Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca
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Jean Pierre P
Eastman, Canada79 contributions
Apr 2022
You can organise a taxi from Toluca for 400 to 700 pesos (return). On place there are camionnettas to bring you to trail head. (100 pesos). But this road is good and can be made with your taxi if he wants. The trails to volcanoes are easy but walk slow because of altitude. The views are incedible.
Written 30 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosmary V
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
I tell my personal experience... because the truth is I saw a lot of negative comments... We went on a tour from CDMX on 11/26/33, and I think it's the best because these people know what the scene is like. You arrive around 9am. Yes, there was a bit of a line to get on the truck that takes you to the volcano... but the truth is it moved very quickly. I didn't have to wait that long. And we arrived in 20 minutes. Walk up if it's far. I went with my 7-year-old daughter and another 8-year-old girl went. For those who carry children. My daughter's head did hurt a little later and she hadn't even arrived... but once at the top we reached an area not so high where there were several children having fun with the snow... that allowed my daughter to adapt and then We did go up to the viewpoint because it already felt very good. The view at the top is beautiful... we went down the snow like a slide and had a lot of fun. The truth is, if you have the opportunity to go during this time, do it and if you don't feel safe going alone, do it on a tour. And don't get carried away only by the negative.
Written 27 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jose Armando M.
Mexico City, Mexico6 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Welcome to Nevado de Toluca, a mountain paradise that immerses you in the grandeur of nature and leaves you breathless with its dazzling views.
Located just a few kilometers from Mexico City, this impressive extinct volcano, also known as Xinantécatl, rises majestically as the fourth highest peak in Mexico. Its changing landscapes offer a unique experience all year round, from its snowy peaks in winter to its flowery meadows in spring.
Explore its panoramic trails, where you will witness crystal-clear lagoons and pine forests that surround the area. The summit offers a spectacular view of the twin craters and the possibility of walking through the snow, creating unforgettable memories.
Immerse yourself in the richness of high mountain flora and fauna and witness the majesty of this natural destination. Get ready for a unique experience that will connect you with the amazing beauty of the Nevado de Toluca.
Come and discover the magic that this spectacular natural corner offers. We are waiting for you with open arms so you can live the adventure of exploring the Nevado de Toluca!
Located just a few kilometers from Mexico City, this impressive extinct volcano, also known as Xinantécatl, rises majestically as the fourth highest peak in Mexico. Its changing landscapes offer a unique experience all year round, from its snowy peaks in winter to its flowery meadows in spring.
Explore its panoramic trails, where you will witness crystal-clear lagoons and pine forests that surround the area. The summit offers a spectacular view of the twin craters and the possibility of walking through the snow, creating unforgettable memories.
Immerse yourself in the richness of high mountain flora and fauna and witness the majesty of this natural destination. Get ready for a unique experience that will connect you with the amazing beauty of the Nevado de Toluca.
Come and discover the magic that this spectacular natural corner offers. We are waiting for you with open arms so you can live the adventure of exploring the Nevado de Toluca!
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luisanaaaa
43 contributions
Sept 2013 • Friends
This isn't so much a review as much as information on how to get to the top but let me start by saying it is well worth it.
I went to the volcano from Mexico City. If you're doing the same you have to get to the bus terminal off of the Observatorio stop on the pink Metro line. Ask anyone at the station and they'll direct you to the terminal which is 5 minutes away. There, look for the Flecha Roja counter, (it should be in front of the entrance). The bus fare was $48 MXN and the ride was only an hour but we went at 7 am when there was no traffic. At the Toluca terminal walk to the second floor and ask anyone for the bus that takes you to El Nevado. *Something important to note is that this bus leaves once an hour at twenty on the hour, while the MXC-Toluca bus leaves every 10 min. The bus fare to get to the foot of the volcano is $20 MXN and takes about another hour. Now, if you wanna go up by car, you can. Just know that if you want to hire a cab the best time to go is during the weekend and they'll charge between $100-$150 pesos each way; up and down. We tried catching a cab but it was impossible since it was a Friday, so we decided to start walking up to try to hitchhike with someone on the way. We got lucky and pretty quickly a bus with college students on a research trip picked us up at no charge. He left us at the ticket booth which, walking from the bottom could easily have taken an hour. (We got away not paying the entrance fee since we were on a school bus but I think the entrance is very cheap). From the entrance we hitchhiked again and right away a guy picked us up and took us with him to the highest point reachable by car from which you walk about 20 min to reach the crater if you take the 2 km trail that has more of an incline. The other trail is 6 km but it's flat. We took that one on the way back and it took about 40 min. I recommend it for of the view.
