Puente de Dios is another incredibly beautiful spot tucked deep into the jungle in the small town of Tamasopo in La Huasteca Potosina and as you descend the 400 odd stairs the sounds and smell of the falls drift up through the rainforest building anticipation for what is ultimately a group of incredible waterfalls, jump spots ranging from 2 to 3 meters to almost 10, underwater caves and some of the bluest water you will ever see.
The walk up and down the stairs is beautiful so don’t worry too much about the number of them as you will be so distracted you will barely even think about it.
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Getting to Puente de Dios Tamasopo
This is one of the few spots in La Huasteca Potosina that is easily accessible with public transport.
From Ciudad Valles, you need to take the bus from the main terminal downtown to Tamasopo the ride takes about 2 hours. Once there you are dropped in town which is still about 3 to 4 kilometers from Puente de Dios. Colectivos and buses will be running to Puente de Dios so you can either just wait or take a taxi for 70 pesos($3.50 USD). You could also just hitchhike if you’re solo or a small group, most people here are all heading to the same spot and everyone we met was extremely friendly and happy so you should not be worried about safety.
Getting to Puente de Dios if you have your own vehicle.
This trip is going to much faster. From Ciudad Valles you head west on the MEX70 this will eventually merge into the MEX 70D which is the much faster toll road option, expect the tolls to be 3 to 4 dollars each and toll booths only accept cash. I think there are two each way from Ciudad Valles.
After 49 kilometers you will need to exit the 70D to the right, Tamasopo should be signposted, at least it was when we were there.
From here you want to head northwest through the town until you come out the other side, although from this point on it’s pretty well signposted and if you’re worried just pull over and say Puente de Dio and someone will point you in the right direction.
You’re going to have to pay for parking for the day which is about 30 pesos depending on which spot you pick.
Getting home is the same process just in reverse, if you took public transportation make your way back to the main bus stop in town and hop on a bus for Ciudad Valles.
Just follow the map if you have data. I will say there was not a whole lot of cell reception sometimes though.
How much does it cost to get into Puente de Dios, Tamasopo.
The entrance fee to Puente de Dios, Tamasopo was 30 pesos ($1.50 USD) per person, the park is extremely clean and well kept which makes for a much more pleasant experience.
If you want to swim its meant to be compulsory to have a life jacket, we managed to avoid this but if you’re not a strong swimmer its recommended to get one. Many places offer life jacket rental for about 1 to 2 dollars per person. There is also change rooms and lockers if you want to change there or are looking for somewhere safe to put your things while you swim.
There are multiple restaurants to choose from and small stands to buy food and drink from so if you don’t want to pack a lunch and you don’t have any dietary restrictions then you will be fine eating at Puente de Dios.
Overall
Puente de Dios is an extremely fun place between the different swimming holes, jump spots and the cave you can swim through to the larger waterfalls you can easily kill a whole day here.
Guided tours are available and if you want a tour down the river and to make sure you dont miss anything then talk to your hotel or hostel about taking one. You can also book one when you arrive at the park.
After 2 hours each way in a bus it does make it a long day though so best to start as early as possible. We actually arrived slightly before the park opened and were the first ones in there, meaning we had it to ourselves for an hour or so before anyone arrived. Personally, like anywhere in Mexico if you want to avoid crowds then avoided going on the weekend and especially on Sundays.
Some gear we use
- Rain Jacket: Arcteryx Alpha
- Hiking Boots: Salomon Men’s Quest 4D 3 GTX
- Reusable bottle: Sawyer filtered water bottle
- Dry Bag: Earth Pack 20L
- Headlamp: Black Diamond Revolt Rechargeable
- Headphones: Jaybird Vista waterproof and sweatproof Bluetooth.
Where to stay in Ciudad Valles
So we are always going to recommend eco-hostels or lodges first and this one is another beautiful one located in central Ciudad Valles.
Eco Hotel Casa Kima is a beautiful little tropical styled hotel with bamboo buildings complete with grass-thatched roofs that are reasonably priced.
Hotel Casa Ortiz is a very well priced 5-star hotel in the middle of Ciudad Valles. It comes complete with a pool and breakfast. We didn’t actually stay here but it is very highly rated and probably a great option if you’re looking for something a little more conventional.
If you are looking for a more budget option the Hotel Casa Clavel is probably perfect. It is what you would expect from a budget hotel, basic and clean. Rooms at Hostel Casa Clavel start from around $25 USD per night
What Camera Gear We Use.
- Digital Camera: Sony A7riii
- Drone: Mavic Pro 2
- Landscape Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8
- GoPro: GoPro Hero 7 Black Would upgrade to Hero 8 Black though
- Favorite Lens: Sony 24-70mm F4
- Circular Polarizer: Hoya Digital PRO1
- Power Bank: Anker PowerCore 20100 (A little heavy but amazing especially for multiday adventures)
- Tripod: Vanguard VEO 2 265AB
Other waterfalls to visit in San Luis Potosi.
So there are probably dozens and dozens of other amazing spots in San Lusi Potosi but here are a few worth checking out.
Visiting Las Pozas is probably the reason you’re in the area. If you’re not here for that then you should be as it is absolutely incredible!
Puente De Dios an incredibly beautiful spot tucked into the mountains.
Salto del Agua another amazing spot that seems to remain extremely uncrowded most of the year.
Being sustainable while traveling.
There are a million different aspects to this but I will just cover one here that is relevant to swimming holes and the ocean.
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.
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 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.
Kiss My Face is one brand that is making a really nice mineral face and body cream. They are also cruelty-free so you can feel good about that, and it contains beeswax, green tea, sunflower oil, and sage.
Sun Bum is a super fun company that has a large range of reef friendly mineral products. Ingredients include mineral zinc oxide, coconut oil, and cocoa seed butter.
All Good Sunscreen Butter is one we have not actually tried but have been hearing a lot of good things about online. All good use zinc oxide mineral ingredient 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 water. 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 option be better for you all round they will also reduce your single-use plastics ever so slightly.
Exofficio Bugs Away Leggings these are for you if you’re like us and don’t like bug spray, they also have pants for men. We just put long pants on in the morning and evening when it starts to cool down and the bugs really start to come out.
Royal Robbins Mens Bug Barrier 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. This shirt also comes with treated fabric to help repel bugs. I went for the plain light blue option but that’s all up to you.
Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent If you are really hell-bent on some kind of spray because, well lets 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.
