The Huasteca Potosina (woss-TEK-ah poe-toe-SEE-nah) is northeast of Mexico City, in the state of San Luís Potosí, and is named for the native inhabitants (Huastecas, or tének) and the state. It’s unique situation geographically and geologically make this a semitropical paradise replete with colorful rivers and waterfalls, great bird and orchid viewing (this area was discovered and kept quiet by American orchid poachers). The first tourists stopped on their way between Mexico City and Nuevo Laredo (Laredo, Texas) on the old highway 85 through Tamazunchale*. The amateur video below covers several waterfalls.


Link to Lonely Planet page on Huasteca Potosina

Link to Boundless Roads guide to the Huasteca Potosina

Link to Trip Advisor page on Ciudad Valles on the margin of the Huasteca Potosina

Link to Trip Advisor page on Xilitla in the Huasteca Potosina

Link to “Mexico” Mike Nelson’s related blog page

Getting there, basing. The nearest airport with commercial service (Aeromar from MEX / Mexico City: is Tamuín National Airport (IATA: TSL, ICAO: MMTN) at Tamuín, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, which handles national air traffic for the cities of Tamuín and Ciudad Valles. TSL is ~180 nm north northeast of MEX, and Xilitla is a 7.5 hour drive (253 miles) through Tamazunchale on Carretera Nacional 85, a significant part of which is two lane blacktop and mountainous in areas.

Ciudad Valles, a typical town you’d find in an agricultural area, doesn’t have much to recommend it other than as a gateway where you can fund lodging, rent or hire a car or connect with a tour supplier.

Xilitla is closer to some of the sights and has some attractions of its own, notably surrealist art highlights like the 20+ acres of the Jardin Escultórico Edward James sculpture gardens and the Leonora Carrington surrealist museum.

There are low key small scale easy on your budget mid-level resorts in the Xilitla area. English will be scarce except in Xilitla and Tamazunchale. People who have stayed in the area for five days to one week say they’ve enjoyed it. Having your own car or a hired car and driver (such as a taxi) will enjoy flexibility to travel, others take trips with local tour providers out of Xilitla or Cd. Valles.

When to go: This area of Mexico is pretty wet, so you’ll want to visit November through March. May - September you could encounter some road flooding, and probably too much water to see the falls, rivers, swimming areas and caverns safely.

*The name Tamazunchale (Tam-uxum-tzalle) comes from the Huastec language, and means "Place of the Government"; it was the Huastec capital around the 15th century.[Wikipedia]