Matacanes: the season Monterrey keeps 40 minutes away

Every summer the same thing happens: half of Monterrey swears there is nothing to do in this heat, while 40 minutes down the Carretera Nacional people are jumping into turquoise pools inside a canyon. It's called Matacanes, it's in the Sierra de Santiago, and it is probably the north's worst-kept secret: everyone knows someone who went, and almost nobody has gone.

What it actually is

Canyoning: descending a water canyon along the path the river carved into the rock. In practice it is a full day of hiking, swimming, jumping off rocks and rappelling down waterfalls, one after another, until you come out the other side with shaking legs and a story you'll tell for the rest of the year. No prior experience needed — that's what guided operators are for — but you do need fitness: it is a genuinely long day.

And Matacanes is not alone. The same Santiago area holds Chipitín and Hidrofobia, the other canyons local operators run depending on the group's level and mood. It is a complete school of water and stone less than an hour from your house.

The season is now

Canyoning in Santiago runs March through October, when water and weather allow. August is peak season: serious operators are heading out practically daily, with departures before dawn — some call the meet-up at 5:00 a.m. near Cola de Caballo to be in the canyon at first light. In November this ends and doesn't come back until spring. Whoever leaves it for 'later' leaves it for next year.

Who to go with

You don't do this alone, and the good news is the area has operators with decades in the game. Aldea Matacanes claims 30 years of experience and runs its own base in the Sierra de Santiago — cabins included, for a full weekend — with departure dates published through October. Gaia Xtreme advertises daily departures in season, with tours from $1,879 per person. And Aventureros Extremos, besides the classic tour, is one of the few offering proper canyoning courses — levels I and II — for those who don't just want to live it once but to learn to move in a canyon.

Full-day prices run between $1,800 and $2,800 per person depending on the operator and whether lodging is included. It is not a cheap plan; it is a plan worth exactly what it costs.

The advice

Book ahead — August dates fly —, always ask what's included (gear, guide, transport within the sierra) and tell the truth about your fitness: the canyon doesn't negotiate. And besides water, bring your respect: you are entering the sierra's house, not an amusement park.

Monterrey complains about the heat with a cold-water canyon in its backyard. This month is still the season. no te limites.