Parque Acuático Ixtapan (Balneario Termal)

What to expect

Ixtapan de la Sal is a small spa town in the southern State of Mexico, about an hour south of Toluca, that has built its tourism around warm mineral springs. The federal tourism ministry named it a Pueblo Mágico in September 2015. Its biggest attraction is the Parque Acuático Ixtapan, a large water park with slides, a wave pool and a tropical pool, and attached to it a Balneario Termal: a separate area of thermal pools with its own entrance and ticket.

That split matters. If you only want a warm soak, you do not need to pay for the water park. The thermal pools are sold on their own, and the operator’s page says clearly that this option does not include the water park. If you are already in the park for the slides, you can add the thermal pools for a small extra charge.

The park does not publish water temperatures for the thermal pools, and we could not find a reliable figure, so we have left them out. Expect warm pools for sitting and talking rather than very hot soaking tubs. The operator’s October 2026 notice also lists private tubs (tinas) and a spa among the services open alongside the thermal pools.

On the water park side, ADN40 lists rides such as Los Rápidos, Anaconda, La Cobra and El Abismo for thrill seekers, Las Trenzas and the wave pool for families, and El Dragón, Laguna del Pirata and Monster Tower for small children. There are several places to eat inside.

Getting there

The park is on the southern side of Ixtapan de la Sal, off Prolongación Ciprés.

• From Mexico City: the park’s own directions start at the La Venta toll booth on the western edge of the city. Take the México-Toluca toll road for about 27 km (17 miles), then the Lerma-Tres Marías highway for 10 km (6 miles), the Tenango junction for 6 km (4 miles), and finally the Tenango-Ixtapan toll highway for 37 km (23 miles). The total is about 80 km (50 miles), roughly an hour without traffic. ADN40 puts the tolls at about MX$210-320 depending on the route.
• From Toluca or Metepec: follow the Metepec-Tenango road to the Tenango-Ixtapan highway. ADN40 gives 63.6 km (39.5 miles) and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Toluca.
• By bus: ADN40 says direct buses from Mexico City take about 1 hour 50 minutes and cost roughly MX$200-300, and Flecha Roja runs from Toluca for about MX$98 one way. From the Ixtapan bus station, a taxi to the park is short.

The park has parking. Leave early on weekends: traffic out of Mexico City is the slowest part of the trip.

When to go

The thermal area is the dependable part of the complex. ADN40 lists it as open every day from 7am to 5pm.

The water park keeps a seasonal schedule. In summer 2026 (July 18 to August 30) it opened only Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 5:30pm. In October 2026 the park announced it would open for the Día de Muertos long weekend, Saturday October 31 to Monday November 2, listing the thermal pools, the Alberca Tropical, the tubs and the spa. Outside holidays, call before driving out if you want the slides.

The thermal pools feel best on cool mornings from November to February. Weekdays are quiet; long weekends, Semana Santa and Christmas are crowded.

Prices and booking

• Thermal pools only: MX$115 per person (park rate card, October 2026). Does not include the water park.
• Thermal pools added to a water park ticket: MX$45 (ADN40, August 2026).
• Water park: MX$395 adults, MX$275 children, under 90 cm free (ADN40, 2026). Older articles quote MX$320-375, so prices have risen.
• Groups and packages: the park sells group tickets and packages by phone and WhatsApp.

The park posts most prices as images and changes them by season, so confirm before you go. Contacts listed by the park: 721 143 2200 or 721 143 0508, toll-free 800 493 2726.

The park does not post a full rulebook online. Bring a swimsuit, sandals and a towel, and expect the usual Mexican water park rules about food, glass and alcohol near the pools.

Where to stay nearby

The park itself has no rooms, but its website links to the neighbouring hotel at hotelixtapan.com. Ixtapan de la Sal has a wide range of hotels, from family guesthouses near the centre to larger spa hotels. Tonatico, just south, is a quieter alternative. Toluca is about an hour away if you want city hotels.

Safety notes

• Warm water and sun: long soaks in warm water plus strong highland sun dehydrate you quickly. Drink water and take breaks in the shade.
• Children: keep small children within reach in the deeper pools and the wave pool, and follow the height limits on the big slides.
• Wet floors: tiled pool decks are slippery. Wear sandals.
• Health claims: Ixtapan has long marketed its water for health; treat the pools as a warm bath, not a treatment.

Nearby stops worth adding

The town’s municipal balneario, El Bañito, at Ignacio Allende and 20 de Noviembre in the centre, is the budget option: ADN40 put entry at about MX$75 in normal season and about MX$95 on busy days in 2026, with thermal pools and hydromassage tubs. The historic centre of Ixtapan de la Sal, with its parish church and plaza, is an easy evening stroll after a day in the pools.