Eight Hot Day Escapes in Oaxaca, Mexico

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Eight Hot Day Escapes

Text: Marina Komarovsky | Photos: Fernando Martin

When we ventured out of the city in search of natural pools to escape the Oaxacan heat, we found ourselves on an adventure of stuffy colectivo rides, roadside tejate drinks, and requests for directions. The journey, coloured by the stories we heard from locals along the way, made it all the more gratifying to discover these refreshing spots to relax waterside.

Presa la Azucena and Presa el Estudiante

“People call this ‘Presas de Huayapam’ because Huayapam is well known, but this is actually our town of Tlalixtac,” a woman selling sweets on the shore proudly clarifies.

Because of the confusion about the name (even Google maps didn’t seem to have it down), we don’t know if we’re in the right place when we stumble out of the bus. Luckily, we spot a gate labelled “Presa la Azucena,” and past it is an unexpected oasis of nature and leisure. The centrepiece is a gorgeous natural reservoir fed by mountain springs. On the shore are horseback rides, family bicycles, boat rentals, palm trees, geese, and music wafting out of several busy restaurants. A few kids defy the rules and wade into the lake, while groups grab outdoor tables in the shade to get as close as they can to the rejuvenating, sparkling water. If you do want to go for a swim, the neighbouring Parque Ecoturistico Huayapam has a new pool to enjoy, as well as bike trails and a zipline.

Only a few metres up and across the road, the Presa El Estudiante doesn’t have the same confluence of activity. Rimmed by pines, this place feels more rustic and subdued. Along a strip of parking near the shore, groups of friends have pulled up their cars and turned on their own music, trunks popped open to serve as seats. Chatting with their

companions and sipping beers from their coolers, they contemplate the reflection of the mountain in the sunset.

Getting There: The presas are about 10km northeast of Oaxaca. Catch the bus toward San Andrés Huayapam at Central de Abastos terminal, along the Periférico, or by the baseball stadium.

San Baltazar Guelavila

“Hierve el Agua is famous, but you can only see the water coming up from one place there,” our taxi driver waves his hand dismissively. “Here in San Baltazar Guelavila... there are springs all around you.”

On the way, Hierve el Agua appears in the far distance, but then we wind around another mountain and soon the driver stops because there’s no more road: just trees along a rocky path, a sign about respect for nature, and then, a precarious looking bridge across a small canyon. On the other side, you have to climb down stones and a ladder to reach the bottom, landing right inside a fresh brook that runs between two tall rock walls. Follow the brook upstream to discover, as the locals say, “where the water is born.”

Soon, splashes of colour start to appear on the plain rock, where water emanates from within. A few steps more, and anything

ordinary about the canyon gives way. You’re surrounded by stalactites, a breathtaking array of colors and patterns, cave alcoves, and water from tiny springs running down the walls. A large stone striped red and green by mineral deposits marks the entrance to a magical pool with a small waterfall.

Getting There: San Baltazar Guelavila is about 60km southeast of Oaxaca. Take a colectivo from Central de Abastos to the town of San Baltazar Guelavila, then catch a mototaxi to the canyon and waterfall.

Salinas De San Pablo Guila

“People say that in each village there’s one place that has mystical significance, but only the elders know where it is,” our host tells us. “And some people think that this may be one of those places.”

Our friends turn their mototaxi into a rocky dirt road and we start chugging and bumping up the hill, picking up dust as we slowly climb toward the salt flats. And then suddenly, we’ve arrived. The salina with its turquoise water sits serenely in a dry clearing, surrounded by green mountains. It’s shallow, and the clear surface reveals small plants covered with a snowcap of salt. You can wander along and search for the places where the water bubbles up from tiny openings in the ground, drawing circles as if someone had thrown a

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pebble. The salinas aren’t for swimming, but on Holy Saturday of Easter week, two manmade pools near the water are opened as part of an all-day, all-ages celebration and concert among the mountains.

Getting There: The Salinas de San Pablo Guilá are about 70km southeast of Oaxaca. Catch a colectivo from Central de Abastos to the town of San Pablo Guilá, then take a mototaxi or hike to the salinas.

Other refreshing spots to explore

In the Central Valley: In the same area as San Pablo Guilá and San Baltazar Guelavila, you can swim in Hierve el Agua’s natural, mountain-top infinity pools.

In the Sierra Norte region: In the mountains to the north, San Pablo Guelatao (Guelatao de Juárez) is home to a wooded lagoon in the middle of the town that was the birthplace of Benito Juárez.

In the Mixteca region: Also north but in the other direction, the Balneario Atonaltzin is where a swimming pool has been built around the natural sulphur springs in the town of Tamazulapam del Progreso.

Also in the Mixteca, remote Santiago Apoala is harder to get to. Doable as a day trip, it’s a trek and we recommend you stay the weekend. Here, there’s mountain hiking, swimming under waterfalls, and no phone service.