Cascada de Texolo

Cascada de Texolo drops roughly 60 to 80 feet through a cloud-forest canyon a few kilometers south of the coffee town of Xico, near Xalapa, and is reached along a path that winds through working coffee plantations before crossing a suspension bridge with a direct view of the falls. A second, larger waterfall, Cascada la Monja, lies a short walk further along the same trail system for visitors with extra time. The dramatic gorge and greenery drew a Hollywood film crew in the 1980s, when the site served as a filming location for Romancing the Stone, and local guides at the entrance often point out the exact vantage used in the film. A visit covering the main overlook, the suspension bridge crossing, and a short walk to the base of the falls takes about ninety minutes to two hours; those continuing on to Cascada la Monja should allow closer to three hours round trip. The suspension bridge itself is the best vantage point for photographs, framing the full drop of the falls against the canyon walls. The trail can get slippery from spray and rain, so the dry season from November to April offers the most reliable footing and clearest water; weekday mornings are quietest, while weekends bring more visitors from Xalapa and Xico.