Now, if you want to go all the way up, I think it's doable in one day. But I would suggest at least hitchhiking to the ticket booth. Just save those legs. From the ticket booth there's a sign that says it's 17km to the Nevado de Toluca but it's not clear if its referring to the peak or the crater. Either way, hiking to the crater is doable. It's a long walk but there's not much of an incline, it's not muddy and the dirt road is flat; you don't have to worry about long steps over giant rocks. I would say walking from the booth to the crater takes no more than 3 hrs. Getting to the peak is another story. At the elevation of the crater (4,400-something m), the air is thinner and you start to feel some altitude sickness. When you start to hike up from the crater it definitely hits you. You start to feel lightheaded, fatigue and you'll probably get a headache, although it's hard to say how severe because each person is different. (For me it was mild). I should note we didn't make it all the way to the top because it involves climbing and we were ill-prepared, but you can get pretty far hiking. You can hike higher than the crater and climb to the smallest of a series of peaks without much trouble but you really shouldn't attempt to climb the peak without someone who's experienced. No idea how long the climb would take.
If you're wondering if it's possible to camp, it is but keep in mind temperatures drop considerably at night. Make sure to check the current weather before going. I was there in early September and the cold was bearable. I wore stockings, leggings and pants, high socks and boots, a t-shirt and a cardigan plus a raincoat. Gloves would've been helpful.
Besides camping, there is a posada in the parking lot near the crater but it's only open on weekends. From what I've read it has bunk beds, hot showers, a kitchen with no utensils and a fireplace. No idea how much it is. I've also read about cabins along a trail and an alpine lodge but I didn't see any during my visit. I don't know how current the information I've read is.
I hope this was helpful!
I went to the volcano from Mexico City. If you're doing the same you have to get to the bus terminal off of the Observatorio stop on the pink Metro line. Ask anyone at the station and they'll direct you to the terminal which is 5 minutes away. There, look for the Flecha Roja counter, (it should be in front of the entrance). The bus fare was $48 MXN and the ride was only an hour but we went at 7 am when there was no traffic. At the Toluca terminal walk to the second floor and ask anyone for the bus that takes you to El Nevado. *Something important to note is that this bus leaves once an hour at twenty on the hour, while the MXC-Toluca bus leaves every 10 min. The bus fare to get to the foot of the volcano is $20 MXN and takes about another hour. Now, if you wanna go up by car, you can. Just know that if you want to hire a cab the best time to go is during the weekend and they'll charge between $100-$150 pesos each way; up and down. We tried catching a cab but it was impossible since it was a Friday, so we decided to start walking up to try to hitchhike with someone on the way. We got lucky and pretty quickly a bus with college students on a research trip picked us up at no charge. He left us at the ticket booth which, walking from the bottom could easily have taken an hour. (We got away not paying the entrance fee since we were on a school bus but I think the entrance is very cheap). From the entrance we hitchhiked again and right away a guy picked us up and took us with him to the highest point reachable by car from which you walk about 20 min to reach the crater if you take the 2 km trail that has more of an incline. The other trail is 6 km but it's flat. We took that one on the way back and it took about 40 min. I recommend it for of the view.
Now, if you want to go all the way up, I think it's doable in one day. But I would suggest at least hitchhiking to the ticket booth. Just save those legs. From the ticket booth there's a sign that says it's 17km to the Nevado de Toluca but it's not clear if its referring to the peak or the crater. Either way, hiking to the crater is doable. It's a long walk but there's not much of an incline, it's not muddy and the dirt road is flat; you don't have to worry about long steps over giant rocks. I would say walking from the booth to the crater takes no more than 3 hrs. Getting to the peak is another story. At the elevation of the crater (4,400-something m), the air is thinner and you start to feel some altitude sickness. When you start to hike up from the crater it definitely hits you. You start to feel lightheaded, fatigue and you'll probably get a headache, although it's hard to say how severe because each person is different. (For me it was mild). I should note we didn't make it all the way to the top because it involves climbing and we were ill-prepared, but you can get pretty far hiking. You can hike higher than the crater and climb to the smallest of a series of peaks without much trouble but you really shouldn't attempt to climb the peak without someone who's experienced. No idea how long the climb would take.
If you're wondering if it's possible to camp, it is but keep in mind temperatures drop considerably at night. Make sure to check the current weather before going. I was there in early September and the cold was bearable. I wore stockings, leggings and pants, high socks and boots, a t-shirt and a cardigan plus a raincoat. Gloves would've been helpful.
Besides camping, there is a posada in the parking lot near the crater but it's only open on weekends. From what I've read it has bunk beds, hot showers, a kitchen with no utensils and a fireplace. No idea how much it is. I've also read about cabins along a trail and an alpine lodge but I didn't see any during my visit. I don't know how current the information I've read is.
I hope this was helpful!
Written 7 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mohit S
San Jose, Costa Rica41 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
I am writing this after not being able to find the most recent information (and a lot varied info) over internet. And after doing it by myself yesterday (2nd Jan 2017).
How to reach from mexico city to Toluca?
