Tolantongo

Tolantongo is a box canyon and resort located 17 kilometres from Ixmiquilpan on Route 27 in the Mezquital Valley, State of Hidalgo in Mexico, It is about 1.5 hours northwest of Pachuca and 198 km or three-to-four hours north of Mexico City. The closest village to the resort is called El Cardonal and it is part of Cardonal Municipality. From the Nahuatl Tonaltonko (Home where it feels warm). In his book "Lo que el viento nos dejo: hojas de terruño hidalguense", journalist Enrique Rivas Paniagua gives the etymology of Tolantongo a very deep look: "... the neighboring towns called it Tonaltongo (derivation of Tonaltonko), ... but in 1975 when this eden was discovered and was promoted by the magazine "Mexico Desconocido" the name was misspelled and that is how it "officially" got the name Tolantongo." The river in the canyon is also called Tolantongo. It is pleasantly warm, colored by mineral salts it picks up as it passes through the mountain. The water comes from a complex series of channels inside the mountain that heats the water to about 37 degrees Celsius. Much of this water dwells in niches in the rocky side of the canyon, which has a cooling effect. Another factor is that the water mixes with unheated water as it leaves the grottoes. The result is mostly tepid water outside the grottoes and in the river itself, good for swimming even on a cold day. Buses run from Mexico City to Ixmiquilpan. From there small buses run to Tolantongo, traveling that route four to nine times each day. Visitors also arrive by car.