15 Best Hot Springs in Mexico to Discover in 2024

Among the best hot springs in Mexico, Las Grutas de Tolantongo is the most popular and attractive destination. However, there are other exciting sites not yet discovered by many.

The territory’s intense volcanic and geothermal activity is reflected in an immense amount of inexhaustible hot springs throughout Mexico.

These conditions provide bathers with warmth and a load of minerals that promote health and wellness.

15 Best Hot Springs in Mexico

1. The Mayan Baths, San Miguel de Allende

best hot springs in mexico
The Mayan Baths in San Miguel de Allende

The waters of the Mayan Baths are packed with therapeutic properties that the Mexican Indians have already known since pre-Columbian times.

These baths are in an unusual underground facility in San Miguel de Allende.

The place, made of tunnels with walls and vaults beautifully built with quartz stone and crystal, is a thermal spa with pools connected by an upper tunnel, with water at 40°C (104°F).

Check for the best places to stay in San Miguel de Allende

At The Mayan Baths, you don’t have to worry about congestion problems underground, as access is restricted to a maximum of 45 people to ensure total comfort for visitors.

The candle lighting creates a mysteriously enchanting atmosphere.

The symbols of the Mayan culture that make up the decoration complete a setting that takes you back to pre-Hispanic times.

As a tribute to advanced Mayan astronomy, on the winter solstice (between December 20 and 23), the setting sun illuminates the tunnel’s most extended passage with impressive orange and reddish tones.

2. Los Azufres, Michoacan

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Los Azufres lake – Source: vinkts2 / flickr.com

Los Azufres is a natural spa with hot springs. It is located in the mountainous region of the eastern sector of the state of Michoacan.

It was designed with a pleasant rusticity, following the natural environment.

Its conception as an integrated health service is based on providing its clients with the necessary physical and spiritual balance.

Check for the best places to stay in Los Azufres Michoacan

Its thermal treatment services are based on four areas:

  1. Hot springs: these analgesic waters support muscle inflammation, relieve joint pain, and help combat stress and sleep disorders.
  2. Thermal mud spring: these muds hydrate the skin, remove stains, and fight wrinkles. They act as natural healers and are effective against acne.
  3. Steam rooms: the steam opens the pores, favoring a deep cleansing of the skin while helping to decongest the respiratory tract and eliminate toxins.
  4. Massages: these are done by specialized professionals to provide the client with the treatment he/she desires.

At Los Azufres Michoacan, you can stay in a cabin or set up your tent.

The spa also has a spot for bonfires and a mini-shop.

3. Agua Hedionda, Morelos (natural spring water park)

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The high sulfur content provides these waters their characteristic odor, which is why they were popularly baptized as “stinking water,” although they are clean and medicinal like few others.

The rain and the thawing of the two great volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, provide the water that, after penetrating the depths, flows full of therapeutic properties.

Agua Hedionda is located in Cuautla, Morelos, 100 km from Mexico City, and is one of the best hot springs water parks near the Mexican capital.

The water park has:

  • A main pool of 1600 m2, and variable depths between 1 and 2.6 meters. The water is fully replenished daily, and its temperature is 27°C (80°F)
  • A diving platform and slide in the main pool
  • A medium-sized pool, whose maximum depth is 70 cm, with a waterfall, artificial pool, and three slides. It is ideal for children and seniors
  • Eight private pools that can accommodate 10 to 15 people

In addition, Agua Hedionda has a spa with steam and a sauna, an outdoor gym, a jogging track, and all the necessary services to enjoy your visit to the fullest.

4. Las Grutas de Tolantongo: Top Hot Springs in Mexico

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Source: Nailotl / shutterstock.com

Tolantongo is a canyon with a system of caves located in Cardonal, Hidalgo.

Through the main cave flows a small river of hot springs channeled to a beautiful set of splash pools and hot water pools built in various canyon sections.

Other attractions you can enjoy in Grutas de Tolantongo are:

  • Tour the thermal river and caves to admire the stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations
  • Entrance to a 15-meter-long thermal tunnel, where the atmosphere is similar to a steam bath
  • Walk across a hanging bridge with spectacular views of the canyon
  • Visit the waterfalls formed by the Tolantongo River
  • Thermal baths in pools
  • Hiking
  • Rappel

The place is managed as a recreational and ecological park by local cooperatives, and there are several hotels.

Apart from the hotel rate, you must pay for access to the park for the first two days.

There is also a camping area, with the possibility of renting a tent.

5. Tecozautla, Hidalgo

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Source: el parajo lindo / Shutterstock.com

Tecozautla is a Magical Town located less than 100 km from Santiago de Queretaro.

It is ideal for spending a weekend in hot springs and enjoying the town’s other attractions.

In Tecozautla, there are more than 20 spas with some of the best hot springs in Mexico.

Most of them combine the classic pools and their aquatic entertainments with relaxing natural warm water.

You may want to read: TOP 5 Grutas de Tolantongo Hotels

One of these spas is El Géiser, which has impressive hot water outlets, rising almost 100 meters at 95°C.