Go to bus station named Autobuses "Flecha Roja" in DF (mexico city) and take a bus to Toluca. It costs 65 pesos and takes 1 hour to reach to Toluca. Its better to go early in the morning. The first bus has schedule at 5am but ours didn't have many people so it waited till 5:30am to get full.
Toluca bus terminal to Nevado de Toluca:
We reached Toluca bus terminal at 6:30am and saw office of Taxi Seguro in right in the middle. They have a fixed price and its a registered company. They charged us 928 pesos to take us to nevado de Toluca and bring us back. It included 2-4 hours of waiting time.
We had some coffee at terminal of Toluca and boarded the cab at 7am.
About Nevado de Toluca:
You need to know several things here. That also confused me when I was reading several articles on nevado de Toluca.
1. While going to nevado de Toluca from bus terminal there is an exit from the main road that enters the way towards nevado de Toluca. It takes 30 minutes in cab from terminal de Toluca to reach that diversion.
2. After 10 minutes drive, there is an entrance gate where you pay to enter the park (its 20 pesos per person).
3. After 25 minutes drive again there is a parking for vehicles. So, we reached at the parking at 8am. The cab waited for us there.
Now starts the hike. First part of the hike is till the craters. I said first part because people generally take longer breaks beside the crater. It took us around 1 hour to reach to the crater. But one can also do it in 30 minutes. We like stopping and watching around.
Then after crater you can keep walking towards the top (that you can see from everywhere easily). From the crater to the top there is a pretty difficult hike (could be easy for some people). That second part of the hike took me 25 minutes (this is because I am used to heights with lower oxygen levels). My partner didn't do it because she has some problems with lower oxygen level.
At the end of the day, it is mesmerizing.
There is no way you can get lost while doing the hike. All the trails are easily visible.
How to reach from mexico city to Toluca?
Go to bus station named Autobuses "Flecha Roja" in DF (mexico city) and take a bus to Toluca. It costs 65 pesos and takes 1 hour to reach to Toluca. Its better to go early in the morning. The first bus has schedule at 5am but ours didn't have many people so it waited till 5:30am to get full.
Toluca bus terminal to Nevado de Toluca:
We reached Toluca bus terminal at 6:30am and saw office of Taxi Seguro in right in the middle. They have a fixed price and its a registered company. They charged us 928 pesos to take us to nevado de Toluca and bring us back. It included 2-4 hours of waiting time.
We had some coffee at terminal of Toluca and boarded the cab at 7am.
About Nevado de Toluca:
You need to know several things here. That also confused me when I was reading several articles on nevado de Toluca.
1. While going to nevado de Toluca from bus terminal there is an exit from the main road that enters the way towards nevado de Toluca. It takes 30 minutes in cab from terminal de Toluca to reach that diversion.
2. After 10 minutes drive, there is an entrance gate where you pay to enter the park (its 20 pesos per person).
3. After 25 minutes drive again there is a parking for vehicles. So, we reached at the parking at 8am. The cab waited for us there.
Now starts the hike. First part of the hike is till the craters. I said first part because people generally take longer breaks beside the crater. It took us around 1 hour to reach to the crater. But one can also do it in 30 minutes. We like stopping and watching around.
Then after crater you can keep walking towards the top (that you can see from everywhere easily). From the crater to the top there is a pretty difficult hike (could be easy for some people). That second part of the hike took me 25 minutes (this is because I am used to heights with lower oxygen levels). My partner didn't do it because she has some problems with lower oxygen level.
At the end of the day, it is mesmerizing.
There is no way you can get lost while doing the hike. All the trails are easily visible.
Written 3 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
david h
Brecon Beacons National Park, UK788 contributions
Mar 2014 • Friends
I am an experienced UK hiker and climber and in addition I spend a lot of time out in Latin America, especially in gorgeous Mexico. I generally know what I am doing in the mountains and also have considerable experience of leading groups abroad. Therefore the information I will partake about this great mountain is born out of experience as I have done it several times and I have spent a considerable amount of my life in mountains in various parts of the world.
First of all this is a great mountain, I absolutely adore it. If I said to people that it is literally the spitting image of the Snowdon Horseshoe in my native Wales then British people will totally understand the nature of this mountain massive. It has exactly the same characteristics of the latter named horseshoe. It has a circular route, two lakes, scrambles, a classic ridge and a generous amount of escape routes. The only ways it differs is that Toluca is at 4,700m and not 1,100m and the summit on Toluca is somewhat more constricted and devoid of a café.
I have attached an information sheet (bottom) I wrote on the mountain and this explains how to get there as well as other things. In addition you need to purchase a 1:50,000 map of the area too (you will have to get these from an outdoor retailer Mexico City). If the weather does come in you will also need the skills to use that map and possible a compass. Generally though you will get a blue-sky day. A word of warning however if you are doing this mountain between Oct-March or it is cold/snowy then it is a different prospect altogether and you will need ice axe and crampons. A final word on safety, this is a rocky mountain so take a helmet and if you are doing the complete rim traverse then err on the side of caution and be equipped for a simple rock climb. Saying that we didn’t but if you do go off piste with no protection then you may be walking into trouble.
