balneario · el naranjo · huasteca zone
Parque Ecoturístico El Meco
El Meco is El Naranjo's all-in-one river park: a wide turquoise reservoir-basin below a proper waterfall, with a mirador over the spray, boats and trajineras to reach the falls without swimming, tubing runs for the adrenaline crowd, and a camping area (La Playita) with bathrooms, showers, fire pits and even a small hotel. It is the rare Huasteca site built for full weekends rather than photo stops — families arrive at noon, swim all afternoon in water reviewers call the perfect temperature, grill, camp, and wake up to the falls. Bring cash: there is no cell signal of any carrier inside.
- Entry
- Varies
- Best season
- Year-round
- Arrive by car
- Yes
Weather at Parque Ecoturístico El Meco
Forecast via Open-Meteo
21°CClear sky · wind 3 km/h
Thu
29° / 20°
💧 67%
Fri
26° / 21°
💧 98%
Sat
25° / 21°
💧 82%
Sun
27° / 19°
💧 84%
Mon
23° / 18°
💧 59%
Tue
24° / 18°
💧 21%
Wed
25° / 18°
💧 40%
Visitor info
Official status · updated Oct 29, 2026
- Hours
- 08:00–18:00
- Requirements
- Life jacket mandatory
- Sightseeing
- Photography
- Swimming in designated areas
Location & contact
Getting there without a car
Near El Naranjo, about 1.5 hours from Ciudad Valles on good pavement — easy parking outside the gate (around $50 MXN). Entry has ranged $50–70 in low season to higher on holiday weekends; vest rental ~$60–80/day, and the boat-to-the-falls package (~$200) is the move most visitors recommend.
Full transport guide on huastecapotosina.org ↗What to bring
Cash (nothing accepts cards), your own food and drinks — allowed, except glass — because the on-site restaurants are pricey by consensus, water shoes, camping gear if staying (tents also rent on site), and insect repellent. Watch for red ants on the lawns. No pets.
Rainy season & safety
Rain swells the basin but the park operates year-round; the trajinera run and mirador work in light rain and the falls are at their thunderous best right after the wet season. The tubing run closes when the current picks up.
When to go, month by month on huastecapotosina.org ↗Good to know
- Do the boat package to the falls — the trajinera keeps you dry and drops you at the fall's edge for the jump, so non-swimmers get the close-up too.
- Camp at La Playita at least one night; sunrise over turquoise water is the memory people return for.
- Go in low season if you can — holiday weekends squeeze the small water area, and tour buses stack up at the mirador.
- The life jacket is not optional: staff require it for any swim, and it is rented at the gate by the day.
- Light sleepers at the campground: sound is allowed into the night and the lights stay on — pack earplugs on weekends.
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