All You Need to Know About Visiting the Waterfalls of El Naranjo, Huasteca Potosina, Mexico

In this blog post you can read about one of the best ways to visit the Waterfalls of El Naranjo (Cascada el Meco and Cascadas de Minas Viejas) located in the breath-taking Huasteca Potosina region in Mexico. 

Below you’ll find a detailed description on what to expect from your visit including information about the waterfalls, the tour we took, top tips and things you should pack for an unforgettable adventure.

For reference, we spent a full week touring around the Huasteca Potosina region during our 3 months in Mexico. We fell in love with this area instantly. Even after completing our full itinerary around Mexico, this region remained our absolute favourite.

Introducing the Waterfalls of El Naranjo

There are two beautiful places just outside of the town of El Naranjo that you should visit during your Huasteca Potosina trip.

Click here for more information about the Huasteca Potosina, how to get there, how to move around and other places to visit.

1. Cascadas de Minas Viejas

Minas Viejas Waterfall is located about 20 km to the south of El Naranjo. The waterfall is located along the El Salto River. It has a 50 m drop after which the river flows through a series of pools and smaller waterfalls.

You’ll have to walk down a few hundred steps to get to the waterfall. On your way you’ll also pass a viewpoint where you can get a glimpse of the waterfall from above. 

You can enjoy swimming in the pools just below the main waterfall or even jump into the pools from the top of the smaller waterfalls. 

2. Cascada el Meco

Only a short distance to the north of El Naranjo is another stunning waterfall called Cascada el Meco. It is a 38m high waterfall that is basically located at the end of the rapids below El Salto Waterfall which is another popular spot. 

You can either view the waterfall from an observation point above or get a boat ride that takes you right in front and underneath it. Whilst you’re not allowed to swim right in front of the waterfall, you can get out of the boat further down and cliff jump into the turquoise blue river. After the boat ride you can also enjoy swimming in the natural pools. The water here is possibly the bluest water you will ever see in your life!

General Tips on Booking a Tour in Mexico

There are many tour operators in this area that organise day-trips to the waterfalls of El Naranjo. Depending on your budget and what kind of adventure you’re looking for, make sure to shop around before you commit to a company. Below are a few tips on finding and booking the best tour:

• Your hotel or hostel will definitely have some leaflets of different tour companies so make sure to collect a few of them.
• After collecting a few, search for the companies online and see what tours they offer. I would also check some reviews and their social media sites too.
• Tours in Mexico are normally arranged via WhatsApp. This is great because you can get an immediate response and also use Google Translate to reach out to them in Spanish and then translate their offer. They normally send you details about the tour, what’s included and how much it would cost you.
•  Note that their online prices might be different or outdated, so don’t be surprised when they quote a different price. 
• If you’re happy with the tour then they will ask you to pay 40-45% of the total cost normally via bank transfer. You’ll have to pay the rest in cash on the day of your tour. Note that tips to your guide are NOT included, so calculate that into your final cost.
• When you book your tour ask if they have English speaking guides available, especially if you don’t speak much Spanish. However, if you’d like to learn some Spanish, then having a Spanish speaking guide is amazing.

About the El Naranjo Waterfalls Tour

For reference, we booked the Waterfalls Circuit activity with Huasteca Total and as it turned out we actually got a private tour. This was really amazing because we always feel a bit rushed when going on a big group tour. However, having a private one gave us the opportunity to go at our own pace a little bit more. 

This particular company offers both ecotourism and adventure tourism services. They also use environmentally friendly methods that contribute to the sustainable development of the Huasteca region. The tour included all of our entry fees, door to door transportation and other things such as life jackets and lunch. Unlike on our Tamul Waterfall tour, we had a Spanish speaking guide. We didn’t mind it as we could at least practice our Spanish with him. 

The downside was that our tour didn’t include El Salto Waterfall which is only a short distance away from El Meco Waterfall. In addition, the online tour description included a visit to Micos Waterfall, but at the end that wasn’t included in our itinerary either. I personally didn’t mind the latter as Micos Waterfall is more catered to adventurous water activities which I’m not super comfortable with as I can’t swim very well.

The cost of the tour was 980 MXN per person.

All in all, we really enjoyed the company and would definitely recommend them. However, I still recommend shopping around before you commit to one. One thing is for sure though: whichever tour company you pick, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable day!

El Naranjo Waterfall Tour Itinerary

1. The Drive to El Naranjo

Normally your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and will drive you to the first waterfall which was Minas Viejas in our case. Depending on traffic, the drive can take between 1.5 to 2 hours from Ciudad Valles.