El Géiser has the advantage of being open 24 hours a day. At this site, you can also enjoy exciting zip-line descents.

To complete a round trip through Tecozautla, visit the Pahñu Archaeological Site, built by the Otomí culture, which includes a pyramid dedicated to the Sun and another to the god Tláloc.

In the Magical Town, there are architectural attractions, such as the temple and convent of Santiago Apostle, built at the end of the XVIII century.

The “Monumental Clock,” a beautiful tower clock located in the Plaza Revolucion, was erected during the Porfiriato.

6. Ixtapan de La Sal, Mexico State

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Source: Arturo Verea / Shutterstock.com

Among the hot springs in Mexico State, those of the Magical Town of Ixtapan de la Sal stand out.

The main ones are those of the municipal spa of El Bañito.

The experience can begin in the small hydro-massage pools with powerful hot water outlets to eliminate body tension while you enjoy your favorite cocktail.

You can then move to the thermal mud pool for a medicinal mud bath.

Check for the best places to stay in Ixtapan de la Sal

There is fresh mud on the shore for you to apply all over your body, including your face, in an exfoliating treatment that will leave your skin smooth.

The largest pool is the central one, and the water temperature is warm, just like in the mud pool.

There is another smaller circular pool, where the water is more transparent and flows in a warm gush.

In Ixtapan de la Sal, the healing power of the hot springs will leave your body as good as new so that you can return to your regular activities at peak performance.

7. El Carrizal, Veracruz

best hot springs in mexico
Sandy bottom pool next to the river. HOT! – Source: Kathleen smith / flickr.com

These medicinal waters are located 60 km from Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz, in the tourist complex El Carrizal.

The complex, harmoniously integrated into the natural environment, lies on one of the banks of the Pescados-Antigua River.

The thermal spring is next to the river and emits about a thousand liters of water per second at a temperature of 42°C.

The thermal water is dammed in a large pool 70 meters long, shaded by the canopy of huge huanacaxtles.

Apart from the hot springs, the El Carrizal resort includes a hotel-spa and a theme park.

The waters of El Carrizal are rich in calcium sulfate and contain small amounts of hydrogen sulfide and lithium.

These compounds cause a healthy stimulation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, promoting peristaltic movements that facilitate emptying the intestines, thus helping people with constipation.

Thermal waters are also slightly radioactive, so they excite the cells and help treat nervous disorders without posing any risk of radioactivity.

8. Chignahuapan, Puebla

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Source: Nailotl / Shutterstock.com

The hot springs of Chignahuapan Puebla await you in this Magical Town whose Nahua name means “over the nine waters.”

Nestled in the Sierra Norte, Chignahuapan has gained fame for its tradition of making Christmas balls and for its hot springs.

The people of Puebla appreciate the hot springs of Chignahuapan for their medicinal properties.

The main hot spring is in Barrio de Tenextla, whose water gushes from the springs at 51°C, although it reaches the pools in the range of 25 to 38°C, making them pleasantly warm.

The spa has a hotel and other tourist services.

The Magical Town of Chignahuapan has several architectural attractions, among which stand out:

  • A beautiful wooden kiosk in the Plaza de Armas was installed in 1871. In its center, it has a fountain that is the emblem of purity
  • The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, with a colossal image carved in cedar
  • The Temple of Santiago Apostle, in baroque style

9. Huichapan, Hidalgo

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Old aqueduct in Huichapan – Source: Arlette Lopez / shutterstock.com

Huichapan is another Magical Town that won this recognition for its civil and religious architecture, its ancient aqueduct of El Saucillo, and its hot springs.

At the Balneario Chichimequillas, the warm waters are conducted to lovely pools in the middle of the natural greenery. Nearby is a river and hiking trails.

5 km from the Pueblo Mágico, in San José, is Los Sabinos Ecological Park, with hot springs and hiking trails.

Another attraction of this park is the immense ahuehuetes, beautiful trees whose name means “old men of the water” in the Nahua language.

Near Huichapan, there are two sites with cave paintings in which primitive Mexicans expressed their art by drawing anthropomorphic forms, animals, plants, stars, and the Sun.

In Huichapan, you must visit the Municipal Palace, the Chapitel, the church of San Mateo Apostle, and the Casa del Diezmo.

Another attraction of the Magical Town is the El Saucillo Aqueduct, a superb construction dating from the first half of the 18th century.

You may want to read: Pachuca Mexico: 20 Reasons to Visit this Mexican City

10. Lourdes Water Park, San Luis Potosí

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Lourdes natural water park and hotel in San Luis Potosi

The medicinal fame of these waters (located between the Potosí municipalities of Santa María del Río and Tierra Nueva) is ancient.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Hotel de Lourdes was built to attend to the growing number of people searching for healing for their ailments.

Today, the hotel is a stately building with comfortable rooms, ample spaces, elegant furnishings, and immaculate green areas, which have become a prestigious destination for rest and quiet coexistence.

It has a swimming pool and hydro-massage tubs whose waters come from the thermal springs of the area.

The water temperature is around 32°C and is alkaline and slightly radioactive, so it is recommended for renal and hepatic disorders.

