Getting there from Médano Beach
Santiago is about 1.5 hours from Villa 1. Take Highway 1 past San José del Cabo and the airport, through Caduaño and Miraflores, and turn off at the Santiago sign just past the Tropic of Cancer marker. From the town, follow signs uphill toward Sol de Mayo. The last stretch is a dirt road; a normal car manages in dry weather if you go slowly, but after rain a high-clearance vehicle is much better.
There is a parking area at the ranch at the top, where you pay the entrance fee. We have not been able to confirm the 2026 price, so bring pesos in cash. Cell signal is poor, so download an offline map before you leave. Don't want to drive the dirt road yourself? Our guide to getting around Cabo covers hiring a driver.
The hike and the pool
From the parking area, a marked trail drops down into the canyon in about 20 minutes. It is steep in places, with railings and ropes on the rockier sections, and the walk back up is harder than the walk down in the midday heat. At the bottom, the fall slides down smooth granite into a pool that is deep enough to swim. Some local outfitters also run guided rappel descents in the canyon.
Food and alcohol are not allowed down at the pool, so eat before or after. Please carry out everything you bring in.
When to go
The waterfall depends on the summer rains (July to September). From October to about March it usually runs well and the canyon is green. By late spring the flow can shrink to a trickle, and it may stop entirely before the rains return. Right after a hurricane or heavy storm, the dirt road and the creek can be dangerous: check our hurricane season guide and ask locally before heading up.
Weekday mornings are quietest. Local families come on Sundays and holidays.
Make a day of it
Santiago is a quiet farming town with a church on the site of an 18th-century Jesuit mission, and it is close to the hot springs at Agua Caliente and Santa Rita. On the way back, San José del Cabo is a good place for dinner; see our San José art walk page if it is a Thursday in season.
Bring water shoes or sturdy sandals with grip, a swimsuit, a towel, plenty of drinking water, sunscreen, cash and a dry bag for your phone. This trip suits reasonably fit adults and older kids who can handle a steep, uneven trail.