There are also a number of routes to do on this mountain. I will stick to the two routes I have done namely the standard route from Las Plumas Refuge and The Complete Rim Traverse (aka the Snowdon Horseshoe) from the same place. If you have a car, you can drive from Mexico City, do any one of these routes and return in a long day of 12 hours.
1.Standard Route: Read my information sheet about how to get to Las Plumas refuge. After parking the car you will need to walk along the footpath (SW) that runs alongside the guardian hut. It is plainly marked and this will take you to a small col (20mins). From the Col, marked on my photo NT1 as the ‘main exit/entry pass’ you will see a fantastic alpine amphitheatre in front of you. Walk straight down the natural path in between the two lakes (lake of the sun and moon) and you will see a path rising on the far side of the valley. From the valley floor you hike up from 4,000 to 4,400m to a ridge. This brings you to the start point of the route highlighted as the standard route on my photo NT2. (The bottom of the Campanarios). This will take you about 1.5-2hrs from the start.
From here, or shortly thereafter, it gets to be a great scramble so it’s time to put on your helmet. You generally stick to the summit line or just to the left. Should you get to a point where you are not happy with the terrain then there is normally an ‘off route’ to the left or right. The grade is a UK 1 (Crib Goch/Tryfan), simple un-roped stuff. It generally goes on like this for a good two hours and you simply just pick your way upwards to the highest point until you get to the summit of Pico de Fraile. See my photo NT3. Now the views from here are great but there is not a lot of room so if it is the weekend it may be busy. If so, get up there, take your picture and get off. WARNING: There is a huge drop on the Western & Eastern sides.
You are now on the down leg of the trip and heading slightly NW. It is a bit precarious at first but it soon gets easier and after 30 mins you get to a natural col. Here you take a detour steep downhill to the right towards the Lake of Sun/Sol. This downhill is amply shown in photos NT2 & 4. This is a 30-45min sandy/shale gulley skid that takes you all the way down to the lake of the Sun. Here you simply walk along the Western edge of the lake and follow it all the way round and egress uphill towards the ‘main entry/exit pass and then (left) downhill to your start point. Once you reach the lake it takes around 1.5 hours to get to the end. All in from start to finish you can do the hike in 6-7hrs quite easily.
2. Complete Rim Traverse: You literally follow the standard route until you do the summit and arrive back down to where you see the detour heading off sharply downhill (sandy/shale skid) to the lake of the Sol. Instead of taking this route head straight on where you can see Pico Aguila in the distance. See NT5. Now if you are unsure of your abilities on rock or navigation then head off down to the lake. Otherwise the next bit is a going to be a bit of an adventure that you may not want.
You carry straight on here until you get onto the rocky pinnacle ridge in front of you (see NT5) and the views are quite awesome. You are generally following a set of small stone ‘Cairns’ and a VERY indistinct path. You can just pick it out with no snow on the ground so if there is snow I advise you to turn back or not to do it unless you are with a guide. You then literally pick your way over, round, go to the right, to the left, go down, go round until at last you make your way up to summit of Pico Aguila. You literally have to find the Cairns and your journey takes you all over that long rocky ridge but it’s a great journey.
The summit point here is nice with great views but then off we go again sharply downhill again now until you come down behind pico Noresta. The going down here is very steep and you have to carefully route find your way again. Eventually you come out on a more general footpath on a broad ridgeline. This is the path to the left of the photo NT1 marked complete rim traverse. You then walk down to our famous ‘main entry/exit pass’ and back to the car park. All in, you can do this route in 7-8hrs, 9-10 if you have route-finding problems.
In my mind if you want to do the routes your self then the Complete Rim Route is for the very experienced hiker/climber only. The Standard Route is within the reach of those who are regular hill goers. Do be careful however, the drops are big, the rocks are loose and route finding is moderate (standard route) to difficult (Rim Traverse). If in doubt then simply get a guide. A good company in Mexico City that operates here regularly is Mexico Travesias.
Well to the end of my biggest, longest Trip Advisor review. I just love mountains in anyway and most of this information was already typed. My final word would be this --- ‘Go and enjoy this mountain’, it is a fantastic place and we always meet great people there. While you’re at it enjoy this great country that is Mexico….
Mountain: Nevado Toluca: 4,680m (15,354´).
Location
Nevado Toluca or Xinantécatl´ (The naked man) is located 109 kilometres West of Mexico City (city centre). Approximately 70 kilometres West of Mexico City and then a further 50 kilometres South from the city of Toluca.
