Huasteca Potosina and Xilitla

My most favorite places in Mexico are in the Huasteca region of San Luis Potosí.  Skeptical of what would be there and wondering how to get to Xilitla, I soon discovered it truly is a surrealists dream set in the jungle.

Hands reaching out of the Earth

In 2011, the town of Xilita was named a Pueblo Magico, or Magic Town, in the state of San Luis Potosi. Xilitla forms part of the Huasteca Potosina region along with  Ciudad Valles,  El Pozo de las Golondrinas, Tamúl, Tamasopo, Consuelo and Taninul. In case that makes no sense to you,‘Huasteca’ refers to the northeast part of Mexico (compromising of some of the states around the Pánuco River) and home to the indigenous Huastec people and speakers of the Huasteca Nahuatl dialect. ‘Potosina’ refers to the state, San Luis Potosí.

' Las Pozas' refers to 9 small pools fed by waterfalls

Xilita is most famous for The Surrealist Gardens of Edward James (a.k.a Las Pozas, El Castillo de Sir Edward James, Enchanted Gardens, or El Eden)   Sir Edward James was an eccentric English man and supporter of the surrealism movement who moved to the middle of no where Mexico and expressed his surrealist ideas in 80 acres covering Xilitla. The property is designed with heavenly gardens, natural waterfalls, dreamlike sculptures and a concrete complex of truly well, surreal, architectural masterpieces. A fantasy world of flowers, fountains, and greenery lead along the seemingly endless and maze-like paths, while at every twist and turn a strange figure enchants you.

Landscape of the Gardens

My boyfriend and I visited the Huasteca Potosina in March 2010. After taking a 8 hour bus from Mexico City, we arrived directly into Xilitla. It was early morning as we made the hike south of the city’s center up the lush mountains towards the Castle. The fog still lingered in the high altitude and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. For the ultimate English-Xilita resource, (how to get to Xilita, what’s the distances, where to eat, stay and do) check out this link.

A maze of amazing

The Castle of Sir Edward James

Beautiful Randomness

Whimsical Ledges

I don’t think any picture you see or information you read on this place will do it justice, it’s that amazing. On our 4-day trip through La Huasteca Potosina, we perfectly pieced together all the wonders of this region. The “surreallness” extends far beyond  Xilitla and the Castle of Sir Edward James. The waterfalls of Tamul, Tamasopo, and Sótano de las Golondrinas were all fantastical and fit perfectly into the theme of breathtaking to-hard-to-believe-true imagery.

I will be sure to detail the perfect trip in La Huasteca Potosina region, but for now, it starts with Xilitla.

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Comments

  1. Laura says:

    I’ve really been wanting to check this out. Looks amazing! 🙂

  2. ep says:

    I have never been there either… and I lived in Mexico for 25 years…. hope to visit in the summer. Reading your blog I realized there are so many great places I missed…

  3. I am still learning about Mexico ever day, glad to read this post and put a new place on my list to see….
    stay adventurous, Craig

  4. Tomek says:

    Hi! Me and my wife are planning to go there this weekend from Mexico City. We want to rent a car but you wrote that you took a direct bus from Mexico City. Could you please let me know more details (bus company? which bus station?). And where did you stay in Xilitla? You wrote in comments that it Was economic and this is what I look for 🙂

  5. Yogesh says:

    I just reached mexico on 16-May-2013, i am here for next 2 mnths, let me know how can i goto this place from Mexico city as i have to go alone, and is it safe ?

  6. Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article.
    Many thanks for providing these details.

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