Guadalajara might be Mexico's second-biggest metro area, but within an hour or two of the city you can swim in spring-fed pools, hot rivers and waterfall basins that haven't been paved over yet. A local outdoors writer recently rounded up his favourites across Jalisco, and they make a strong case for basing a trip around Guadalajara itself.

The standout is La Selvita, about 67 km east of the city and a short hop north of Lake Chapala. This spring-fed pool covers a massive 7.4 acres — some 24 times the size of an Olympic pool — with clear, slightly warm water averaging 1.6 metres deep, so you can swim properly rather than just wade. The park's 350-to-500-year-old ahuehuete trees (Montezuma bald cypresses, Mexico's national tree) shade the water. Entry is a bargain 60 pesos, camping is available, and manager Justo Torres takes calls at (333) 129-3842.

Prefer a waterfall? Los Azules sits at the bottom of a dramatic canyon at the edge of the town of Tequila — yes, that Tequila. It's a 30-minute walk from the car, but the trail is steep and rocky, so bring good shoes and a decent level of fitness. GPS doesn't work well in the canyon, so arrange a local guide in town.

West of the city, the vast Bosque la Primavera packs several options into one forest. Rancho Ecoturístico Agua Dulce has a cold, drinkably clean spring feeding a shallow stream that suits kids, plus ziplines, ponies and a lookout tower. Just down the road at El Roble, the Río Salado isn't deep enough to swim, but its mineral-rich water bubbles over rocks like a natural Jacuzzi. Keep following the same river north and it becomes the Río Caliente, where four dammed pools of varying heat sit near a large parking lot about 4 km south of the town of La Primavera. Avoid weekends and Holy Week, when crowds descend.

For cold-water types, Huaxtla, 22 km north of Guadalajara, is the gateway to Jaguar Canyon, where waterfalls drop into swimming holes that until recently only canyoneers could reach. A campground with toilets now sits at the canyon rim, and a marked 1-km trail — steep but scenic — leads down to three of the pools. The water stays chilly year-round, so May's heat makes it most appealing, and the canyon is strictly a dry-season destination thanks to flash-flood risk.

The common thread: these spots are natural, cheap and quiet on weekdays, and their rawness may not last. Several could easily be converted into concrete-and-plastic balnearios, so go sooner rather than later — and pack a camera to capture them as they are.

For travellers heading to Guadalajara or Lake Chapala, these holes make an easy add-on to any itinerary, whether you want a family-friendly stream, a thermal soak or a canyon adventure. Just remember the basics: sturdy shoes for the steep trails, a guide where GPS fails, and weekdays over weekends.