Guided, all-inclusive 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 own lodging in Xilitla between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. The price includes round-trip transport from your lodging, the 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 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
Todas las fotos son de recorridos reales realizados por nuestro equipo.
All 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
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 for an extra transfer fee, or you make your own way up to Xilitla.
Xilitla
We pick you up at your lodging
Ciudad Valles
Transfer at an extra cost — 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 →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. Everything 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.
More detail in our cancellation and weather policy.
Make the most of your trip
