Hierve el Agua

Two sheer rock shelves rise between fifty and ninety metres above the valley floor, their white limestone edges dripping with mineral deposits. Fresh water springs, saturated with calcium carbonate, flow over the cliffs; as the water spreads, the excess minerals precipitate, creating the cascade‑like structures in the same way stalactites grow in caves.

On the lower shelf, known locally as the cascada chica or Amphitheatre, visitors find two large artificial pools carved into the rock and a collection of smaller natural basins. One of the artificial pools sits only a few metres from the cliff edge, offering a view of the sheer drop while swimmers wade in the cool spring water. Because the mineral deposits have solidified the falling water into stone, the site presents a waterfall that can be walked beneath and even swum in.