Day Trip to the Magical Waterfalls of Copalitilla and Llano Grande
Although I personally think you should skip Huatulco Mexico, one of the redeeming factors is having day-tripped to the Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls and Llano Grande Waterfalls (Cascadas Magicas de Copalitilla y Cascadas de Llano Grande).
Best Copalitilla Waterfall Tour
⭐️ Rated: 5 Stars
Basic Huatulco Waterfalls Information
The Copalita waterfall system is 1.5 hours away (40km) from Huatulco Bay and La Crucecita, the town people usually stay in when visiting Huatulco. The crystal clear waters of the Copalita river feed the waterfalls all the way from the sprawling green mountains and end at Playa La Bocana beach.
These beautiful waterfalls are separated into three distinct sections: the furthest being Llano Grande Waterfalls, then Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls, then Las Brisas Waterfalls. Each section contains its own series of waterfalls, entry location, and 70 peso entrance fee.
Copalitilla Magic Waterfall Tour
In town, every tour agency offers three main excursions – or you can join this waterfall tour. These Huatulco waterfalls should be at the top of your list. I can attest that they are indeed magical, and I would even go so far as to say this should be on your Mexican bucket list if you are passing through the state of Oaxaca.
👉 Book your Copalitilla Magical Waterfall Tour ahead of time
Where are the Waterfalls in Huatulco, Oaxaca?
Only Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls is very obviously marked on Google. Here are the GPS locations of Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls and Llano Grande Waterfalls. I couldn’t find Las Brisas Waterfalls and ran out of time anyway.
GPS Coordinates
Cascadas Magicas de Copalitilla: (15.909110, -96.134998)
Cascadas de Llano Grande: (15.920541, -96.125262)
How do you get to the Huatulco Waterfalls?
Magical Waterfalls Tours
Probably every tour agency in town offers a trip to these waterfalls, as this is one of the best Huatulco tours. Tours run from 10am – 5pm as an all-day excursion, costing 650-750 pesos per person.
Booking a tour – like this one – includes various sections of the waterfall, a traditional Oaxacan food lunch, and a tour guide. Most tour agendas also tack on a guided trip to a nearby coffee plantation, showing you the production process of how to make organic coffee beans.
Drive to the Waterfalls: Rent a Scooter (My Recommendation!)
Rent a scooter for 500 pesos from Adventura Mundo and go there yourself earlier than the tours. This way, you can be there without the crowds and move locations when you want.
Tip: Download an offline map beforehand as there is no service in the mountains.
500 pesos was the cheapest scooter I could find. All others were 550-700 pesos for a one-day rental, more than double what we had paid in Puerto Escondido (but hey, Huatulco is a cruise port for an older demographic). Adventura Mundo had a high 3500 pesos credit card deposit. But to give them credit, the bike only had 14,000km on it, looked new, and was gas efficient.
👉 If you’d rather navigate the terrible road by car, compare and book the best-priced rental car from Huatulco here
The Rough Roads to the Waterfalls
Hug the coastline north of Huatulco until you reach the right fork, going up the mountains to the waterfalls. The roads up to this point are paved highway streets. If you’re on a scooter, I recommend driving in the emergency lane so the faster vehicles can easily pass you on the left.
Shortly after turning up the mountain, paved asphalt turns to stone, then gravel and dirt. The further you drive, the more potholes and washouts there are.
Warning: the last 10 km is on some horrible unmaintained steep roads, but absolutely doable…slowly. Make sure there is good weather in the mountains of the Sierra before you leave, and be wary if there is rain in the weather forecast.
Which part of the Magical Waterfall Should you Visit?
I was only able to visit 2 of the 3 waterfall sections. If you only have time to visit one, I recommend going to Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls.
Llano Grade Waterfalls (Cascadas de Llano Grande)
Being the most distant, I had gone to the Llano Grande Waterfalls first. Drive a few more kilometers past the very obvious signs for the Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls area. You will happen upon a small village with actual roads again.
A sign points you to turn right to the Llano Grande Cascades near the town entrance. Local attendants should be standing nearby to collect the 70 peso entrance fee and release the guard rope.
I arrived at Llano Grande at 10:30am, and there was no one! After passing the entrance rope, a 5 minute drive leads you to the parking lot of Llano Grande. You can hear the distant trickling sound of Copalita River from the parking lot, only a mere 2 minute walk to the river.
A looped path has been constructed to circle around the Llano Grande Waterfall tiers. The small trail shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes to continuously walk but offers many opportunities to play on the man-made rope swings and jump in for a refreshing dip in the clear fresh water.
The pros of coming to Llano Grande first:
- The first tour bus showed up at 11:30am, so come early for some alone time
- It’s not as beautiful as Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls, so you won’t be disappointed if you haven’t been there yet
- If you put your legs in the cool water, dozens of fish will come to nibble and tickle your toes
- There is a giant rope swing and 4 sets of swings to play on
Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls (Cascadas Magicas de Copalitilla)
I doubted that Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls would be exceptional compared to Llano Grande, Mexico. I was ecstatic when I was proved wrong. The sun was shining stronger, so the blue pools glistened as they cascaded down the landscape.
Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls is the section that I would put on your Mexico bucket list! Photos honestly can’t show you how beautiful this place is in person.
The Road to Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls
The last 7 km to the entrance of both Copalitilla and Llano Grande were bumpy, potholed dirt roads. Around this time, locals (chilling on the side of the road) may offer you a private tour of the waterfalls and the coffee plantation.
Fun Info: At the start of the horrible road conditions, a sign wrote “Hongos Magicos,” if that piques your interest at all. Wink. Wink
You can’t miss the massive signs directing you to turn towards Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls. (Pictured below) From that point on, the very challenging 2 km steep downhill marks the near end of your journey. If you made the first horrible 7 km, you should be able to make this part too.
Watch for poor weather! It rains more on this side of the mountain and can come unexpectedly. For how steep the trail is and how easily the roads here flood, I would walk it if there was any chance of potential rain.
On the way back, I got caught in a pouring rainstorm. In a few minutes, all the roads were flooded and slippery from the mud and water.
Path to Cascadas Magicas de Copatilitilla
Once parked and the 70 peso fee paid, stroll on the 15 minute hiking path through small waterfall sceneries similar to the Llano Grande Waterfalls. As you crouch through a mini-cave passageway, a beautiful multi-tiered turquoise waterfall appears before you.
Navigating the Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls
You can walk right up on the side of the yellow, smooth, large rocks, where beautiful pools of crystalline waters rush shallowly across your feet. A guide rope is installed to help you navigate the falls.
Halfway up, notice a natural pool to your left side, ushering you to a cave. After marveling at the cave interior, you can rappel yourself up a hole in the ceiling for an alternative exit before continuing to the top.
An unclimbable cascade indicates that you have reached the top. Sit below the main waterfall for a makeshift natural massage.
A local guide explained that, in total, 11 waterfalls plunge here. But I’m not sure what his height criteria were.
What to Pack With You
- The usual chill at beach stuff: change of clothes, sunscreen, towel, etc. They do have a small changing room available.
- Water Shoes: will make your life easier as you walk around the rocky edges of the crystalline river
✅ River Sandals that can withstand moderate hiking trails: I love both Chaco’s and Teva’s
Where to Stay in Huatulco
SPLASH OF LUXURY ON PLAYA BOCANA – Hotel Casa Bocana
After getting a mud bath and sunbathing in the chillest stretch of beach on Playa Bocana, there is nothing better than living in the lap of luxury at this 4 star hotel, Hotel Casa Bocana. One look at the natural, modern design will have you in awe. From the guest rooms to the spacious lounge areas and outdoor pool facilities, it’s clear that no detail has been left out.
PRIVATE BALCONY OVERLOOKING CITY CENTER- Casa Hotel Shaguiba
After wandering into a meh hotel the first night, we spent the next day looking for a better alternative. Then we found Hotel Casa Shaguiba, almost right on the Zocalo!
Location: ✅ Price: ✅ Room: ✅ Room 301 on the roof has a personal balcony and hammock *ding, ding, ding*.
If you are in town (aka not by the beach), I would recommend this hotel, and definitely ask if the top room is available.
AFFORDABLE RESORT NEXT TO BEACH CHAHUE – Hotel Plaza Delphinus
Hotel Plaza Delphinus’s main draw is its proximity to the beach. It was the cheapest we could find at only 500 pesos at a decent hotel. Pros: It was only a few minutes from the beach. Once you cross the strangely vast parking lot, a lovely walkway lined with flora and maintained greenery leads you straight to Playa Chahue.
More: Find Other Top Accommodation Deals in Huatulco on Booking.com
Final Thoughts: Day Trip to the Copalitilla Magic Waterfalls and Llano Grande Waterfalls
Hopefully, this was helpful information on the amazing experience of visiting these magical Huatulco waterfalls. If you’re traveling to other Mexico destinations, adventures abound in other incredible waterfalls near Puerto Escondido and Taxco.
| TRAVEL RESOURCES |
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Going Elsewhere? Discover Other Mexico Adventures and Resources
- Best Things to Do in Tepoztlán, Mexico
- Fun Things to Do in Acapulco, Mexico
- Best Things to Do in Taxco, Mexico
- Best Things to Do in Zihuatanejo – Ixtapa, Mexico
- Ixtapa Island: A Perfect Beach Day at La Isla Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo
- How to Visit Chacahua, Oaxaca – A Secret Mexican Beach Paradise
- Adventurous Things to Do in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
- Things to Do in Huatulco, Mexico and Why I Won’t Be Back
- Never Lost in Mexico: Transporation Guide to Getting Around Mexico
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Catherine Xu is the founder and author of Nomadicated, an adventure travel blog that helps travelers cross off their bucket list. Since discovering traveling in 2015, she has lived and journeyed to 65 countries across 5 continents and vanlifed the west coast USA for 2+ years. These days, she splits her time in Southeast Asia and California while sharing her travel stories and resources based on first-hand experiences. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.