Cascada Cola de Caballo (Horsetail Falls)

Cascada Cola de Caballo, or Horsetail Falls, is a 25-meter waterfall near the town of Santiago that cascades down a series of rock terraces at an entrance point to Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. From the parking area, visitors reach the falls by a roughly twenty-minute walk along a dirt-and-gravel path, or by renting a horse or golf cart from vendors near the entrance for those who prefer not to walk. The falls take their name from the fanning white spray of water spreading over the rock face, most dramatic in the rainy months from late summer into early autumn, when flow is heaviest; during the dry winter and spring months the flow thins considerably. A full visit, including the walk in, time at the viewing area, and the walk back, typically takes ninety minutes to two and a half hours, longer if combined with a meal or souvenir stop at the vendor stalls near the entrance. Mornings are the best time to visit, both for cooler walking conditions and to arrive before the tour buses that bring day-trip groups from Monterrey around midday. The clearest views of the full cascade are from the main viewing platform directly facing the falls, while the surrounding rock terraces offer additional angles for photographs of the water against the canyon walls. Weekends, holidays, and the peak rainy season bring the largest crowds and the busiest vendor area near the parking lot.