Without a doubt, the best-known feature of the Primavera Forest, situated on the fringes of Guadalajara, is its celebrated hot river. In fact, Río Caliente has become the symbol of the entire Bosque, even though the caldera in which it lies has plenty of other geologically interesting phenomena.
Although thousands of people bathe in the river every year, hardly anyone has ever been to its source. This is because the hot river is born, hissing and sputtering, deep inside a high-walled slot canyon very difficult to reach from anywhere except the famed Río Caliente Spa.
Alas, that delightful spa was forced to shut down a year and a half ago because the U.S. government’s travel advisory had – much to the surprise of those who live here – placed Mexico in a list of the most dangerous countries in the world, along with Iraq, Syria and Somalia. This decision amazed the spa’s owner, Caroline Durston, who could not recall a single act of violence ever having disturbed her guests, whether at the airport, in Guadalajara or while enjoying the spa’s healthy waters and wholesome atmosphere. Many of her clients, however, paid heed to the warning and canceled their reservations.
Now that the spa is closed, it’s more difficult than ever to gain access to the river’s point of origin. So, when Diarmuid Milligan of South Africa, a former health advisor at the spa, offered to lead an expedition to the source of the steamy stream, I immediately signed up.
Early morning – the earlier the better – is the ideal time to visit a boiling brook, and should you ever have a chance to camp next to one, be sure to peek out of your tent at sunrise. It’s truly the witching hour, as the first reddish rays of sunlight come filtering through the trees, only to be distorted by shifting and wavering tendrils of steamy vapor.
So there we were, early in the morning. Following our South African guide, we pushed our way through a veritable wall of tall weeds, unable to see anything at all until suddenly we stepped out onto the bank of the hot river, which was still shrouded in rising steam. Here the river looks quite different from anywhere else downstream because its color is bright green with algae which reflect the extremely high temperature of the water.
Our aim was to reach the river’s exact point of origin, but this is a tricky business even if you’re wearing high, thermally insulated “Bone-Dry” RedHead boots, as I was. The water is so hot, it could quickly cook you alive, but you need to cross it numerous times on your way upstream. My companions were obliged to hop from one rock to another while I could simply splash my way through the shallow water.
At last we came to one of several spots where the water literally boils out the sides of the narrow canyon. The temperature here is about 70 degrees Centigrade (158 degrees Fahrenheit). Beyond this point, not even my RedHeads could take me because now the canyon walls rose straight up on both sides of the stream and I had no idea how long even the finest boot could stand immersion in nearly boiling water before literally disintegrating. Not even a duck could get to the very start of the river without ending up well cooked. It was time to turn back.
Río Caliente’s water is quite unusual in that it is said to contain traces of almost every known mineral salt on the planet, including natural, organic lithium. Soaking in this alkaline (pH 8.3) water is gloriously relaxing, but, of course, you have to go quite a way downstream to where the temperature is just right. Since both hot and cold springs feed into the river along much of its length, you always have to test the water temperature gingerly, but once you’ve found the right place for you, get set for an extraordinary experience: the frothing, bubbling, natural Jacuzzi effect draws people to the river today just as it did before the arrival of the Spaniards, when, according to Caroline Durston, native people gathered here to be healed of their illnesses.
Although the spa is closed, the best places for soaking in the river are open to the public for a very small fee and there’s a big parking lot just above the river. This is one place you had best visit on a weekday, but remember, there are no facilities like changing rooms, toilets or restaurants. You’ll have to bring along everything you might need and carry it a hundred meters or so to the riverside … but I think you’ll find your hot-water soak will be well worth the effort.
How to get there
From Guadalajara’s western Periférico, take Highway 15 toward Nogales and Tepic. After about ten kilometers, you’ll pass through the town of La Venta, and two kilometers later you’ll see a sign marked La Primavera. Make a left turn here. Check your odometer as you leave the highway. Now drive forward, passing three streets and turn right on Ignacio Allende. When you get to the end of this street, turn left and drive two kilometers measured from the highway along a mainly paved road till you see a turnoff to Cañon de las Flores. Continue straight ahead, ignoring several right turns to various balenarios. Somewhere along the route you will have to pay a small entrance fee and after about 3.5 kilometers you’ll reach a gatehouse manned by forest rangers. Continue straight on another two kilometers and you’ll reach the flat parking area (N20 40.961 W103 34.688) on the bluff overlooking the river. Driving time from the Periférico is about 32 minutes.