During years of wandering the back roads of Western Mexico—in search of caves, of course—I came upon fascinating natural attractions often known only to local people.
Here are six of my favorite sites fed by hot springs. All are likely to be free of people and noise on weekdays and are well worth a visit.
Río Santillán: Jalisco’s deepest hot river
This is the only hot river I know where you can swim. The Santillán flows out of a pool delightfully named El Charco de la Vaca (The Puddle of the Cow) and, after two kilometers, spills into the Rio Verde. Swimming pools have been built on the east side of this river but I’m sending you to the west side, where it’s quiet and natural.
The small Santillan River is clean and pleasantly warm, but not exactly hot. In the dry season, its waters are crystal clear, but the rest of the year, it is a bit like swimming in lukewarm coffee. This is a great place to relax, forget your troubles and watch the dragonflies.
To reach the undeveloped river, input “X4R5+M2F Los Capulines, Jalisco” in Google Maps. Driving time from Guadalajara is about two hours.
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