Swimming holes in Western Mexico: Hot, cold and just right

A reader asked me for a recommendation on swimming holes in Western Mexico. That set bells of nostalgia ringing in my head as I recalled the very first swimming hole I had ever seen, in the bend of a creek near my grandpa’s farm in Wisconsin. The water was muddy brown and cold, but for me, it was a little piece of heaven.

Below, you will find a few such heavenly holes not far from Guadalajara that — for the moment — have not been “improved” by the addition of concrete and plastic. Visit any of them on a weekday, and you are almost certain to have that heavenly hole all to yourself.

La Selvita (The Little Jungle)

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This is about as perfect a swimming hole as you could ever want. The pool is spring-fed, and the water is crystal clear and slightly warm. Its average depth is 5 feet (1.6 meters), meaning you can really swim here, not just soak. In fact, La Selvita covers 3 hectares (7.4 acres), so it is 24 times bigger than an Olympic pool.

Best of all, you are never alone when you jump into La Selvita because you are always in the company of majestic ahuehuetes, “old men of the water.” These are Montezuma bald cypresses — the Mexican national tree — and may range in age from 350 to 500 years old.

Señor Justo Torres, manager of this little park, says the entrance fee is only 60 pesos for adults, and camping can be arranged. Call him at (333) 129-3842. This little gem is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) east of Guadalajara and just 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of Lake Chapala.

Los Azules (The Blue Holes)

Each pool lies at the foot of a picturesque cascade. The water is perfectly clean and pleasantly warm, and you could float on your back for hours just watching the blue and red dragonflies float by.

The falls are located in an impressive canyon at the edge of the town of Tequila, and you can walk to them from your car in 30 minutes. Note, however, that the Machu Picchu-like trail is very steep in places. You need to be fit and wear sturdy hiking shoes.

Head to Tequila, Jalisco, then ask local people for someone who can guide you to Los Azules. Note that GPS reception is not good in the canyon. Go with a local guide.

Primavera Forest natural sites

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Sprawling Bosque la Primavera, located just west of Guadalajara, offers you the choice of man-made balnearios as well as a few natural swimming or bathing holes.

Rancho Ecoturístico Agua Dulce (Sweet Water) is named after a cold spring arising from a classic water hole, the source of a beautiful little river perfect for kids to frolic in. It is one of those few places where you can literally drink the water you are bathing in. The rancho also has restrooms, ziplines, ponies and a tower from which you can see for miles.

Soak in the Salty River

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If warm, salty water is more your style, bypass Agua Dulce and go to Río Salado, just under a mile (1.3 kilometers) down the road at El Roble, Jalisco, and pick your spot alongside the picturesque river. It is not deep enough for swimming, but rocks in the highly mineralized stream create a Jacuzzi effect that will bubble all your troubles away.

Río Caliente

Great escapes: Summertime adventures accessible from Guadalajara

If it is seriously hot water you are after, you are on the right river, but at the wrong end. The northern part of the Río Salado is called Río Caliente, and you have to go through the little town of La Primavera to reach it.

About 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) south of the town, you will come to a large parking lot that can get quite busy on weekends — not to mention during Holy Week, when everyone and their abuelita heads for Río Caliente.

On a typical weekday, there are few people about, and you can take your choice of four pools near the parking lot where the river has been dammed up, each a different degree of “hot.” In some of these, you can actually swim a few meters.

Huaxtla: The cold pools of Jaguar Canyon

Huaxtla is a small town located 14 miles (22 kilometers) due north of Guadalajara. As you drive toward this pueblito, you will skirt Jaguar Canyon, famous for its stupendous waterfalls, most of which fall into delightful pools.

In the past, these could only be appreciated by die-hard canyoneers. Today, thanks to local entrepreneurs, there is an easy-to-reach campground at the edge of the canyon with a well-marked trail leading down to three of the natural swimming holes, each at the base of a waterfall, of course.

Camping under the stars

From jungle to oak forest: Hiking above Lake Chapala

The campground has toilets and is a great place to observe stars of both the shooting and more stationary sort. The trail to the pools is 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) long, steep in places and quite scenic.

You will find the water very cold here year-round — perhaps best appreciated in the hot month of May. Note that you should visit this canyon only in the dry season due to the possibility of flash floods.

When you visit one of these still-natural sites, take a picture. Next time you go there, you may find a full-blown balneario instead.

John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.