✦ Getting there · How long you need · What to book
The Huasteca Potosina from Houston
Everything you need to settle before you book: which airport actually saves you time, where to base yourself, and how much you can see with the days you have.
Getting here from George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
Fly to Tampico (TAM) — the short way
United flies nonstop from Houston (IAH) to Tampico in about 1 hour and 55 minutes, with roughly two dozen departures a week. It's the shortest hop from the United States into the Huasteca, and it skips Mexico City entirely. From Tampico it's about ~2 h by road to Ciudad Valles and about 3.5 h to Xilitla. You can rent a car at the airport, or we can pick you up — our private transfer is priced per vehicle, round trip, for up to 12 passengers.
Fly to Mexico City (MEX)
More flights and often cheaper fares, but you trade the savings back for road time: Mexico City to Ciudad Valles is 267 miles (430 km) on the Mex-85 / MEX-70 toll highway, about 6.5 to 7 hours by car. Worth it only if you want a couple of days in the capital anyway.
Drive
It's a long haul — Houston to the Huasteca is a two-day drive with a border crossing and a mountain stretch at the end. Almost everyone who asks us ends up flying to Tampico instead.
Flight times and frequencies are approximate and change by season — confirm them with the airline when you buy. Drive times assume daylight and normal conditions.
Or we drive you
Private transfer from Tampico to Xilitla, round trip. The price is per vehicle, not per person.
- 1 to 4 passengers$5,000MXN
- 5 to 6 passengers$6,400MXN
- 7 to 12 passengers$10,000MXN
We pick you up where you're staying and take you back when your trip ends. It's held with the rest of your booking and confirmed over WhatsApp.
Coming from Houston, base yourself in
Ciudad Valles
Landing in Tampico puts you two hours from Ciudad Valles, and from there Micos is 20 minutes away and Tamul about 45. If Las Pozas and Xilitla are what you came for, stay in Xilitla instead — it's another two hours south, and we pick you up in either town.
Read the full travel guide →What to book
The package that fits
Includes lodging at our own hotel in Xilitla, breakfasts, transportation to every site, all entrance fees and certified guides. That price covers two people, not one. Hold it with a 30% deposit and cancel free up to 48 hours before.
Or build the trip tour by tour
- Tamul Expedition — Tamul, Water Cave and Sinkhole$1,450 MXN /person
- El Meco Waterfalls — El Meco, Panoramic Lookout and The Great Falls$1,600 MXN /person
- Surrealist Route — Edward James, Springs, Caves and Castle$1,300 MXN /person
What travelers from Houston ask
Why fly to Tampico instead of Mexico City?+
Because of what happens after you land. Tampico is a 2-hour drive from Ciudad Valles; Mexico City is closer to 7. The nonstop from Houston is under two hours, so you can leave in the morning and be swimming under a waterfall the same afternoon.
Do I need to rent a car?+
No. Most tours include round-trip transportation from where you're staying in Xilitla or Ciudad Valles (a few pick up only in Xilitla, with an extra charge from Valles), and we run private airport transfers priced per vehicle. Plenty of our guests never touch a steering wheel. If you do rent, drive the mountain sections in daylight.
How many days should I plan coming from Houston?+
Four days and three nights is the sweet spot: the flight is short enough that you don't lose a day getting there, so you get three full days of tours. Three days works if you're only doing the Ciudad Valles side.
Do the guides speak English?+
Our guides are NOM-09 certified and handle basic English on a shared departure. If you want one who speaks it fluently, tick «I'd like an English-speaking guide» when you book — it's free — and we'll arrange it; if we don't have one that day, we'll tell you on WhatsApp beforehand.