Aquismón

Tamul waterfall

Aquismón is a small town in the Huasteca area of eastern San Luis Potosi (state). It is a town with strong cultural traditions and a gateway to some of the most scenic natural wonders of the Huasteca region. A magnet for outdoor enthusiasts. The town is one of Mexico's Pueblos Magicos.

Rio Tampaon

Understand

Aquismón is part of a region called the Huasteca (the traditional lands of the Huastec culture). It is one of several towns in San Luis Potosi where the population is predominantly indigenous people, not mestizos or hispanics. Most indigenas in Aquismon are Huastec (not a given in today's Huasteca, where most indigenas are Mexica and other Nahuatl speakers). Among themselves, the Huastec often speak a dialect of the Maya language they call Tenek. They are almost always conversant in Spanish as well. You may also encounter some Mexica speaking Nahuatl.

Get in

By car

Aquismón is a remote town in a forested mountainous region, but easy to get to since it is less than a mile off federal highway MEX 85 (Carratera Mexico-Laredo). By car, it is 4 hours to the state capitol, San Luis Potosi. The nearest city with a commercial airport is Tampico (TAM  ^IATA), which is 2½ hours away.

By bus

Servicio Expreso Metropolitano (part of Grupo Vencedor) runs 4 buses daily between Aquismón and Ciudad Valles. The 2-hour trip will cost about M$100.

Get around

Walk or use a taxi. Some of the nearby natural attractions will take you almost an hour to reach.

See

• 1 Tamul Waterfall (Cascada de Tamul), near the village of Tanchachin. Spectacular large waterfall on the Rio Santa Maria comprising a series of adjacent drops of 105 meters to the river below. 

Do

Flock of birds in Cave of Swallows

• 1 Cave of Swallows (Sotano de los Golondrinas) (From Aquismon, take the dirt road toward Sagrada Familia, then turn right on another dirt road where marked... come to think of it, it's best to just hire a local to take you there with ropes, helmets, lights, rescue gear, etc.). This is not a pre-packaged cavern tour, kids. This is an adrenaline blast for caving and climbing junkies. It is a Karst cave entered through a ridiculously long rappel down a straight drop of 333 meters (1,092 feet). You'll be rapelling down for at least an hour, in the dark (to repeat, this is no packaged tour.) The cave gets its name from all these flocking birds that nest in the cave walls. None of the birds are swallows, but there are lots of swifts and green parrakeets.  

Sótano de las Huahuas

If you want to explore more caves, there are several in the area, including Cueva Linda, Cuevas de Mantetzulel, and Sótano de las Huahuas, and El Aguacate, famous for its historic mystical rituals. Ask a local guide for details and additional suggestions.

• White water rafting - explore the four canyons of the Río Tampaón.
• Canoeing - paddle the smoother sections of the Rio Tampaón.

Buy

Local Huichol handcrafts are available in the market, particularly textiles such as tablecloths, napkins, and handstiched blouses and sweaters.

• La Mora - an outdoor area where you can often find indigenas selling handcrafts

Eat

• 1 Restaurant Mary, Esq. Carmona y Sanchez (1 block from the church). Su-Th 09:00 - 17:30, F 09:00-20:00. Tidy little corner restaurant with traditional Mexican food. (updated Jun 2023)
• 2 Comedor las Tres Huatecas, Benito Juárez 298, ☏ +52 481 125 5659. Daily 06:00-18:00. Casual place with regional dishes. Good aguas frescos. (updated Jun 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Boutique Santa Lucia, Damián Carmona 4, Centro, ☏ +52 482 368 0214. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Attractive hotel with clean, quiet rooms, comfortable beds, and a buffet breakfast. M$800. (updated Jun 2023)
• 2 Hotel San Jose, Damian Carmona 1, Centro. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Private bungalows with bedrooms. Off-street parking. Swimming pool. M$1000. (updated Jun 2023)
• 3 Hotel Santa Maria, Privada, Luis Donaldo Colosio, ☏ +52 482 688 0372. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. New hotel, sparkling clean, friendly service, breakfast on the terrace. (updated Jun 2023)
• 4 Hospedaje El Huasteco, Damian Carmona 25, ☏ +52 481 112 2453. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable modest rooms. A/C, TV and WiFi. Also will arrange tours to nearby sites. (updated Jun 2023)
• 5 Hostal Aquismon, ☏ +52 482 112 6480. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable, clean, peaceful. 5-minute walk to main plaza. M$750. (updated Jun 2023)

Go next

• Ciudad Valles
• Xilitla
• Tampico