Since El Naranjo is located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the drive towards the town is very scenic. You’ll drive past countless sugarcane fields with mountains as a backdrop. One of the four sugar refineries in the Huasteca Potosina is actually located in El Naranjo. We saw many people working on the fields and also passed many huge lorries transporting the sugarcane to the factories.

Did you know? – The town actually got its name ‘El Naranjo’ because there used to be an orchard of orange trees at the site. 

2. First Waterfall Stop: Cascadas Minas Viejas

Once you arrive at the entrance of Minas Viejas Waterfalls, your guide will provide you with a life jacket and pays for your entry. Normally the entry fee costs 60 MXN and a mandatory life jacket hire is around 30 MXN. If you go with a tour, then these should be included in your total cost.

To reach the waterfall you’ll have to walk down a few hundred steps. There will be a small lookout point where you can get your first sneak peak of the 50m tall waterfall.

Once you reach the bottom, there will be a bridge that crosses the river, so you can really get to see the main waterfall from different angles.

Top Tip – If you have a camera, I recommend bringing it to be able to take some fun photos as you can keep it dry. However, I still recommend having a waterproof phone case or GoPro with you for in-water adventures.

From there you can jump into the main pool in front of the falls and enjoy the stunning turquoise blue water. The currents can be a bit strong and the water can be cold too, so make sure you’re a good swimmer. For reassurance, the guide will be with you the entire time.

If you’d like to do a bit more of an adrenaline fueled activity, then after your swim in the pool you can also jump off the top of the smaller waterfalls further down the river. There’s a lovely picnic area just behind the bridge where you can relax and enjoy the views in case you want to skip the waterfall jumping.

Once you’re ready to leave this slice of paradise behind, you’ll have to walk back up the stairs and head to your next destination of the day: Cascada El Meco.

3. Second Waterfall Stop: Cascada el Meco

Cascada el Meco is located just to the north of El Naranjo. We genuinely thought that nothing could beat the beauty of Minas Viejas Waterfall, but boy were we wrong!

The colour of the El Salto River here was even more turquoise than at Minas Viejas. Whilst the waterfall itself was less impressive, the mixture of blue and green colours left us totally speechless.

There’s a viewpoint from where you can check out the waterfall from above. It’s next to a luxury hotel called Huasteca Secreta which also has a restaurant, in case you’re visiting the area without a tour.

However, probably the best way to see Meco Waterfall is via a boat ride that takes you as close as possible to it. Luckily, the boat ride was included in the tour, otherwise you have to pay extra for it. Unlike at Tamul Waterfall, you don’t have to row upstream as a guide will do the hard work for you. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery around you.

Top Tip – Have a waterproof phone case or GoPro with you as you’ll definitely get a bit wet from the spray of the waterfall. 

A bit further from the waterfall you can also do some cliff jumping into the calmer section of the river. The currents at the base of the waterfall are very strong so it’s better to swim a bit further down the river. 

After your boat ride, you’ll have some free time to enjoy relaxing in the natural pools. This was definitely our favourite part of the day, as the water in the pools was just the right temperature unlike at Minas Viejas where the water was surprisingly cold! 

4. Lunch Stop and Drive Back to Ciudad Valles

Before your driver takes you back to Ciudad Valles, you’ll stop for a late lunch at Restaurante El Rancho in El Naranjo. The staff were lovely and the food was very delicious with generous portions. It will be well needed after a long day of adventures.

After you’ve had your food, you’ll head back to Ciudad Valles where your driver will drop you off at your hotel. On your way back you’ll likely witness a beautiful sunset as you drive back through the sugarcane fields and mountains. 

What to Pack to Visit the Waterfalls of El Naranjo

Here’s a list of things you should consider taking with you when you visit the Waterfalls of El Naranjo:

Items for protection:

• Reef safe sun-cream
• Sunglasses
• Hat

Clothing items:

• Quick-dry towel
• Swimsuit
• Quick dry shorts and top that you don’t mind getting wet
• Change of clothes
• Water shoes
• Comfortable trainers for walking

Tech items:

• Phone
• Waterproof Phone Case
• GoPro with waterproof case
• Dry bag for your tech and other items such as money

Other Items:

• Cash
• Snacks
• Water bottle

Final Thoughts on Visiting the Waterfalls of El Naranjo

I think we definitely saved the best for last in our Huateca Potosina waterfall adventures. These waterfalls around El Naranjo were the most breath-taking in our opinion and definitely made us ask the question ‘is this Mexico?’ over and over again.

Having a private tour was also great as we could spend as little or as long at the waterfalls as we wanted. Obviously, they have to keep to some sort of schedule, but for the most part they let us explore at our own pace and we never felt rushed.

Have you ever visited the waterfalls of El Naranjo or the Huasteca Potosina region before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? If not, would you want to traverse this area now? Let me know in the comments below.