Introduction
Nevado Toluca is a large extinct strata-volano situated in central Mexico. Very little is written about this gem of a mountain, which is surprising as it is easily within a two and a half hour drive of Mexico City and its rocky ridges and fine scrambles has a lot to offer any mountain explorer. In addition as well as being Mexico´s fourth highest mountain it is also a great acclimatisation peak for those who intend to go on to climb Mexico´s higher peaks.
Mountain Profile
Nevado Toluca takes the form of a large impressive rocky amphitheatre, which is open to the East. It has two principle peaks, the highest being Pico del Fraile (Friar´s Peak) at 4,4680m (15,354´), which is on the southern rim and Pico del Aquila (Eagle´s Peak) at 4,640m (15,223´), which is on the northern rim. In between is a scintillating rocky two-kilometre ridge that resembles Crib Goch in nature. There are two lakes in the basin of this amphitheatre, which is at about 4,100m. The larger by far is the Lago del Sol (Sun Lake about half a kilometre square) and the smaller is Lago de la Luna (Moon Lake about two hundred meters square).
History and Wildlife
Nevada de Toluca was declared a national park in 1936 and is an area of great beauty. The Nevado massive is in surrounded by fir and pine forests and officially the park stands at 51,000 hectares (126,000 acres). Wildlife includes the Zacatuche rabbit, white tailed deer, bobcats and woodpeckers. What is less known is that the parks attracts divers who explore Nevado´s high altitude lakes along with parapenters who exploit its easy access to high altitude take offs. The area is also frequented by Olympic class athletes who can be seen almost on a daily basis running up Nevado´s steep slopes to the summit rim at around 4,300 meters!
Getting There
Simple directions
Head West out of Mexico on H15 and by pass the city of Toluca on the South side on H134. Turn off on H10 and follow it to the village of Raices. Turn left onto the Nevado Toluca road immediately on leaving Raices.
Detailed directions.
Head out of Mexico City on highway 15 towards the city of Toluca. After about 45 minutes driving you turn left at a fork merging with Paseo Tollocan heading South West towards Paseo Colon following the signs for H134. After about 3.5 kilometres the road will then start to head due west and at this point on the other side of the road you will see the tree lined/walled enclosure of an army camp. After another kilometre you turn left the statue of Christopher Columbus. Staying on H134 you drive down Paseo Collon for 2 kilometres until you get to a roundabout (with a fountain in it) and take the first exit right staying on H134. You should be here depending on traffic in about an hour. You then follow H134 for about another 15 kilometres until you turn left onto H10 heading towards Sultepec. Follow this road towards for another eight kilometres until you get to the village of Raices. Literally immediately after exiting Raices you turn left onto a dirt road that leads you up into the Nevado Toluca massive. You should get to the turn off within one and a half and two hours. It will all be dependant on the traffic you will meet on the way. From the turn off it is another half an hour to the state run hostel at Las Plumas, the gateway to Nevado Toluca.
Access
From the turn off immediately after Raices you enter onto a dirt road that can be negotiated by any two-wheeled drive vehicle. This road meanders its way 13.8 kilometres up to Las Plumas. From the turn off it is about 3.4 kilometres to the entrance station to the park and the Posada Familiar (Family Lodge) campground and hostel (see accommodation & fees). From here it is another 1.8 kilometres to the Alpine lodge (run by the same family as the Posada Familiar). From this lodge the road then meanders its way upwards for another 5.4 kilometres to the first microwave station (just a landmark) and from there another 3.2 kilometres sees you arriving at Las Plumas.
Accommodation & Fees (2010)
Entrance to park at Pasada Familiar: Price - 60 pesos.
Posada Familiar Lodge: The lodge sleeps ten persons in one-person rooms, five rooms per floor. There are showers, toilets and cooking facilities. Price -100 pesos per person per night.
Posada Familiar Campsite: The tent site is large and has good facilities. There are rooms for at least a hundred tents and according to the proprietor it is never full. There are showers, toilets, park benches and the setting is quite beautiful. Price -100 pesos per person per night (simple!).
The lodge or campsite can be used by small or large groups and it is an ideal location for a base camp in the area. Both lodge and campsite visitors can avail themselves to the small on site shop and restaurant.
Alpine Lodge (booked through Posada Familiar): This is a rather large alpine style dormitory that can sleep fifty people. It has toilets, showers, kitchen and 24-hour security on site.
Contact: Javier Salazar on 722 533 5839 or 722 190 9481 for lodge, campsite or alpine lodge stays.
Las Plumas: This is the ideal location if you want to have an early start to any foray onto Nevado. There are two state run small self-contained hostels at Las Plumas. One sleeps eight and one sleeps four. There is also a small shop and there is a state employed guardian* on site 24/7.
Cabin 1 - Sleeps four persons in two lockable rooms, has toilets, showers and a sink/cooking area.
