Las Pozas — Attraction in San Luis Potosí

I can’t even begin to express my level of disappointment with this place. Avoid it! Don’t go! I’ve been wanting to visit for years and I was so excited, but upon arriving I could instantly see that my vision was nothing like the sad reality of today. The site has been ruined by commercialization and poor management. Long gone are the days of stumbling upon the gardens and wandering at a leisurely pace through the sculptures and swimming in the pools. The road outside the gardens is absolutely clogged with traffic and vendors. After fighting through, we paid to park in a precarious spot and were immediately accosted by touts telling us we needed to go back to town to buy tickets (we had purchased online a few weeks ago — for some reason you cannot buy tickets on site). We waited an hour in the heat for our timed entry but upon passing through the gates were shunted into another line to pay for a guide. Note that English-speaking guides cost twice as much as Spanish-speaking guides, if a tour in English is important to you. I expressed my surprise at having to pay again, having already paid online and was actually reprimanded for not reading the fine print about the guide fee when buying the ticket weeks ago. Why not just include the price of the mandatory guide in the ticket price? Why make things as difficult as possible if not to discourage visitors, which seems to be the idea? By this point my son was feeling overheated and unwell after a long day of travel so I asked if we could go in for just a few minutes to look around. I did not think we could handle a 90-minute lockstep tour in a crowd of people. We were told that the gardens are private property and that people cannot be unattended by a guide for even one moment. I understand the need to protect the sculptures. And I certainly cannot blame local people one bit for trying to make a living from this folly that Edward James, with the benefit of his millions of dollars, conjured up in the middle of their quiet village. But the overall effect is just terrible and sad. In the end we walked away without going in and I will probably...

I don't know what to say. It's the second place in Xilitla that I wanted to like, but can't get past the problems we encountered. We paid at the taquilla, 180 pesos per person and 30 each for the guide. Not crazy money, but more than a lot of museums or archeological zones in the country. Then we arrive at a second taquilla where we had to pay another 30 pesos each, for "tradition." This put me on the wrong foot to begin with. Ask me straight up for the cost of entry and don't "nickel and dime" me, to make use of an Americanism. Then we were put into a group of more than 20 people and off we went.

The garden itself is just as everyone describes; a beautiful piece of surrealist architecture in the forest. It should be an idyllic, slow paced traipse through the trails with time to take in the surroundings, the nature, the views, the story. Instead, we were hurried through by the constant stream of huge groups of people following close behind.

You cannot actually visit the pozas. In a place known as las pozas. Cool. Another notch on the belt of reasons I am miffed. You have very little time at each stop to take anything in or take photos. Add to that the difficulty in doing so due to the number of people milling about, and the experience starts to become more akin to an arduous task.

Then there's the gift shops, coffee shops, and so on. They are expensive. The cerveceria is in line with what you would expect, but the coffee shops and food place are a decent percentage more than you would pay in town, and they look and feel like they are angling for an affluent crowd. The Tulum crowd, so to speak. And if they're not careful, they'll end up doing what Tulum has done in pushing away the tourists.

I want to like this experience. I really do. I just can't, and I won't recommend it to anyone looking for anything more than a tourist-trap visit to an instagrammable spot where you get in, take your portrait, and then get out.

I know I am a drop in the ocean, and if you're intending on visiting, my recommendation or otherwise won't change your mind. So I hope you enjoy your visit more...

A Whimsical Second Journey to Las Pozas Xilitla

Having visited Las Pozas Xilitla once before, I was eager to share its surreal beauty with my wife and son on our recent trip, and it did not disappoint. My second visit confirmed that this hidden gem in the heart of Mexico's Huasteca region remains a timeless, magical paradise.

The dreamlike sculpture garden, enveloped by the wild, verdant jungle, was as entrancing as ever. Our son was completely taken with the spiraling staircases to nowhere, the quirky concrete structures, and the lush, cascading waterfalls. His wide-eyed wonder and endless curiosity breathed new life into our exploration, making it a different, yet equally enchanting, experience than my first visit.

One of the highlights of our trip was the peaceful serenity the natural surroundings offered. Despite the bustling tourism, we found quiet corners where we could simply soak in the beauty and listen to the harmony of the jungle sounds, punctuated by cascading water.

My wife, a botanical enthusiast, was captivated by the myriad of exotic plant species flourishing throughout the park. Her joy in discovering and identifying unique flora made our visit all the more special.

The staff at Las Pozas Xilitla were as helpful and friendly as I remembered, providing useful information about the history and concept behind Edward James's eccentric vision. They also pointed us towards great local eateries where we indulged in the delicious regional cuisine, further enriching our cultural experience.

In conclusion, our family trip to Las Pozas Xilitla was an immersive journey into art, nature, and the surreal. I wholeheartedly recommend this place to families, art lovers, and anyone in search of a unique, off-the-beaten-path adventure. The enchantment of Las Pozas Xilitla is something that truly needs to be experienced at least once - or in our...