Cola de Caballo

Cola de Caballo has been Monterrey's Sunday outing for well over a century - the falls appear in nineteenth-century travel accounts, and the tradition of riding up to them on horseback survives alongside the modern parking lot. The water drops about 25 metres down a rock face in a spreading fan that gives the fall its name, set in a canyon of the Sierra Madre Oriental where the vegetation turns lush and the air cools. From the entrance, a paved path climbs about a kilometre through the trees to the viewing platforms at the base, with horses, mules and small carriages available for the ride up, plus stalls selling elote, ice cream and souvenirs along the way. Above the main fall, trails continue for those who want the quieter upper pools. Flow is the variable: the falls are impressive after summer rains and can slow to a trickle in the driest spring months, when the trip is still pleasant but the photographs are thin. The village of Santiago below, a pueblo magico, is the natural lunch stop.

What you actually see

• The fan-shaped fall - 25 metres spreading down the rock.
• The canyon path - a shaded climb through the trees.
• Horses and carriages - the traditional way up.
• The upper trails - quieter pools above the main platform.

When to go

July to October for full water; October to April for cooler walking. Weekends are crowded with Monterrey families; weekdays are calm.

Honest expectations

In dry months the fall underwhelms - check recent rain. The path is paved but continuous uphill. The stall gauntlet is part of the experience rather than an intrusion, but it is constant.

Nearby

Santiago's pueblo magico plaza, the Presa de la Boca reservoir and the Matacanes canyoning routes are all minutes away.