The hotel was built in the ex-hacienda La Labor del Río, which lived its time of splendor in the 18th century and preserved its old shell.

Among Mexico’s hot springs, these sources also provide drinking water.

Near the hotel is the bottling plant of Agua Mineral de Lourdes, supplied by the same spring system.

11. Santa Gertrudis, Coahuila

thermal waters coahuila
La Azufrosa hot springs in Coahuila

Despite its semi-desert environment, Coahuila is also a territory of hot springs.

The best known are those of Santa Gertrudis, a town located 8 km from San Buenaventura.

The limestone rocks of this part of the state are rich in sulfurous minerals, with silver, lead, and mercury, which gave rise to mining exploitation at the end of the XVII century.

The main hot spring is La Azufrosa, with medicinal waters and a characteristic sulfur smell.

In colonial times, it began to be visited in search of cures for all kinds of health problems, including rheumatism, syphilis, inflammations, muscular and pulmonary ailments, and the discomforts of pregnancy.

The waters of La Azufrosa have a high concentration of sulfur (2.5 mg/liter) and mineral salts and continue to receive hundreds of people annually with various health problems.

The best lodgings to go to La Azufrosa are in the nearby town of San Buenaventura, which has several tourist attractions.

Among them are the municipal palace, the parish temple, and the main square (with a beautiful kiosk).

12. Tlacotlapilco, Hidalgo

best hot springs in mexico
The Tlaco Ecological Water Park

In this small town of the Mezquital Valley is the Tlaco Ecological Water Park, with the most fun thermal waters in Hidalgo.

The thermal pool, surrounded by palapas built in perfect symmetry, has water between 35 and 40°C, two levels, and a rain tree to provide a relaxing and pleasant hydro-massage.

Other aquatic facilities of the park are:

  • Children’s Pool, with amusements for children, including short-length slides
  • Paradise Pool also with warm water
  • Bigger slides
  • Body treatments to remove dead cells and smooth and beautify the skin
  • Facial treatments for exfoliation and deep cleansing
  • Massages to relax muscles and stimulate circulation

Other services offered by the Tlaco Ecological Water Park are the thermal jacuzzis installed in small caves at the foot of the mountain and the baths in pools of clear water at 45°C (113°F).

Those who wish to combine relaxation with a bit of adrenaline can take a speedy ride on the zip-line.

13. Paraíso Aventura Las Huertas, Morelos

best hot springs in mexico
Paraiso Aventura

This water park is surrounded by beautiful trees and is located in the Morelos municipality of Tlaquiltenango, less than an hour from Cuernavaca.

The spa is supplied by a spring from which 1300 liters of warm water per second flow into two natural pools that have been conditioned as swimming pools.

A river with staggered waterfalls provides a relaxing massage.

At Las Huertas, you can rent a cabin, a bungalow, or a camp, and for meals, you have the option of a restaurant and the choice of preparing your food on grills.

If you forget something, they have a small grocery store also selling beach and pool supplies.

Parking is free, and the park offers 24-hour security.

Paraíso Aventura Las Huertas is located on the Mexico – Acapulco highway, at km 149.

14. Ojocaliente, Aguascalientes

ojocaliente
One of the main Ojocaliente baths

The territory now occupied by the Mexican state of Aguascalientes (hot waters) earned its name precisely for surprising the Spaniards with the warmth of its waters.

During pre-Hispanic and colonial times, the abundant and copious hot springs served as a supply source for the indigenous communities and the Hispanic settlements.

As its name indicates, Ojocaliente (hot-eye) is a hot spring located in the center of Aguascalientes.

Check for the best places to stay in Aguascalientes

Its historic spa dates from the 19th century, when Colonel José María Rincón received the concession and erected the building with neoclassical Frenchified lines and a patio with fountains and arches.

The baths still conserve the hydraulic systems of when they were inaugurated.

The waters of Ojocaliente have a temperature between 32 and 38°C and are known for their ability to relax the body and relieve different ailments, such as rheumatism and arthritis.

They are also recommended for rehabilitation treatments.

15. Guadalupe Canyon, Baja California

best hot springs in mexico
Source: Martin Lemus Garcia / flickr.com

This canyon of the Sierra de Cucapah is endowed with extraordinary natural attractions and magnificent places for adventure sports.

It is 60 km from the MexicaliTijuana highway and is among the hot springs that may require a guide because access is difficult.

It is called the “Oasis in the Desert,” and you’ll know why when you find yourself there.

One surprising thing in this canyon is the variety of hot springs that form different pools where you can relax in their warm waters.

There are also cold water pools if you prefer to cool off after sweating your way through the canyon.

The Guadalupe Canyon is also a site with cave paintings and impressive rock formations, which you can visit on a walk and then return to enjoy the hot springs.

Best hot springs in Mexico: Conclusion

If you don’t know about thermal water’s relaxing and healing power, you should not miss the next opportunity to visit one of these fantastic natural hot springs.

I hope this article is helpful for your next trip.

And don’t forget to share it with your friends so they know where the best hot springs in Mexico are. Vamonos!

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