Hervideros de San Jacinto

If you drive to Leon, and continue driving even a little further, you will come across the small town of San Jacinto. Otherwise it wouldn't be a call for much attention except for the hervideros, the boiling hot springs. As you walk up it is likely that a small child will grab your hand and offer to show you around the field. Our guide was 12 years old. Without a guide you run the risk of walking on soft ground and falling into the boiling mud pits. . .

As you walk through the field you can see the steam and feel the heat radiating through the ground. The smell of sulfur and thick steam make it difficult to breathe, while holes and openings in the ground show the boiling clay that is likely connected to the nearby volcano. The kids will grab the cooler clay and mold an animal or little pot as they walk.

Other than an interesting attraction, I'm not sure that the field serves much of a purpose, but it was definitely a breathtaking site to take in.

Above shows the steam coming out of the ground, and below, a close up of one of the boiling clay pits.