, however they are cheaper.
The good thing is that you have options to decide between, and aren’t restricted to the one mode of transport.
There was no need to bargain for the fee as the taxi drivers are not so insistent on ripping you off here. I can’t quite remember, but I think I paid around 30 pesos for this (I really can’t remember though).
The Location of The Taxi Stand and Bus Stop
Finding the location of where the taxis and the bus stop are can be a little difficult to find, however both options are at the same location, which makes things easier and more convenient. The taxi stand and bus stop is next to a McDonald’s on Ninos Heroes de Chapultepec, which is across from the baseball stadium of Oaxaca.
If you have trouble finding the street address, look for the baseball stadium as that’s the largest landmark. The baseball stadium is on the same road as the main bus station of Oaxaca.
If you take the shared taxi route look out for one that has the words ‘Mitla’ on the front (which is a ruins site). A couple of locals will hop in with you as well (hence the point of a shared taxi) so do not be alarmed. The taxis will slow at the corner so you’ll have enough time to see where they are going.
A simple ‘Vas a Mitla?” (are you going to mitla) will confirm the destination for you if you are unsure, but again it should be written on the front window quite clearly. We waited about twenty minutes for the taxi and I believe the buses only came hourly.
Changing in Mitla For Hierve El Agua
After arriving at Mitla you can either check out the ruins, or go straight to the pick up truck/van transfer to Hierve el Agua. The taxi normally drops you off where the trucks depart at a fork in the road, but otherwise ask “Donde esta el Camion a Hierve el agua?” (Where are the trucks/bus for hierve el agua) and he should point you in the right direction.
The trucks are unlabeled, so if you are unsure just ask , or walk by really close looking unsure. Normally they’ll ask you instead (seems to work for most of Mexico & Central America) where you want to go. Once again this will be a shared ride, so there will be others on board with you as well. It’s a great way to make friends prior to visiting the beautiful infinity pool which is Hierve El Agua.
Warning: this is one bumby ride and if you want your hair to look nice on arrival avoid sitting in the back of the truck which is open air. The road to Hierve el Agua is windy, and filled with stones and takes about an hour.
Getting Back From Hierve El Agua to Oaxaca City
In order to get back to Oaxaca City you’ll need to to do the exact same, but in reverse. So when travelling to Hierve El Agua originally, take note of your surroundings and landmarks to make things easier for the return leg. Unfortunately we’re unsure when the last pick up truck, and bus is back to Oaxaca from Mitla is.
How To Get To Hierve El Agua From Oaxaca – Best Natural Infinity Pool in Mexico
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