Hierve el Agua is a stunning rock formation which looks like a frozen ‘petrified’ waterfall. The amazing natural wonder is only a few short hours outside of Oaxaca, making it a must-visit when in the area.
Our Hierve el Agua guide will help you understand everything you need to know before you go, including how to get there on your own, whether to join a tour, tips, things to do while there, and more.
Fun Facts about Hierve el Agua
- ♨️ Hierve El Agua translates to ‘the water boils’. The name comes from the way the water bubbles up from the underground springs.
- 😎 Despite its name, Hierve el Agua is not hot – it’s actually lukewarm/cold. Perfect for cooling down after being in the hot sunshine!
- 🤯 It’s one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world (the other is in Turkey)
- 🏞️ The pools at the top create a natural infinity pool with an amazing view over the Sierra mountains.
- The main mineral in the cascade is calcium carbonate, which is responsible for the white/light coloured deposit.
Tour vs. DIY – Which is Better/Easier?
Long story short, it’s pretty difficult to get to Hierve el Agua yourself. We did it ourselves, and if we were to do it again we would probably join a tour due for ease – there’s a lot of waiting around and uncertainty when it comes to doing it yourself!
However, it does turn out to be cheaper to do it yourself (cost breakdown below), so it’s really a toss-up between ease vs cost.
Another major benefit of joining a tour means you can combine a trip to Hierve el Agua with other nearby attraction, such as:
- Teotitlán del Valle (a beautiful village with archeological sites, beautiful church, and lots of textile related activities)
- Santa María del Tule (a quaint village housing the widest tree in the world)
- Mezcal distilleries
- Mitla Archeological zone
You can do these things yourself, of course – it’s just a little more difficult to string together without a tour.
Recommended Tours
If a tour sounds like a good choice to you, then we’d recommend this one: Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla & a Mezcal Distillery Tour. It’s excellent value for money, with the tour not just visiting Hierve el Agua but other nearby points of interest as well!
The tour has exceptional reviews and currently costs around £37pp, which includes a visit to all of the mentioned sites plus a knowledgable guide & air-conditioned transport. Note that some entrance fees aren’t included, so factor that into the cost!
If you’re interested in other tours, check out what else is on Viator or Get Your Guide – we usually use these two sites to book all of our experiences!
DIY: How To Get to Hierve el Agua Without a Tour
If your main concern is budget, then visiting Hierve el Agua on your own is a better bet. Here’s the general instructions and the cost breakdown as of 2025, including a stop to see the Tule tree:
- 🚌 Bus from Oaxaca → Mitla: MX $25
- 🚐 Colectivo from Mitla → Hierve el Agua: MX $75
- 🎟️ Road charge (tax) for the colectivo: MX $15
- 🎫 Hierve el Agua entrance fee: MX$ 50
- 🚐 Colectivo back to Mitla: MX $75
- 🚌 Bus from Mitla → San María del Tule (for the Tule tree): MX $25
- 🚌 Bus from San María del Tule → Oaxaca: MX$10
- Total: MX $275 (around £12 / US $16)
We met a lot of people who had long wait times for the colectivo at Mitla to take them to Hierve el Agua, which sounded frustrating.
It was likely due to having to wait for enough tourists to fill the colectivo before setting off to make the journey worthwhile for the driver.
If you have plans later on in the day or you’re not going in the morning, this should be a consideration!
DIY Full Breakdown
Now that you’ve seen the costs of the journey and high-level instructions, lets zoom-in on each part of the journey.
🚌 Bus from Oaxaca to Mitla
The bus from Oaxaca to Mitla takes around 1 hour and costs MX $25 per person.
Buses depart from the Second Class Bus Station (20 min walk east of Central Oaxaca) every 20-30 minutes. The gate for the bus is to the left of the station, and has signs like the below which say “Mitla”.
🚐 Colectivo from Mitla to Hierve el Agua
Once you arrive in Mitla you’ll see signs to the colectivo (more of a modified pick-up truck) to get to Hierve el Agua. If you’re unsure, just say “Hierve el Agua” to the bus driver who should be able to point you in the right direction as you get off the bus.
This is the location where you pick up the colectivo to Hierve el Agua.
You’ll usually need to wait for enough people to fill up the colectivo before it sets off. Luckily for us, we only had to wait for about 30 minutes for others to arrive, who came from other buses or nearby hotels.
The cost for the colectivo is around MX $75, although you can pay more per person to leave early if the whole group & the driver agrees. This is a good way to save some time. The colectivos/pick-up trucks fit approx. 12-14 people in them so this is the number you need (or to pay for). We ended up paying MX $82 per person to leave early – only a tad more each, which we thought was fair!
There’s a small waiting room with a toilet & coffee next to where you’ll wait, or head to any small shops/eateries around the corner if you want to grab anything else.
