Nestled in the mountains of Hidalgo within the municipality of Tenango de Doria, you’ll discover a private community dedicated to sustainable farming, preserving the environment, and reforestation.
In recent years, a cabin and a treehouse were built on the reserve for tourists looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
This treehouse paradise offers the solitude, peace, and tranquility you need to recharge your batteries, so to speak.
Here you can immerse yourself in the 183 acres of forest draped in moss and wildflowers, breathe the freshest air, take a dip in a waterfall and natural pools, drink clean water straight out of the tap, and cozy up with a hot cup of coffee by the fireplace.
There are few escapades as unique as this one. But until you experience it for yourself, continue reading to see the enchantment that awaits you!
| Approximate coordinates | 20.308715, -98.266177 |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 8,018 feet / 2,444 meters |
| Local time zone | Central Standard Time (CST) |
| Best time to visit | Between March and June |
| Handicap accessible? | No |
| Dogs allowed? | Yes |
| Is wifi available? | Yes |
| Closest city | Tenango de Doria (30 minutes drive) |
Amenities available at the treehouse
The treehouse offers accommodations for 3 people.
It has a small dining and living room, kitchen, and bathroom (downstairs), and a bedroom (upstairs). The living room and bedroom offer the most incredible views of the trees, and on a clear day, the surrounding mountains and scattered lights of homes in the distance. The entrance of the treehouse has a small balcony and chairs.
The kitchen has a gas stove, mini fridge, all the basic cooking necessities you need (cups, dishes, utensils, pots, pans, and blender), and some condiments (salt, pepper, sugar, and cooking oil).
The living room area has a cozy fireplace. The host provides unlimited chopped wood for the guests.
The bathroom has towels, soap, and other basic toiletry items.
The bedroom has all the needed linens and a small space heater.
The downstairs closet has board games, a good variety of DVDs (bring your own device to play DVDs), and some cleaning supplies.
Outside, you’ll find a grill if you want to barbecue.
Things you can do during your time at the treehouse
1. Go hiking. There are over 6 miles of internal trails on the reserve. All of the trails are well-marked.
Some of the noteworthy trails on the reserve are:
- Cumbre del Aguila (Eagle’s Peak): This is one of the highest viewpoints in the area. It’s around a 60-minute hike one-way.
- La Poza (Natural Pool): This is a 15-minute walk from the treehouse and you end up at a beautiful little pool carved into a rock.
- Cascadas de las Ranas (Frog Waterfall): This hike is beautiful because it takes you to the base of a big waterfall. Not only is the view gorgeous from that spot, but you can also bring a book to read and relax while listening to the water.
- Mirador del Atlas (Atlas Viewpoint): This overlook was my favorite spot on the reserve. Even though there was fog and we couldn’t actually see the view (so bummed!), the top of the lookout was covered in various types of wildflowers.
- Pico de Doria (Doria’s Peak) & Sendero Salvaje (Wild Trail): This hike takes you first to a majestic rock in the shape of a triangle, which locals call Pico or Peak. The trail continues downhill to a beautiful stream called Arroyo del Guacal (Guacal Stream) which has gorgeous views of Cumbre del Águila. The whole trail takes about 2 hours of intense hiking from the Treehouse.
- Observatorio de Aves (Bird Observatory): Located after a hike where you can see oaks that are hundreds of years old, the Bird Observatory has beautiful views of an area of the park where hundreds of birds nest.
2. Take a horseback riding tour. Some of the families that live on the reserve own horses. If you’re interested in horseback riding during your stay, ask the AirBnB host for tour options. They’re offered at a very reasonable price.
3. Have a picnic. There are picnic spots with tables and chairs next to La Poza and La Cascada de las Ranas.
4. Go swimming. When the weather is warm and the sun is out, you can go swimming at La Poza, La Cascada de las Ranas, and Cascadita del Gorrion. La Poza is tiny but a great spot to dip your feet in. La Cascada de las Ranas has a lot of space for swimming.
5. Enjoy the local cuisine. Note that you need to pre-order about a day in advance to allow time for the locals to get the necessary ingredients and have time to prepare the meals. They’re offered at a very reasonable price and 100% of the profit goes back to the family making your food. I highly recommend trying the local food if you want the best possible experience!
- Comidas corridas de rancho (Homemade meal delivery service). There are a variety of meals available, from breakfast to lunch and dinner. All meals are homemade and prepared with local ingredients.
