Guided, all-inclusive tour
Xilo Cave
Nine hundred metres under the mountain, at night
About this tour
The Xilo Cave tour costs $900 MXN per person, lasts about 3 hours and picks you up at your own lodging in Xilitla or Ciudad Valles between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. The price includes the gear, the guide and travel insurance for everyone in the group.
A 15 to 20 minute walk through the jungle drops you at the mouth of the cave, already after dark. Inside you cover some 900 metres among stalactites and stalagmites that took millions of years to form, and the walk ends at natural jacuzzis of crystal-clear water inside the cave. You go with a helmet, a headlamp and a certified guide. $900 MXN per person.
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Almost every tour in the Huasteca happens in daylight. This one doesn't. Xilo Cave is walked at night, and that is half the experience: without the noise or the heat of the day, all that exists is the circle of light from your headlamp and whatever it reaches.
It starts with a 15 to 20 minute walk through the jungle to the mouth of the cave. Helmets and headlamps are handed out there, the guide explains where to step, and you go in.
Inside it's about 900 metres of walking. The walls are a catalogue of formations: stalactites hanging from the vault, stalagmites rising from the floor, columns where the two finally met after millions of years of drip by drip. There are wide stretches where you walk upright and stretches where you have to crouch; you move slowly, in a small group.
At the end of the route are the jacuzzis: pools of crystal-clear water formed inside the cave itself. That's where the introspection exercise happens — lamps off, a few minutes of silence, listening to the cave. It's the part people remember.
It runs about 3 hours in total. We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla in an RZR; if you're staying in Ciudad Valles we can come and get you for an extra transfer fee, or you make your own way up to Xilitla. Bring closed shoes that can get wet and a change of clothes.
Your day, hour by hour
Approximate times. We confirm your exact pickup by WhatsApp when you book.
- 7:00 PM
Pickup
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla, in the RZR itself. It's already getting dark.
- 7:30 PM
Walk through the jungle
Fifteen to twenty minutes on foot to the mouth of the cave. Helmets and headlamps are handed out here.
- 8:00 PM
Into the cave
The guide explains where to step, and in you go. From here on, all that exists is the circle of light from your headlamp.
- 8:45 PM
The formations
Some 900 metres among stalactites, stalagmites and columns where the two finally met after millions of years of drip by drip.
- 9:30 PM
The jacuzzis and the silence
The route ends at pools of crystal-clear water formed inside the cave. Lamps go off for a few minutes so you can listen to it. That's the part people remember.
- 10:00 PM
Return
Back to your lodging in Xilitla.
On this tour
- 1Xilitla jungle (approach walk)
- 2Xilo Cave
- 3The cave's natural jacuzzis
Tour photos
1 / 6
Todas las fotos son de recorridos reales realizados por nuestro equipo.
All included ✦
- ✦RZR pickup from your lodging in Xilitla
- ✦Tickets and cave access
- ✦Helmet and headlamp for each person
- ✦NOM-09 SECTUR certified guide
- ✦First-aid kit
Pickup & meeting point
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla — in the RZR (side-by-side) itself and bring you back at the end. If you're staying in Ciudad Valles, we can come and get you there for an extra transfer fee, or you make your own way up to Xilitla.
Xilitla
We pick you up at your lodging — in the RZR (side-by-side)
Ciudad Valles
Transfer at an extra cost — or make your own way to Xilitla
Departure time
At 7:00 PM
Approx. return
10:00 PM
Vehicle
RZR (side-by-side)
Staying in Ciudad Valles? The included transfer only covers Xilitla, but we can come and get you there for an extra transfer fee — message us and we'll quote it.
Ask about your pickup →Book with total confidence
Free cancellation
Up to 48h before · Full refund
We run in the rain
If the river is unsafe you choose: refund or new date
Photos and video included
Taken by your guide · No extra charge
WhatsApp support 24/7
Reply in under 1 hour
Card, cash or transfer
Encrypted payment · Processed by Stripe
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
What's included in the Xilo Cave?
RZR pickup from your lodging in Xilitla, Tickets and cave access, Helmet and headlamp for each person, NOM-09 SECTUR certified guide, First-aid kit. Everything is included in the price.
How long is the Xilo Cave?
The tour lasts approximately 3 hours.
Can I cancel my booking?
Yes. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour. Full refund, no questions asked.
What is the price per person?
The price is $900 MXN per adult. Children ages 6 to 10 pay 70% ($630 MXN) and children under 6 pay 50% ($450 MXN). The discount applies when you book online.
Where does the tour depart from?
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla and bring you back at the end. Staying in Ciudad Valles? The included transfer only covers Xilitla, but we can come and get you there for an extra transfer fee — message us and we'll quote it.
More detail in our cancellation and weather policy.
Make the most of your trip
