Walking down the large stone stairs through the golden mist to catch our first sighting of Cascada Misol Ha was pretty incredible. Watching the water cascading 35 meters into a beautiful blue pool it was hard to imagine the predator emerging from here to try and murder Arnie.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we make a small commission from purchases.
If you are looking for other things to do in Chiapas check out our post about Cascada Roberto Barrios by hitting the link
You as also going to want to check out Agua Azul Waterfalls so hit the link.
How to get to Misol Ha
Misol Ha waterfall is located in Chiapas and is a heavenly destination located nice and close to several other beautiful spots like The Palenque Ruins, Agua Azul, and Roberto Barrios.
Getting to Misol Ha from Palenque is easy as Misol Ha is located only 20kms from Palenque but due to its being located in the Chiapas highlands the roads are you classic mountainous Mexican windy roads and 20kms can easily take you 40 minutes to an hour to travel. In true Mexican fashion also you will need to look out for speed bumps(topes) and potholes so taking your time is highly recommended.
If you are driving yourself you will want to take the 199 South from Palenque towards San Cristobal De Las Casas and Oconsingo. Or just follow the map I have pinned below. The parking lot is only 50 meters from Misol Ha waterfall.
If you are not going to have data on your phone or as the case maybe you can not find any service then your best option is to download the offline mapping app Maps.Me and download whatever regions you are going to in Mexico before you leave wifi. This saved us soooo many times I can not even begin to explain. It is available on both Andriod and IOS and you can pin as many spots as you want and then get directions even when there is no cell phone reception.
There are also multiple tours running daily from Palenque most of them will include both Agua Azul and Misol Ha and are also a faily easy option. These can most likely be booked from wherever you are staying. If you are on a budget though the best bet is to head to the Oconsingo Collectivo Station and take a ride to the Misol Ha Crossroads. From here it is a short 1.5km walk downhill to the falls. You will have to walk back up this hill to get home though and make sure you are back on the main road before dark!
Misol Ha Predator
As referenced in the opening paragraph this is where one of the final scenes of the movie Predator was filmed. Maybe you remember it maybe you do not but it is the scene where Arnie is getting chased and jumps off the waterfall, that is this waterfall. If you want to get a little extra psych on for the falls try watching the movie beforehand or at least that scene on youtube.
How much does it cost to go to Misol Ha.
This is a bit of a variable depending on how you get there and what happens on your trip. The short answer is 30 Pesos, see below for a little more detail though.
The official entrance fee to the park is 30 Pesos. The thing that throws people off is you pay this in 2 parts. The first part is at a small gate where you pay 10 Pesos which is for entrance to the actual Salto Del Agua park and then you will pay and extra 20 Pesos for entrance to the waterfall.
You are going to hear a few people complain about having to pay the extra fee at the entrance to the park but this fee goes to the landowners and is very little. In turn, these people are the ones that keep the park clean and take care of the surrounding nature.
The one thing that we heard a lot of people talking about was the routine stops through the mountains by the local Zapatista groups. We never saw any of these checkpoints but apparently they can be there for a week straight then gone for a week straight I suppose it is up to their own discretion.
These checkpoints are just a few people with their own rope blocking the road and asking for a fee so you can pass. This happened to us in other parts of Mexico but not here. Your best option is to stay calm and just pay the fee. They normally ask for between 50 and 200 Pesos. If you are really that tight on cash maybe try and talk them down but at the end of the day it is probably not worth it and my suggestion is to just take enough money with you to pay the toll.
You can look at these tolls as a way to support the local indigenous people who by all accounts are being treated terribly by their government. There is a lot to this story and if you want to get into it deeper you should read up on the Zapatistas history. It is actually extremely interesting and somewhat sad but will make you appreciate the area and its people a little more.
Best Time to Visit Misol Ha Waterfall
We had our own vehicle which gave us a little more freedom to explore. If you are driving yourself or have a private driver then this is what I would suggest.
We went to the Palenque Ruins for sunrise. We were some of the first people through the gate and that was amazing because it meant the crowds were super thin for most of the morning and once we were ready to explore some of the lesser-seen parts of the park there was almost no one around.
We went straight from The Palenque Ruins to Misol Ha for the afternoon and sunset. In my opinion, this is the best time to go to Misol Ha because by the time the sun is starting to set it throws magic golden light through the waterfall and you get the amazing light you see in the header image of this post.
