Lonely Planet Mexico (19th edition)Lonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Mexico (19th edition)
Lonely Planet · 2025
Newest edition of the standard Mexico guide, covering Chiapas near Palenque, the Huasteca Potosina and Copper Canyon.
Mexico · Santiago
Cola de Caballo
Cola de Caballo is a waterfall about 25 m , in the town of Villa de Santiago, Nuevo León. It is open to the public and is accessible via a walking path.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Cola de Caballo drops 25 metres (82 ft). It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Santiago, Mexico. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Cola de Caballo itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Santiago are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Fullest at the end of the wet season (October to December); the dry months of January to April are the easiest for swimming and access.
Getting there
- Base town Santiago, Mexico
- Country Mexico
- Region Santiago, Mexico & Central America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Cola de Caballo
Mexico
Height25 mWidth—
Most similar
Tufton Hall Waterfall
Grenada
Height25 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Grenada
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
25 m
25 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Cola de CaballoTufton Hall WaterfallVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 39× taller than Cola de Caballo. Victoria Falls is 4.3× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Cola de Caballo yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
25.36232, -100.16347
Quick answers
Where is Cola de Caballo?
Cola de Caballo is in Mexico (Santiago). The nearest base is Santiago, Mexico. Its coordinates are 25.3623, -100.1635.
How tall is Cola de Caballo?
Cola de Caballo drops 25 metres (82 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Cola de Caballo?
Peak flow is January to February and October to December. Fullest at the end of the wet season (October to December); the dry months of January to April are the easiest for swimming and access.
What can you do at Cola de Caballo?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Cola de Caballo?
The usual base is Santiago, Mexico. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
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