The Cascadas de Agua Azul (Spanish for “Blue Water waterfall”) is a series of waterfalls found on the Xanil River in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. They are located in the Municipality of Tumbalá, 69 kilometers from Palenque, near Mexican Federal Highway 199.

These waterfalls consist of many cataracts following one after another, taken from near the top of the sequence of cascades. The larger cataracts may be as high as 6 meters (20 feet) or so. During much of the distance, the water descends in two streams, with small islands in the middle.

The water has a high content of calcium carbonate and other minerals, and where it falls on rocks or fallen trees, it encases them in a thick shell-like coating of limestone.

When light travels through water, it absorbs the entire color spectrum except for blue, which reaches the bottom and is reflected back to the surface, resulting in beautiful shades of turquoise. During the dry season (from December to July) the sun constantly allows seeing their characteristic color, although the rainy season increases its spectacular flow.

Despite the currents, which in some places are violent and dangerous, it is possible to bathe and sunbathe along the banks of the limestone deposits that have given rise to numerous natural pools scattered along the entire path of the falls.

According to the Internet