Guided tour
Olla de la Luz
An abyss where the light pours in like a waterfall
About this tour
The Olla de la Luz tour costs $1,800 MXN per person, lasts between 8 and 9 hours and picks you up at your lodging in Xilitla between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. From Ciudad Valles the transfer costs extra — we'll quote it on WhatsApp. The price includes round-trip transport from your lodging in Xilitla, a certified guide and travel insurance for everyone in the group.
Fourteen kilometres from Xilitla, at the top of the community of La Trinidad, a vertical sinkhole opens up 193 metres deep and 233 across, ringed by cloud forest, pines, cedars and orchids. You reach it after a guided walk of about 2 hours through forest, clearings and lookouts. Eight to nine hours. $1,800 MXN per person.
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Olla de la Luz — you'll also see it spelled Hoya de la Luz — is one of those places a photograph can't explain. It is a vertical sinkhole 193 metres deep and 233 across, opened high in the mountains of Xilitla: a hole in the forest so wide that another forest grew at the bottom of it, and so deep that sunlight only reaches all the way in for a few hours a day.
Getting there means first climbing up to La Trinidad, the Nahua community that lives some 14 km from Xilitla, in one of the best-preserved cloud forests in the Huasteca. The road climbs to nearly 2,000 metres along a mountain track, and by the time you arrive the weather is a different one: cool, damp, with mist tangled in the pines.
The walk starts there — about 2 hours, with a guide from the community itself, which is the only way in. You cross stretches of dense forest, open clearings and several lookouts. The path runs among pines, cedars and orchids, and with luck you'll cross coatis or hear the guans.
And then the forest opens. Leaning over the edge of Olla de la Luz is the kind of view that recalibrates the scale of things: the rock wall dropping straight down, the tree canopy far below like broccoli, and the silence. Your guide shows you where to stand and where not to.
It runs 8 to 9 hours including transfers. Bring hiking shoes, a jacket or rain shell, water and something to eat. It's cold up there even when you're sweating down in Xilitla.
Your day, hour by hour
Approximate times. We confirm your exact pickup by WhatsApp when you book.
- 7:00–8:00 AM
Pickup
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla. Bring hiking shoes and a jacket or rain shell.
- 8:30 AM
Up to La Trinidad
About 14 km of mountain road to the Nahua community that lives high in the cloud forest. By the time you arrive the weather is a different one: cool and damp.
- 9:30 AM
The hike begins
With a guide from the community itself, which is the only way in. The trail crosses dense forest and open clearings.
- 11:00 AM
The lookouts
The path runs among pines, cedars and orchids, with several lookout stops. With luck you'll cross coatis or hear the guans.
- 11:45 AM
Olla de la Luz
The forest opens all at once: 233 metres across, a 193-metre drop, and another forest growing at the bottom of it. Your guide shows you where to stand and where not to.
- 1:00 PM
The way back
You retrace the trail with the light high, which is when the cloud forest shows you just how green it is.
- 3:00–4:00 PM
Return
We drop you back at your lodging in Xilitla.
On this tour
- 1La Trinidad — Xilitla's Cloud Forest
- 2Cerro de la Luz lookouts
- 3Olla de la Luz
Tour photos
1 / 6
What's included
- ✦Round-trip transfer from your lodging in Xilitla
- ✦Guided walk of about 2 hours through forest, clearings and lookouts
- ✦NOM-09 SECTUR certified guide
- ✦Safety equipment
- ✦Travel insurance for everyone in the group
- ✦Photos and video of the tour, taken by your guide
Book direct with us
You deal with the people who take you, from booking to the tour itself.
Hold your spot with 30%
Pay the rest on the day of the tour.
Pay us directly, in pesos
No middlemen: by card or bank transfer.
WhatsApp the same team
The people who guide you answer.
Our own NOM-09 guides
Certified by SECTUR, Mexico's tourism ministry.
Our own hotel and restaurant
In Xilitla, 400 m from Las Pozas.
Pickup & meeting point
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla and bring you back at the end. If you're staying in Ciudad Valles, we can come and get you there at an additional cost we'll quote on WhatsApp, or you make your own way up to Xilitla.
Xilitla
We pick you up at your lodging
Ciudad Valles
Transfer at an additional cost, quoted on WhatsApp — or make your own way to Xilitla
Departure time
Between 7:00 and 8:00 AM
Approx. return
3:00–4:00 PM
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 →
Our hotel in Xilitla
Stay 400 m from Las Pozas
Hotel Paraíso Encantado is ours too: it's in La Conchita, a 5-minute walk from Edward James's garden.
- El Papán Huasteco, our Huasteca-food restaurant, is inside the hotel: open 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
- Outdoor pool for guests.
- Arriving on the morning bus? If your room is ready, it's yours when you arrive; if not, you leave your bags at reception and we pick you up there for the tour.
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 Olla de la Luz?
Round-trip transfer from your lodging in Xilitla, Guided walk of about 2 hours through forest, clearings and lookouts, NOM-09 SECTUR certified guide, Safety equipment, Travel insurance for everyone in the group, Photos and video of the tour, taken by your guide. All of this is included in the price.
How long is the Olla de la Luz?
The tour lasts between 8 and 9 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 $1,800 MXN per adult. Children ages 6 to 10 pay 70% ($1,260 MXN) and children under 6 pay 50% ($900 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.
What time does it start?
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. From Ciudad Valles the transfer costs extra — we'll quote it on WhatsApp. We confirm the exact time by WhatsApp after you book.
What is Olla de la Luz?
A vertical sinkhole 193 metres deep and 233 across, high in the mountains of Xilitla, ringed by cloud forest and crowned by Cerro de la Luz, the highest point in the municipality. It's so wide that another forest grew at the bottom. You'll also see it spelled Hoya de la Luz: same place.
Can I visit Olla de la Luz without a guide?
No. The only way in is with a guide from the La Trinidad community; you can't get there on your own. That's why the walk on this tour is led by a guide from the community itself.
How hard is the hike?
Moderate: about 2 hours of guided walking to get there, through dense forest, open clearings and lookouts, and the same trail back, all at altitude. The route runs between 1,950 and 2,300 metres above sea level, so wear hiking shoes.
How close to the edge can I get?
As close as your guide says. It's a 193-metre drop with exposed edges: don't go near the rim without your guide, who shows you where to stand and where not to.
Is it cold in La Trinidad?
Yes, even when you're sweating down in Xilitla. La Trinidad sits in one of the best-preserved cloud forests in the Huasteca, cool and damp all year, with mist tangled in the pines. Bring a jacket or rain shell.
More detail in our cancellation and weather policy.
Make the most of your trip
Tours that pair well with this one
Sea of Clouds Sunrise — Hiking Cerro del Pilón
Pair it with the Sea of Clouds Sunrise on another day: the same La Trinidad cloud forest, but before dawn, with Cerro del Pilón and the sea-of-clouds lookout.
