Five places to go hiking in Mexico City for less than 300 pesos

Mexico City has many places nearby for hiking, one of the favorite activities to do on the weekend to connect with nature, and that can be enjoyed with friends, family and even pets. Some of these have unique viewpoints and several routes depending on the difficulty sought.

1. Eagle's Peak, Ajusco

La Cruz del Marqués is a peak in the Ajusco mountain range and is the highest point in Mexico City. It is located in the Tlalpan delegation in the Cumbres del Ajusco National Park and has an altitude of 3,923 meters. The name comes from the Nahuatl axochco, atl, agua and xichtli, sprout which means “In the water that springs”. The wooded areas of this park are composed of pine and oak species, which form natural landscapes of great beauty. To get there, take the Picacho-Ajusco highway until you reach the restaurant area, where parking costs 30 pesos. After going down you can enjoy Mexican food such as quesadillas, Aztec soup, gorditas, tlacoyos, etc.

2. Desert of the Lions

It is located in Cuajimalpa,: the park originated with the order of the barefoot Carmelites in the 17th century due to the need to have a space for retreat and meditation away from the city. In 1876 it was declared a forest reserve area and in 1971 Venustiano Carranza promulgated it a National Park. It is currently a site visited by mountaineers, since the summit of Cerro San Miguel is the highest point of the park at 12,434 feet, it is also possible to camp, go mountain biking and the park organizes special sports activities such as 100-mile wild races. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 6 am to 5 pm. Access by car from the city is via the Mexico-Toluca highway or via Avenida Insurgentes Sur, San Ángel along the old route to the Desierto de los Leones.

3. The Dynamos

Los Dinamos National Park is a Protected Natural Area that has a 26-kilometer network of trails, where you can go hiking, rent ATVs, climb, ride horses or even fish for trout, as well as places to eat. It is located in the Magdalena Contreras delegation, and can be reached by San Francisco, San Jerónimo and the Camino a Santa Teresa avenues to la Cañada, where there are parking lots for approximately 30 pesos. One of the points that can be reached by hiking is the Coconetla Viewpoint in the second dynamo, which has a beautiful view.

4. Xitle Volcano

The name Xitle comes from Nahuatl and means navel, it is believed that the ancient inhabitants of Copilco and Cuicuilco had to leave the south of the Valley of Mexico due to its eruption. It occurred during a single eruption and that is how lava flows formed that covered the slopes of Ajusco; the Pedregal de San Ángel and the Ciudad Universitaria area owe their volcanic formation to this eruption. It is located in the Tlalpan delegation and the entrance is located at kilometer 12.5 of San Andrés Toltepec. It has a diameter of 250 meters and is shaped like a funnel and its crater is 50 meters deep.

5. Teuhtli volcano

There are several legends about this volcano, one of the most famous being that two giants, Teuhtli and Popocatepetl, were in love with the same woman: Iztaccihuatl; and when Teuhtli fell its summit became the source of the Chalco and Xochimilco lakes. It is 2,739 meters above sea level, and is currently extinct. His name means venerable sir and is located on the borders of Milpa Alta, Tlahuac and Xochimilco. To get there, you can enter by different routes of the three mayors. To leave the car, the rangers open the feather of the road and it costs approximately 50 pesos.

Remember that to visit these places you must be accompanied by a guide who knows the routes and trails; in addition to using the necessary equipment to climb the different summits as these activities carry a risk.

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