Cabin 2 - Sleeps four in one lockable room and has a toilet, shower and a sink/cooking area.
Price – 100 pesos per person per night.
Contact: Unfortunately Las Plumas has no web site, telephone number or any other way that you can contact them to book the cabins. The rooms are let on a first come first serve basis.
* These guardians are very amenable gentlemen. On our first foray onto Nevado the cabins were closed for refurbishment (Dec 2010). The guardian, Pablo Dela Cruz, not only let us sleep on the shop floor in front of a warm wood burning stove but he (and the contractors) treated us to a wonderful array of tacos and turned what could have been an uncomfortable night in a car for me and my partner into a lasting memory of hospitality. If anyone does stay in Las Plumas and meets Pablo buy him a beer and tell him that word of his kind deed has got around!
First of all this is a great mountain, I absolutely adore it. If I said to people that it is literally the spitting image of the Snowdon Horseshoe in my native Wales then British people will totally understand the nature of this mountain massive. It has exactly the same characteristics of the latter named horseshoe. It has a circular route, two lakes, scrambles, a classic ridge and a generous amount of escape routes. The only ways it differs is that Toluca is at 4,700m and not 1,100m and the summit on Toluca is somewhat more constricted and devoid of a café.
I have attached an information sheet (bottom) I wrote on the mountain and this explains how to get there as well as other things. In addition you need to purchase a 1:50,000 map of the area too (you will have to get these from an outdoor retailer Mexico City). If the weather does come in you will also need the skills to use that map and possible a compass. Generally though you will get a blue-sky day. A word of warning however if you are doing this mountain between Oct-March or it is cold/snowy then it is a different prospect altogether and you will need ice axe and crampons. A final word on safety, this is a rocky mountain so take a helmet and if you are doing the complete rim traverse then err on the side of caution and be equipped for a simple rock climb. Saying that we didn’t but if you do go off piste with no protection then you may be walking into trouble.
There are also a number of routes to do on this mountain. I will stick to the two routes I have done namely the standard route from Las Plumas Refuge and The Complete Rim Traverse (aka the Snowdon Horseshoe) from the same place. If you have a car, you can drive from Mexico City, do any one of these routes and return in a long day of 12 hours.
1.Standard Route: Read my information sheet about how to get to Las Plumas refuge. After parking the car you will need to walk along the footpath (SW) that runs alongside the guardian hut. It is plainly marked and this will take you to a small col (20mins). From the Col, marked on my photo NT1 as the ‘main exit/entry pass’ you will see a fantastic alpine amphitheatre in front of you. Walk straight down the natural path in between the two lakes (lake of the sun and moon) and you will see a path rising on the far side of the valley. From the valley floor you hike up from 4,000 to 4,400m to a ridge. This brings you to the start point of the route highlighted as the standard route on my photo NT2. (The bottom of the Campanarios). This will take you about 1.5-2hrs from the start.
From here, or shortly thereafter, it gets to be a great scramble so it’s time to put on your helmet. You generally stick to the summit line or just to the left. Should you get to a point where you are not happy with the terrain then there is normally an ‘off route’ to the left or right. The grade is a UK 1 (Crib Goch/Tryfan), simple un-roped stuff. It generally goes on like this for a good two hours and you simply just pick your way upwards to the highest point until you get to the summit of Pico de Fraile. See my photo NT3. Now the views from here are great but there is not a lot of room so if it is the weekend it may be busy. If so, get up there, take your picture and get off. WARNING: There is a huge drop on the Western & Eastern sides.
You are now on the down leg of the trip and heading slightly NW. It is a bit precarious at first but it soon gets easier and after 30 mins you get to a natural col. Here you take a detour steep downhill to the right towards the Lake of Sun/Sol. This downhill is amply shown in photos NT2 & 4. This is a 30-45min sandy/shale gulley skid that takes you all the way down to the lake of the Sun. Here you simply walk along the Western edge of the lake and follow it all the way round and egress uphill towards the ‘main entry/exit pass and then (left) downhill to your start point. Once you reach the lake it takes around 1.5 hours to get to the end. All in from start to finish you can do the hike in 6-7hrs quite easily.
2. Complete Rim Traverse: You literally follow the standard route until you do the summit and arrive back down to where you see the detour heading off sharply downhill (sandy/shale skid) to the lake of the Sol. Instead of taking this route head straight on where you can see Pico Aguila in the distance. See NT5. Now if you are unsure of your abilities on rock or navigation then head off down to the lake. Otherwise the next bit is a going to be a bit of an adventure that you may not want.
You carry straight on here until you get onto the rocky pinnacle ridge in front of you (see NT5) and the views are quite awesome. You are generally following a set of small stone ‘Cairns’ and a VERY indistinct path. You can just pick it out with no snow on the ground so if there is snow I advise you to turn back or not to do it unless you are with a guide. You then literally pick your way over, round, go to the right, to the left, go down, go round until at last you make your way up to summit of Pico Aguila. You literally have to find the Cairns and your journey takes you all over that long rocky ridge but it’s a great journey.
