Mexico Guide
Oaxaca
Hierve el Agua
Before the environmental degradation worsens, you should visit HIERVE EL AGUA (daily 9am–6pm; M$17). Some 25km east of Mitla, down a side road that leads to San Lorenzo Albarradas (Hierve el Agua lies just beyond), it's the site of the spectacular limestone waterfalls that you'll see in photographs all over Oaxaca city. The mineral concentration causes the water to bubble out of the ground and become petrified over the vertiginous cliff-tops, forming a stunning stalactite; it is a beautiful sight and the panoramas from above the pools, where there several stalls serving tacos and other snacks, are breathtaking. At night, the stars are also awe-inspiring – there's no electricity and the hills shield the glow from Oaxaca's populated valleys. Sadly, tourism here threatens to be more environmentally destructive than in the rest of the valley: the town can barely support the volume of visitors it receives. It is advisable to hire a car to get here; one bus is scheduled to make the journey from Oaxaca every day, leaving the second-class bus terminal at 8am, and returning at 2.30pm, but the service is somewhat erratic. It's a two- to three-hour drive up here from Oaxaca through some beautiful countryside. There is a Tourist Yú'ù (check with the Oaxaca tourist office on the status; see "Information") and some cabins, as well as a few restaurants, which close after sunset. Alternatively, tour groups in Oaxaca often take in Hierve El Agua as part of day trip that includes Mitla and Teotitlán del Valle.