Getting Out of Town - el Chorro Waterfall

Cool, Clear Water

WITH AN ABUNDANCE of rivers and streams you would guess correctly that there are numerous waterfalls around the state of Oaxaca. One that is close to Puerto Escondido, and does not appear in the tourist guides, is the "El Chorro" waterfall near the small town of Reforma, about an hour and a half out of town off of Highway 131 (the road to the city of Oaxaca). There, you will find a nine meter waterfall in a natural setting that feeds several large pools. Here you can enjoy swimming in the cool, clean water that comes down from the mountains.

To get there; start by heading out of town on Highway 131. 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the Central Turistica (the bus station on Avenida Oaxaca), you will come to the gas station in San Pedro Mixtepec. Just past the gas station and the topes, turn right on the dirt road that heads to Reforma (yes, there is a sign). From the turnoff, it is 21 kilometers (12.5 miles) to the waterfall.

At one point, there is a faded sign that shows the road and the towns along the way, but, as always in Mexico, you should ask periodically to be sure you are still going in the right direction. If you are Spanish impaired, just remember the word "cascada" is Spanish for "waterfall." If you really want to challenge yourself try saying "¿Disculpe, voy bien pa' la cascada?" Progress has come to this part of Oaxaca in the form of new bridge that crosses a small river just before the town of Reforma. Before this, only cars with good clearance could cross the 50 meters or so of water and sand. Fortunately, the bridge has been inaugurated by the governor and now makes the visit to the waterfall possible most anytime, even during the rainy season.

While most of the road is in pretty good shape, the last 200 meters is just wide enough for one vehicle and eventually comes to a point that is impassible for everyone except four wheel drives. This is where there is a trail off to the left and a sign, in Spanish, that advises you not to litter.

It is a short walk to the falls. First, you arrive at one of the pools below the falls from which you can see the top of the waterfall in the distance. Crossing the stream, there is a cement walkway that takes you up and around to the base of the falls.

There is a nice mist at the base of the falls and plenty of rocks good for sunning. The swimming is good and you can jump from the surrounding rocks if you check the depth and underwater rocks before doing so.

Take a picnic lunch if you plan to be there for awhile, since there are no palapas that serve food. But this is part of the unspoiled charm of "El Chorro"

Gabriel Silos can be found at Económica Rent-A-Car in Zicatela renting out convertible bugs and giving travel advice about Mexico