Never before have I seen water so blue that it blends with the sky.  Between San Cristobal de Las Casas and Palenque, Mexico, the waterfalls at Agua Azul and Misol-Ha are incredibly beautiful.  Both sites are great to spend an afternoon lounging about and swimming.

Lower Pools at Agua Azul

Outside of the rainy season, the waters take on a beautiful turquoise hue. The waters cascade through a series of pools, with many tributaries meandering through the rockery before plunging into the next pool. People from near and far come to bath in the beautiful pools

Lower Falls

A 30 minute uphill hike along the riverside passes numerous swimming holes before eventually reaching a large pool at the head of the series of waterfalls.  Some clever entrepreneurs have created small toll bridges across some parts of the falls, enabling access to some more private swimming spots

Following the “Do Not Swim Here” Sign is Optional

Young Tarzan Enjoying the Local Swimming Hole

Up the road closer to Palenque, the 30 meter tall waterfall of Misol-Ha falls into another great swimming spot. (Misol-Ha is pronounced a bit like the lyrics of the famous 2 Live Crew song.)

Misol-Ha

Swimming Into the Falls is Hard Work

We visited both sites during the same day, en route to Palenque from San Cristobal, which was a bit of a rush. More time to enjoy the sites could definitely be had in the reverse direction, or as a day trip from Palenque. Either way, Agua Azul is not to be missed