Mexico - Pacific Coast

Cascadas de Agua Azul

A Karen Brown Recommendation

A wonderful excursion from Palenque is a visit to the Casacadas de Agua Azul (Waterfalls at Agua Azul). When planning your day you might want to consider an early start and perhaps ask the hotel where you are staying to pack you a lunch and plan to have picnic here (there are also many open-air restaurants available if you are the adventuresome type). If the weather is warm, you might want to bring your swimsuit for a dip in the river. Although the distance is only about 60 kilometers, it takes over an hour to get there since the road is winding and there is usually a lot of traffic. To reach Agua Azul, from Palenque go south on highway 199. After 9 kilometers the road splits. At the junction, keep to the right on 199 toward Ocosingo and San Cristóbal de Las Casas. As the road climbs into the lush mountains, you need to watch the road markers—at about marker 87, turn to the right at a sign to Cascadas de Agua Azul, a favorite spot for Mexican families. If you are into “local color,” this is it! A river rushes through the rich foliage, forming rapids and waterfalls that drop into tranquil pools of turquoise water. On holidays and weekends the place is positively packed with people: children splashing in the crystal-clear water; babies napping in the shade, women preparing tables laden with food, grandmothers asleep in hammocks stretched between the trees, men chatting while enjoying cold beers, lovers strolling hand in hand, youngsters climbing steep paths to the top of the waterfalls. Note: Don’t even think about visiting Agua Azul during the rainy season, which turns the clear turquoise waters into a muddy river.

Located along this Karen Brown Itinerary:

I - Mayan Mysteries

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