The summit point here is nice with great views but then off we go again sharply downhill again now until you come down behind pico Noresta. The going down here is very steep and you have to carefully route find your way again. Eventually you come out on a more general footpath on a broad ridgeline. This is the path to the left of the photo NT1 marked complete rim traverse. You then walk down to our famous ‘main entry/exit pass’ and back to the car park. All in, you can do this route in 7-8hrs, 9-10 if you have route-finding problems.
In my mind if you want to do the routes your self then the Complete Rim Route is for the very experienced hiker/climber only. The Standard Route is within the reach of those who are regular hill goers. Do be careful however, the drops are big, the rocks are loose and route finding is moderate (standard route) to difficult (Rim Traverse). If in doubt then simply get a guide. A good company in Mexico City that operates here regularly is Mexico Travesias.
Well to the end of my biggest, longest Trip Advisor review. I just love mountains in anyway and most of this information was already typed. My final word would be this --- ‘Go and enjoy this mountain’, it is a fantastic place and we always meet great people there. While you’re at it enjoy this great country that is Mexico….
Mountain: Nevado Toluca: 4,680m (15,354´).
Location
Nevado Toluca or Xinantécatl´ (The naked man) is located 109 kilometres West of Mexico City (city centre). Approximately 70 kilometres West of Mexico City and then a further 50 kilometres South from the city of Toluca.
Introduction
Nevado Toluca is a large extinct strata-volano situated in central Mexico. Very little is written about this gem of a mountain, which is surprising as it is easily within a two and a half hour drive of Mexico City and its rocky ridges and fine scrambles has a lot to offer any mountain explorer. In addition as well as being Mexico´s fourth highest mountain it is also a great acclimatisation peak for those who intend to go on to climb Mexico´s higher peaks.
Mountain Profile
Nevado Toluca takes the form of a large impressive rocky amphitheatre, which is open to the East. It has two principle peaks, the highest being Pico del Fraile (Friar´s Peak) at 4,4680m (15,354´), which is on the southern rim and Pico del Aquila (Eagle´s Peak) at 4,640m (15,223´), which is on the northern rim. In between is a scintillating rocky two-kilometre ridge that resembles Crib Goch in nature. There are two lakes in the basin of this amphitheatre, which is at about 4,100m. The larger by far is the Lago del Sol (Sun Lake about half a kilometre square) and the smaller is Lago de la Luna (Moon Lake about two hundred meters square).
History and Wildlife
Nevada de Toluca was declared a national park in 1936 and is an area of great beauty. The Nevado massive is in surrounded by fir and pine forests and officially the park stands at 51,000 hectares (126,000 acres). Wildlife includes the Zacatuche rabbit, white tailed deer, bobcats and woodpeckers. What is less known is that the parks attracts divers who explore Nevado´s high altitude lakes along with parapenters who exploit its easy access to high altitude take offs. The area is also frequented by Olympic class athletes who can be seen almost on a daily basis running up Nevado´s steep slopes to the summit rim at around 4,300 meters!
Getting There
Simple directions
Head West out of Mexico on H15 and by pass the city of Toluca on the South side on H134. Turn off on H10 and follow it to the village of Raices. Turn left onto the Nevado Toluca road immediately on leaving Raices.
Detailed directions.
Head out of Mexico City on highway 15 towards the city of Toluca. After about 45 minutes driving you turn left at a fork merging with Paseo Tollocan heading South West towards Paseo Colon following the signs for H134. After about 3.5 kilometres the road will then start to head due west and at this point on the other side of the road you will see the tree lined/walled enclosure of an army camp. After another kilometre you turn left the statue of Christopher Columbus. Staying on H134 you drive down Paseo Collon for 2 kilometres until you get to a roundabout (with a fountain in it) and take the first exit right staying on H134. You should be here depending on traffic in about an hour. You then follow H134 for about another 15 kilometres until you turn left onto H10 heading towards Sultepec. Follow this road towards for another eight kilometres until you get to the village of Raices. Literally immediately after exiting Raices you turn left onto a dirt road that leads you up into the Nevado Toluca massive. You should get to the turn off within one and a half and two hours. It will all be dependant on the traffic you will meet on the way. From the turn off it is another half an hour to the state run hostel at Las Plumas, the gateway to Nevado Toluca.
Access
From the turn off immediately after Raices you enter onto a dirt road that can be negotiated by any two-wheeled drive vehicle. This road meanders its way 13.8 kilometres up to Las Plumas. From the turn off it is about 3.4 kilometres to the entrance station to the park and the Posada Familiar (Family Lodge) campground and hostel (see accommodation & fees). From here it is another 1.8 kilometres to the Alpine lodge (run by the same family as the Posada Familiar). From this lodge the road then meanders its way upwards for another 5.4 kilometres to the first microwave station (just a landmark) and from there another 3.2 kilometres sees you arriving at Las Plumas.