The ride takes around 45 minutes to reach Hierve el Agua as it passes through the hills – and it’s a very bumpy ride, so be prepared. Along the way we were stopped to pay an extra road fee (not sure if this was legitimate!) of MX $15.
The colectivo also stopped so we could purchase our entry tickets on the way too – only MX $50!
🚐 Colectivo from Hierve el Agua to Mitla
The journey back is essentially the same but in reverse. You’ll see a colectivo waiting outside the entrance to Hierve el Agua waiting to take people back – if there’s none there it should only be a short wait!
It’ll cost MX $75 once again, but this time you won’t need to pay the road fee.
🚌 Bus from Mitla to Oaxaca/San María del Tule
Now you’ve got a choice – either head back to Oaxaca the same way you arrived to Mitla earlier in the day, or make a short stop on the way back to see the epic Tule tree – considered the widest tree in the world!
We did the latter and thought it was worth a quick detour!
At the time of writing, there isn’t a bus that goes directly from Mitla to San María del Tule, so we jumped on the one going to Oaxaca and told the driver we’d like to hop off outside San María del Tule. He charged us MX $25 for this, which we thought sounded fair enough.
🇪🇸 ¿Podemos parar afuera de San María del Tule por favor?
🇬🇧 Can we stop outside San María del Tule, please?
We hopped off on the side of the highway and walked for 5 minutes to get into town.
To get back to Oaxaca, there are frequent cheap buses departing from the road right by the tree in the centre of town. Ours cost us MX $10.
What to Do at Hierve El Agua
🥾 Hike
There’s a nice trail that loops down and around the bottom of the petrified falls which we thought was great. The views you get of the falls themselves, both from the side and below, as well as amazing views over the Sierra mountains, were fantastic!
⏱️ Time: around 1 hour
🥵 Difficulty: Moderate. Some steep sections and rocky surfaces but doable with shoes/sandals with good grip
📈 Elevation: 165m
ℹ️ More info: Bring lots of water and walk the route anti clockwise for the best views
Check out the route on Alltrails before you go.
Tip: Do the hike before you spend time in the pools – it’s better to do the walk first then cool off in the water afterwards.
💧 Natural Pools
Spend some time in the natural pools, especially at the edges that form a natural ‘infinity pool’ with some EPIC views of the Sierra mountains backdrop. Relax in the water and soak up the views for a while!
Tip: If you have water shoes, bring them – the rocky floor can be sharp in places!
What to Take to Hierve el Agua
- 💵 Cash for entry, food & drink as well as any other expenses
- 🩱 Swimwear for the pools
- 🥾 Good grippy shoes for the hike
- 🚰 Plenty of water (you can also buy more water here)
- 📸 Camera – you’ll need it for some epic photos
- 🧢🧴 Sun protection, the sun can be strong!
What Else to Do Near Hierve el Agua
🌵 Mitla Archaeological Site
Just 30 mins away from Hierve el Agua (or an hour from Oaxaca directly) is Mitla Archaeological Site – a set of ancient Zapotec ruins known for their intricate stone mosaics and geometric designs.
It’s smaller and less impressive than Monte Albán on the other side of Oaxaca, but they’re still fascinating, unique and peaceful to visit.
🥃 Mezcal Distilleries in Santiago Matatlán
Another popular idea on the route back to Oaxaca is to stop at a ‘palenque’ (the name for a mezcal distillery) to learn how Oaxaca’s iconic spirit is made and to taste different varieties.
🎨 Teotitlán del Valle
A charming Zapotec weaving village known for its handwoven rugs and natural dyes. You can visit workshops and/or buy unique souvenirs to take home as gifts or keepsakes.
🌳 El Árbol del Tule (The Tule Tree)
The widest tree in the world, with a circumference of 42 metres, is found in the small town of Santa María del Tule. It’s an impressive thing to see, especially since it sits in the centre of a tiny town and has very few tourists coming to see it.
Should I Stay in Mitla?
In short: it’s not necessary and staying in Oaxaca is generally a better idea!
As one of the most famous places in Latin America, Oaxaca has so so much to offer so we’d recommend staying here instead of Mitla, especially since all the sites listed in this article are possible as part of a day trip.
If you want to dedicate more than a day to these activities and take it slower, you might benefit from at least an overnight stay in Mitla so you’re not doing constant bus journeys back and forth from Oaxaca.
Here are some great options we found in Mitla that might suit you if you’d like to stay there:
What Else to Do in Oaxaca
In case you haven’t got a plan for your stay in Oaxaca yet, then check out some of our other blog posts with everything you need to know for your trip:
- Best Things To Do In Oaxaca, Mexico: The Ultimate List 2026
- The Ultimate Guide to Monte Albán, Oaxaca 2026
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