Top 5 San Luis Potosí Outdoor Escapes: Thrills & Nature
San Luis Potosí, a state smack-dab in the middle of Mexico, is maybe a super cool place packed with insane landscapes, super old towns, and just a crazy amount of adventures just waiting to happen. It’s not always the first place you think of for an outdoor trip, but trust me, that could be a mistake. From really crazy waterfalls that could take your breath away to caves that are like a different universe, this area just kinda has it all for anybody who wants to ditch their everyday routine and check out what nature has to offer. So, let’s check out five super cool outdoor adventures in San Luis Potosí that you might, too, enjoy, from pretty mellow to pretty thrilling. These options are pretty cool whether you are with your family, traveling all by yourself, or hanging with your friends, there is for sure something super fun for just about anyone.
1. Rappelling Down the Minas Viejas Waterfall
Picture this: You’re at the top of Minas Viejas, it might be this really pretty, big waterfall that seems to tumble down this really steep cliff into this kinda blue pool way down below. It sounds intense, yet this really might be rappelling at its best. Minas Viejas, located not too far from Ciudad Valles, isn’t really just any waterfall, rather, it might be this complete experience. You would scale down the 165-foot drop right alongside the gushing water. Like your pulse is already kicking up, it could be like feeling every bit of cool mist on your face. Honestly, for just about anyone that really likes insane thrills and isn’t so afraid of heights, this is actually that kinda adventure that will just stay with you.
What makes this adventure, well, extra crazy is really that mix of adrenaline and, like, pure, unaltered beauty. As you drop down, it almost feels like you’re kinda entering this very secluded paradise, and that feeling as you actually make it to the base might just be unbeatable. Nearby you might, too, be able to grab tours, which could include everything such as all your gear, guidance from people who have done this a million times, and maybe even pictures or videos of you actually doing your insane drop. Oh and, they also seem to deal with all the safety stuff; for example, you know, safety guidelines, so it seems all you need to think about might be not looking down…yet still taking in that insane landscape.
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2. Exploring the Surreal Garden of Xilitla
Las Pozas, better known as the Garden of Xilitla, might be a completely unique place where nature is almost in the process of getting taken over, not quite, more like it is getting decorated, that is, by these concrete sculptures. So, picture it: these insane constructions seem to get swallowed by this forest that just so happens to be quite magical. The sculptures might just be the creation of Edward James, this rather, like, eccentric English poet, it also seems he was kinda wealthy; so, naturally, he just spent over 36 years of his life and a bunch of his money just creating this insane surreal place.
Walking all over this area kinda feels like going into someone else’s head, like almost their dreams — some things might not completely add up, some things might appear out of nowhere — that is the art. Very strange stairs go absolutely nowhere, while, in some way, super strange sculptures maybe just look like huge flowers from a completely strange planet. What could be even more awesome is maybe that the local area kinda just embraced nature in itself and allowed the tropical plants, so, like the vines and also crazy flowers, just weave all over the place as if everything almost, seemingly just belongs, maybe even like they had an invitation. Be ready to, maybe do, quite a bit of walking, it may, too, be slightly slippery since it tends to always be so humid because of all those trees. The garden’s pretty open almost all year round but it could be best to check out schedules for your trip. So just remember your comfiest shoes.
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3. Canoeing or Kayaking in the Media Luna Lagoon
Looking to just sorta unwind and check out nature without going insane? Media Luna Lagoon could just be what you were kinda looking for. It’s known to be just like an oasis that comes right out of the desert near Rioverde. The springs seem to just be feeding the lagoon to have that kinda clear water making it kinda awesome for both swimming and checking stuff out underwater. Because of just about perfect clear water, it’s kinda known to be a go-to for just about all of the divers wanting to know what lives under all of that water.
However, you may actually just love it even if you don’t dive — for example, like your average canoer or kayaker can, in some ways, just slowly check out the coastline, where the wildlife actually loves to show itself. What is awesome, is like there seem to be so many spots nearby the water that could be good just for hanging out or just having a completely calm snack while staring at all the animals — you should really think about packing lunch. Plus, a few services will hook you up with just about anything such as boats, diving gear, and, as a matter of fact, like really good tours. Typically you can just show up to visit the Lagoon, but sometimes tours will need a small heads-up.
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4. Hiking in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
Now we are talking insane scale. The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, might be, like, an absolutely big space of really hills that are super crazy and it covers like a portion of San Luis Potosí (and also bleeds just over to other states), it has some really stunning hikes. This spot might be kinda cool cause just about anywhere you actually stare, nature is in action — there seem to be pine trees that cover the tops to spots where cacti seemingly never ends at lower altitudes. This crazy big biodiversity makes it awesome for just about anybody that loves checking out birds, taking pictures of completely interesting plants, or, in a way, just staring in amazement while completely big mammals just happen to stumble past.
Thinking of hiking over here? The trails will probably change by the terrain; sometimes you’re in dense forests and the other it might seem just like open trails with, in some ways, just killer panoramas. For a safe hike, what you may like your travel guide will tell you is always double check local weather and you may want to have something like a compass. Also it may be fun just to actually chat with folks living around the park, maybe to check what’s pretty, or even get to find your super personal hidden viewpoint that may just, too, go over a cliffside with zero guard rails. In the long run you should plan to maybe pack well, actually plan a day to visit so you don’t actually get rushed through.
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5. Caving at the Sótano de las Golondrinas (Cave of Swallows)
This place, Sótano de las Golondrinas, may just seem super cool since, well, it is freaking huge. It might not just be a cave, however it might be, actually, a quite deep, wide open drop-off to Mother Nature. More or less, the term, “Sótano” translates just right to “basement,” but it’s actually way cooler compared to someone’s random basement in a family house. Its almost like super early every morning, thousands, as a matter of fact, swifts and green parrots seem to pour out while flying like insane bullets through that big hole in the roof when the sunshine kicks in. Also almost every evening they almost always come zooming back inside for sleepy time.
So, you’re someone super stoked and might want to climb down in that darkness? Maybe base jumpers from everywhere seems to travel so they may show what they may have to offer in there with a base jump. Like, usually, most random visitors are, anyway, hanging just somewhere on the ledge to look in awe just before that quite large amount of birds appear for daily fun activities. You might plan to come super early since watching birds head into their natural homes definitely might be super cool and also well worth just your alarm clock. Oh and it might not only be for just that adventure type, and like just in case you were even thinking to attempt going deep in that space that has quite steep drops and cliffs, make it so it maybe just an expert that goes in so no crazy mistakes may arise.
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