Puyacatengo Waterfall and Riverside Trail

The trail starts at the entrance gate of Balneario Puyacatengo, about 4 km from the town of Teapa on the road toward the Sierra foothills, reached by colectivo, taxi or private car; Teapa itself sits roughly an hour south of Villahermosa on Federal Highway 195. From the gate, roughly 2 km of stone steps and packed dirt track follow the clear, spring-fed Río Puyacatengo upstream past a series of low waterfalls and natural pools carved into the limestone riverbed, with under 30 m of elevation gain spread across several short climbs between terraces. The surrounding vegetation is tropical lowland forest thinning toward the base of the Sierra, giving partial shade for most of the walk, and the trail's main landmarks are the pools themselves, several of which are calm and shallow enough for swimming once the path portion is finished. There is no formal turn-around point; most visitors walk as far as the highest accessible pool before returning, and simple palapa shelters near the entrance offer shade and space to picnic. Small family-run stalls near the gate sell snacks and drinks, though nothing is available further along the river, so water should be carried for the full walk.