- Try pit-barbecued goatling and lamb broth. One of the community members is a professional chef and prepares these dishes from goats and lambs raised in the area (in other words, you can expect the highest quality meats). This option is available only Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
- Eat at Doña Irene’s house. Doña Irene prepares a special 3-course meal for her guests, which includes soup, tlacoyos (a traditional Mexican dish), mole Hidalguense (unique to the Hidalgo region), beans grown on her ranch, homemade tortillas, and dessert.
6. Relax! The treehouse is tucked far enough away from society that you’ll feel like you’re all alone on that mountain. You’ll hear the birds chirping, the sound of the breeze blowing through the trees, and see the stars as clear as day. Bring a journal, a book you’ve been meaning to read, or anything that helps you get some much-needed R&R (rest and relaxation)!
How many days should you spend at the treehouse?
You can stay as little or as long as you want on the reserve. I stayed for 4 days (3 nights) and felt that it was the perfect amount of time.
My itinerary was the following:
Day 1: Arrived around 4:00 PM, settled in, and went on a short walk.
Around 6:00 PM it started getting dark, so we returned to the treehouse and lit the fireplace. We poured ourselves a glass of wine, prepared a fondue (we brought our own ceramic fondue pot), relaxed, and went to bed early.
Day 2: Our first morning was a bit chilly, so we lit the fireplace and I prepared mate and made brunch.
At around 2:00 PM, we went on a walk that turned into a hike. During the 2 hours that we were out exploring, we didn’t see another soul…it was just us, the trees, and the fog!
It started raining towards the end of our hike, so it was perfect to have a fireplace to return to. Couldn’t get more cozy than this!
I prepared the merienda (afternoon snack, in Spanish) with tea and some munchies.
At around 7:00 PM we had dinner delivered to us by Niquito. We ordered a couple of different meals to try.
We ordered the house special Gallinita de Rancho en Salsa Verde (Ranch hen in green sauce) and gorditas Hidalguenses.
The Gallinita de Rancho came with beans, rice, homemade tortillas, noodle soup, lemon water, and the dessert of the day which was fried plantains topped with condensed milk.
The gorditas Hidalguenses came with queso de rancho and salsa verde (the best way I can describe this is that it’s similar to a Mexican ‘sope’ stuffed with beans and topped with cheese and green sauce). That came with beans on the side, a piece of sweet bread from the local bakery, lemon water, and hot chocolate.
Everything tasted fantastic! There was so much food, so we had some for breakfast the following day. (P.S. The hot chocolate was so delicious!)
Day 3: It was still raining when we woke up so we lit the fireplace and had a relaxing start to the day.
Rain was forecasted for the majority of the day, so initially we planned to stay in the treehouse, and play cards and Monopoly. But we got lucky because at around 3:00 PM it cleared up a little bit.
We took the opportunity to go check out the waterfalls. It was so worth it! I highly recommend you don’t miss out on those. 🙂
The coolest thing was that the rain held out until we returned to the treehouse— less than five minutes after getting back, it started raining again and didn’t stop for the rest of the night.
At around 6:30 PM we drove to Doña Irene’s house for dinner. Her house is about 5 minutes down the road by car. The portions she served us were huge, it was impossible to eat everything, so we took our leftovers with us. The meal was delicious and the experience was really unique!
On our drive back, our car got stuck on a steep part of the road because the rocks were too slippery. We had to call one of the guys on the reserve to help us and he sent four gentlemen to the rescue!
Day 4: On our last day, we had breakfast delivered to us.
We ordered huevos al gusto and chilaquiles con pollo.
The huevos revueltos came with queso de rancho (scrambled eggs with cheese from the ranch), frijoles (beans), tortillas hechas a mano (handmade tortillas), fruta de temporada (seasonal fruit, which was papaya), pieza de pan dulce de panaderia local (a piece of sweet bread from the local bakery), and chocolate caliente (hot chocolate).
The chilaquiles con pollo came smothered in salsa verde (tortilla chips covered in green salsa and topped with chicken and cheese), frijoles (beans), fruta de temporada (seasonal fruit, which was also papaya), pieza de pan dulce de panaderia local (a piece of sweet bread from the local bakery), and cafe original de Tenango de Doria (coffee from the region — just FYI, they add quite a bit of sugar to it).
Just like the other local meals we ate, everything was delicious. The eggs, chicken, corn, and beans are grown and harvested on the ranch, so you can imagine how flavorful the food tastes!
