Is Hierve el Agua open? Current status and how to visit from Oaxaca

Status update November 4, 2026

Hierve el Agua is open as of early November 2026, based on traveler reports from October 2026. Here is what the closure stories actually refer to, and how to get there by public transport.

Is Hierve el Agua open? Yes. As of November 4, 2026, the most recent information is from October 2026: traveler reviews on TripAdvisor and Viator describe visits in September and October 2026, including swimming in the pools. No official closure announcement for 2025 or 2026 turned up in Oaxacan or national news. The "closed" headlines that still circulate date from 2020 and 2021. Hierve el Agua is run by local communities, not by a government agency with a status page, and it has closed suddenly before, so check again the day before you go.

Is Hierve el Agua open right now? The evidence

Source	Date	What it shows
Viator Hierve el Agua tours page	Reviews dated September and October 2026	89 tours on sale; several October 2026 reviewers describe swimming in the pools on the day
TripAdvisor attraction page	Review written October 1, 2026 (visit September 2026)	Visitor describes the pools, the waterfall trail and the entry process
Infobae México	June 2026	Reports the site listed as open daily, 9:00 to 17:00 (citing TripAdvisor, May 2026), and warns the land dispute is unresolved
FlyerTalk "Hierve el Agua status" thread	December 2024	A moderator confirms it was open on an April 2024 visit, with entry fees charged

Treat this as "open, with a history of sudden closures". It is not a guarantee. The latest data point is from October 2026, about a month before this guide's date.

Why some sources say Hierve el Agua is closed

The conflicting reports come from an old dispute between two communities. On one side is the ejido (communal landholders) of San Lorenzo Albarradas. On the other is San Isidro Roaguía, a smaller community within the same municipality. The two disagree over who controls the site and its entrance fees. The closures that drive today's confusing search results happened like this:

2005 to 2007: the first closure linked to the dispute, according to Infobae.
2020: the site closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2021: the San Lorenzo Albarradas landholders announced a "definitive" closure to all visitors. They said the income was not benefiting the community, as Mexico News Daily and El Imparcial de Oaxaca reported at the time.
October 2021: San Isidro Roaguía reopened the site to tourists, initially with a daily visitor cap, even though the ejido objected. It has generally stayed open since then, without a formal settlement between the two sides.

A dating trap to watch for: the Mexico News Daily closure story was published on March 25, 2021. Its page header shows the current date, though, so it can look like recent news, and it has been cited as a "November 2025" closure. The El Imparcial story is from the same week in March 2021. Several 2026 blog and tour pages that say "Hierve el Agua is closed" are recycling these 2021 reports. If a closure story does not give its own publication date, check before you trust it.

How to check the status before you go

Read the newest reviews on the TripAdvisor or Viator page, sorted by date. If people visited in the last week or two, it is open.
Ask a tour office in Oaxaca City the day before. Agencies around the zócalo and on Alcalá street run the trip daily and will know if access is blocked. Infobae gives the same advice.
Search Spanish-language news for "Hierve el Agua cierre" and check the publication date of each result.
Ask the colectivo drivers in Mitla. If the site is closed, they will tell you before you pay.

How to get to Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca without a tour

Hierve el Agua is about 70 km east of Oaxaca City. No public transport runs there directly, so you make the trip in two legs. The fares below come from Infobae's June 2026 guide:

Oaxaca City to Mitla. Catch the green "Mitla" bus near the Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos on Calzada Niños Héroes, or at the second-class terminal. Buses run every 10 to 20 minutes, cost 20 to 25 pesos and take about an hour.
Mitla to Hierve el Agua. Converted pickup trucks wait near the main road for about 12 passengers. The fare is about 75 pesos per person. The ride takes about 45 minutes on a winding road with potholes. If you do not want to wait for the truck to fill, you can pay for the empty seats.

On the way, the truck stops at a community checkpoint where you pay a separate fee. You then buy your entry ticket at the gate. In total, the one-way trip costs about 110 to 120 pesos per person.

Hierve el Agua fees and hours

Item	Cost (MXN)
Community access fee (San Lorenzo Albarradas)	About 20
Site entrance	About 50
Toilets / showers	5 / 20
Camping with your own tent	50 to 100 per person
Basic cabins	From about 200 per person

The figures are from Infobae (June 2026). Other guides list the fees slightly differently, so take a little extra. Payment is cash only, and there are no ATMs at the site or on the road from Mitla. Infobae reports hours of 9:00 to 17:00 daily. Arrive before 10:00, before the tour buses come in, to have the pools mostly to yourself.

Taking a tour instead

Day tours from Oaxaca City are the easy option. Most combine Hierve el Agua with the Tule tree, Teotitlán del Valle weaving workshops, the Mitla ruins and a mezcal distillery. On the Viator page in late 2026, shared full-day tours started around US$29 to US$69. Half-day tours that go only to Hierve el Agua started around US$37 to US$75. Private tours cost about US$280 to US$300 per group. Check whether entry fees are included. On many cheaper tours they are not. Full-day tours often reach Hierve el Agua at midday, when the site is busiest. If the pools are your priority, choose an early half-day tour.

What to expect at the site

The site has two main parts: the mineral pools at the cliff edge above the valley, and the petrified waterfalls. These are white rock formations made by mineral-rich spring water running down the cliff over thousands of years. The full loop down to see the falls from below and back up takes about an hour on uneven stone steps. Bring a swimsuit, a towel, sun protection, water and shoes with grip. The site is not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. Food stalls near the parking area sell tlayudas and drinks.

What travelers report

Signage is poor (September 2026). A reviewer who visited in September 2026 found the site gorgeous but confusing, with almost no signs. They also report that tour guides were not allowed to go in with visitors. Their tip: turn left at the food stalls for the pools, or keep right past the restrooms to find the path down to the falls, which is easy to miss.
The dry season can disappoint. A December 2025 visitor felt it was not worth the trip. In the dry season they found crowded pools and only a trickle of water at the spring, with nothing flowing over the ledge.
The pools get busy. A solo traveler in February 2026 liked the views but called the pools crowded. Because the water changes slowly, they would be wary of swimming at busy times.
The full loop is worth it. An April 2025 visitor called the hike down worth it despite the many uneven steps. They found a path at the bottom that makes a full circle, with an easier climb back up, and noted that you pay a community fee before the main entrance.
Tour groups report normal visits in autumn 2026. Several Viator reviewers on September and October 2026 tours describe swimming in the pools at Hierve el Agua as part of their day. These are the most recent signs that the site is open.

Common mistakes

Trusting an undated "closed" headline. Most of them are 2021 stories. Check the publication date.
Bringing no cash, or only large notes. You pay twice, in pesos, and there are no ATMs nearby.
Arriving at midday with the tour buses, then finding the pools packed.
Expecting flowing waterfalls. The "falls" are rock formations. The pools are fullest and the landscape greenest after the rainy season, from about October to early winter.
Wearing sandals for the loop. The steps down to the falls are steep and uneven.
Leaving too late to get back. The last pickups back to Mitla thin out in the late afternoon.

Bottom line

Hierve el Agua is open and receiving visitors. The latest traveler reports date from October 2026, and no new closure has been reported. The scary closure headlines are almost all from 2021. Because the site depends on two communities that still disagree, confirm the status the day before. Bring cash, and go early. Hierve el Agua makes a good day trip from Oaxaca City before you head for the beach. The 7-day car-free Oaxaca coast itinerary and the guide to the new Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido highway cover the next leg. For eating in the city, see the Oaxaca City food guide.