It was also fairly uncrowded when we arrived because it was too late for all the tour buses which can often create a nightmare crowd scenario during the day.
Where to stay in Palenque.
There are a few options for places to stay around Palenque.
Casa Janaab Palenque, Casa Janaab is recently renovated, it’s clean and in the middle of Palenque so you have access to shops and restaurants it is also well priced. All rooms are air-conditioned as well in case that is a concern.
Dorms start at $17 USD
While Private rooms are starting at $45 USD.
Kin Balam Cabanas is located closer to the actual Palenque Ruins and is a little more of an overall experience. Tucked into the national park it comes complete with pool and a river that runs through it.
Dorms start at $9.50 USD
Private rooms are from $25.
If you’re after something a little more upmarket here are a few other options.
Hotel Boutique Quinta Chanabnal is a kind of expensive option, rooms start at $200 USD per night but they look incredible, rooms have aircon, there is a massive garden with an amazing looking pool complete with waterfalls.
Hotel Maya Tulipanes Palenque is much more reasonably priced with rooms starting at $70 USD. The rooms look nice and it comes with a large outdoor area and pool.
What Camera Gear We Use.
- Digital Camera: Sony A7riii
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro
- Landscape Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8
- GoPro: GoPro Hero 12 Black
- Favorite Lens: Sony 24-70mm F4
- Circular Polarizer: Hoya Digital PRO1
- Power Bank: Anker Portable Charger (A little heavy but amazing especially for multiday adventures)
- Tripod: Vanguard VEO 2 265AB
Gear we use
- Rain Jacket: Arcteryx Beta
- Hiking Boots: SALOMON Quest 4 GTX
- Reusable bottle: Sawyer filtered water bottle
- Dry Bag: Earth Pack 20L
- Headlamp: BLACK DIAMOND Headlamp
- Headphones: Jaybird Vista – Little update on these headphones. Its been a few years now since I got these and they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used. I have been through a few other pairs as the years went on (beats, sony, JBL) for better sound quality but I always end up putting them in a draw as a backup pair and go back to these.
Being sustainable while traveling.
Mexico is an extremely beautiful place and between the beaches, the coral reefs, and all of the waterfalls there are a few small things we can do to help keep them pristine.
One thing that will help so much is having a Reusable Water Bottle this Sawyer one comes with its own filter and a million-gallon guarantee meaning that you should never need to replace it. It filters 99.9999% of bacteria meaning you can fill it from and drink out of any tap. As well as drink from lakes and streams. This completely cuts out the need to buy bottled water which is a huge thing in Latin America.
My first tip for this especially for the cenotes, and coral reefs or any delicate ecosystem really is to use a sunscreen specifically designed not to damage the reefs or impact waterways or marine life in any way.
Not only that most of them are better for your skin as well as the environment.
There are more and more options becoming available when it comes to this but here are a few of our favorites.
SunScreen
Thinksport Sunnscreen This is my choice personally but there is a range of other options.
All Good Sunscreen is one we have not actually tried but have been hearing a lot of good things about online. All good use zinc oxide mineral ingredients to protect your skin, as well as coconut oil, beeswax, and vitamin E oil.
Insect Repellent
Bug spray is something else you should be conscious of using before going in the Roberto Barrios Waterfalls. If you’re just on your way to the beach or a waterfall you don’t need to drown yourself in bug spray before jumping in. A lot of the chemicals can be toxic and help do damage to the ecosystems.
I personally try and avoid any kind of repellent unless I am getting absolutely destroyed. I just have a thin pair of cotton pants and a long sleeve button up that is made of thin material to try and stay cool at the same time. However, we do carry bug spray and there are some pretty clever options out there so you might want to check these out. Not only will the first two options be better for you all-round they will also reduce your single-use plastics ever so slightly.
Long Sleeved Shirt I love long sleeve button-ups for travel, its too hot, no worries, undo the buttons, roll up the sleeves and you’re good. Cools down, roll the sleeves back down and do the buttons up.
Plant Based Insect Repellent If you are really hell-bent on some kind of spray because, well let’s face it sometimes it is just too hot to wear long-sleeved anything then this is probably your best option. DEET free and non-aerosol it has a couple of thousand 5 star reviews on Amazon which is pretty incredible really.