Our checkout was at 11:00 AM. It was easy and we had help from Reyes (our main point of contact during our stay) with carrying our belongings back to the car.
This concluded our vacation at the treehouse. It was a very memorable and relaxing time!!
I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a little break from the city or in need of a few days to rest in complete peace and quiet.
The pictures and videos I took are beautiful but they could never do this place the justice it deserves. You have to experience it for yourself!!
Best time to visit the treehouse
Depending on the season, the maximum temperature in this region is around 89°F and the lowest is around 40°F. The warmest season is between the end of March and the beginning of June. The coldest months are between the beginning of November and the beginning of February.
The wet season starts around the beginning of June and ends around the middle of October. Hence, the dry season is from the middle of October until the beginning of June.
The most hours of sunshine are during the end of Spring through the end of Summer. July has the longest daylight hours of the year.
Based on several weather factors, the most pleasant time to visit the treehouse is between the end of March and the beginning of June, with generally the best month of the year being May.
| Warmest month | May |
|---|---|
| Coldest month | January |
| Rainiest month | September |
I visited during November and the average daytime temperature was 50°F, as well as fog and rain.
I recommend you check the weather forecast before visiting and plan your wardrobe accordingly. Even though I prefer warmer weather, the fog, fireplace, and rain added a lot of magic to our experience.
How to get to the treehouse
The treehouse is located in a very remote area in the mountains. In my opinion, the easiest and best way to get there is by car but other means of transportation can be arranged if driving is not an option for you.
Getting there by car:
To get to the treehouse, you’ll first drive to a gas station in Tepalzingo where you’ll meet the person who will guide you to the private reserve (about 30 km away). After a series of curves and turns on a paved road, you’ll make a left on a dirt road and continue for a short distance.
Once you get to your destination, you’ll park the car in a small turnout on the dirt road and then walk your belongings up to the treehouse, a short walking distance on a dirt path.
According to the host and AirBnB listing, any vehicle can access this road without a problem. Most cars will do fine, but it is very rocky and some parts are steep. When I visited, the road was a bit more slick because of the rain.
Getting there by bus:
If you don’t have a car, the AirBnB host offers transportation from the Tulancingo bus station to the treehouse and back for an additional cost. I’m not sure what the cost is, but that can be arranged directly with the host.
Where to book this treehouse
You can book your stay on AirBnB.
Other cabins available near the treehouse
The following two cabins are located on the same reserve.
- La Cumbre del Aguila: Located 60 minutes from the treehouse near the top of the mountain and only accessible by foot and horse. This cabin has a 6-person capacity.
- La Skyhouse: Located less than 5 minutes up the road (20 minutes walking) from the treehouse. This house has a 6-person capacity and has a paved parking spot. This cabin is handicap accessible.
They are building a couple of other cabins on the property, so it looks like more options will become available in the near future!
Places worth visiting nearby
- The town of Tenango de Doria — Located 30 minutes from the treehouse, Tenango has majestic views of the sierras, and apart from being quaint, it has stores with authentic goods made by Mexican artisans and restaurants.
- San Bartolo Tutotepec — Roughly 30 minutes from Tenango, there’s the town of San Bartolo Tutotepec. There you will discover a few cool places, including a stone bridge over the river, caves, and waterfalls, such as Cascada las Golondrinas.
- The archeological ruins in San Juan Teotihuacán — This is a large complex of what once used to be a flourishing city. What now remains, among other ruins and artifacts, are the pyramids, including the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Pyramid of the Moon.
- Huasca de Ocampo — Located less than an hour and a half from the treehouse, this picturesque town has lots of handicraft shops and is near beautiful waterfalls and El Chico National Park.
- Convento de San Andrés Apostol (Convent of Saint Andrew the Apostle) — One of the oldest and most beautiful convents built by the Spanish in colonial times, it dates as far back as 1540. It is a 20-minute drive from the highway that leads to Tulancingo. There is a local museum with a delightful interior that is well worth the visit!
- Acueducto del Padre Tembleque (Aqueduct of Father Tembleque) — The largest aqueduct of the American continent, built by the Spanish in colonial times, it brought water from the volcanos to pulque plantations. To get there, turn right on your way to Tulancingo, and in 15 minutes you’ll be there.
My husband and I will love this as the introverts that we are 😁. Thanks for sharing your experience. It was very beautiful to read. The photos are great too. I mean I could almost perceive the smell of the place and the food through the photographs.
Great Job! 🤍