Accommodation & Fees (2010)
Entrance to park at Pasada Familiar: Price - 60 pesos.
Posada Familiar Lodge: The lodge sleeps ten persons in one-person rooms, five rooms per floor. There are showers, toilets and cooking facilities. Price -100 pesos per person per night.
Posada Familiar Campsite: The tent site is large and has good facilities. There are rooms for at least a hundred tents and according to the proprietor it is never full. There are showers, toilets, park benches and the setting is quite beautiful. Price -100 pesos per person per night (simple!).
The lodge or campsite can be used by small or large groups and it is an ideal location for a base camp in the area. Both lodge and campsite visitors can avail themselves to the small on site shop and restaurant.
Alpine Lodge (booked through Posada Familiar): This is a rather large alpine style dormitory that can sleep fifty people. It has toilets, showers, kitchen and 24-hour security on site.
Contact: Javier Salazar on 722 533 5839 or 722 190 9481 for lodge, campsite or alpine lodge stays.
Las Plumas: This is the ideal location if you want to have an early start to any foray onto Nevado. There are two state run small self-contained hostels at Las Plumas. One sleeps eight and one sleeps four. There is also a small shop and there is a state employed guardian* on site 24/7.
Cabin 1 - Sleeps four persons in two lockable rooms, has toilets, showers and a sink/cooking area.
Cabin 2 - Sleeps four in one lockable room and has a toilet, shower and a sink/cooking area.
Price – 100 pesos per person per night.
Contact: Unfortunately Las Plumas has no web site, telephone number or any other way that you can contact them to book the cabins. The rooms are let on a first come first serve basis.
* These guardians are very amenable gentlemen. On our first foray onto Nevado the cabins were closed for refurbishment (Dec 2010). The guardian, Pablo Dela Cruz, not only let us sleep on the shop floor in front of a warm wood burning stove but he (and the contractors) treated us to a wonderful array of tacos and turned what could have been an uncomfortable night in a car for me and my partner into a lasting memory of hospitality. If anyone does stay in Las Plumas and meets Pablo buy him a beer and tell him that word of his kind deed has got around!
Written 12 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kapil1024
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico7 contributions
Dec 2012 • Friends
Overall: It was awesome....
It is not a good idea to visit this place at this time(December) of year. It was quite dry out there.
Anyways the trip was good and full of adventure :-D
GPS: 19.112481, -99.752258 (use Google maps)
Attractions:
1. Lago de la Luna
2. Lago del Sol
3. Cliff with black stones.
4. National Park
for more description look into wiki page.
Please take care of following things:-
1. Start your journey as early as possible.
2. Always carry some food/drinks with you.
3. Carry extra tickets(if you are going to use Metro).
My itinerary : "Mexico City DF" to "Nevado de Toluca" Date: 25 Dec 2012
1. "Metro Hidalgo" to "Metro Balderas" line 3 --- $3 --- 5mins
2. "Metro Balderas" to "Metro Observatorio" line 1 --- $3 --- 15mins
3. "Terminal Poniente" (Metro Observatorio) to "Terminal Toluca" --- $50 --- 1hr 15mins
4. "Terminal Toluca" to "Nevado de Toluca" --- $700 (round-trip taxi) --- 4hrs
** expenses are in Mexican Pesos.
***There is a entry fee(per vehicle) of $20 at "Nevado de Toluca" :-)
****It will be good if you speak Spanish.
It is not a good idea to visit this place at this time(December) of year. It was quite dry out there.
Anyways the trip was good and full of adventure :-D
GPS: 19.112481, -99.752258 (use Google maps)
Attractions:
1. Lago de la Luna
2. Lago del Sol
3. Cliff with black stones.
4. National Park
for more description look into wiki page.
Please take care of following things:-
1. Start your journey as early as possible.
2. Always carry some food/drinks with you.
3. Carry extra tickets(if you are going to use Metro).
My itinerary : "Mexico City DF" to "Nevado de Toluca" Date: 25 Dec 2012
1. "Metro Hidalgo" to "Metro Balderas" line 3 --- $3 --- 5mins
2. "Metro Balderas" to "Metro Observatorio" line 1 --- $3 --- 15mins
3. "Terminal Poniente" (Metro Observatorio) to "Terminal Toluca" --- $50 --- 1hr 15mins
4. "Terminal Toluca" to "Nevado de Toluca" --- $700 (round-trip taxi) --- 4hrs
** expenses are in Mexican Pesos.
***There is a entry fee(per vehicle) of $20 at "Nevado de Toluca" :-)
****It will be good if you speak Spanish.
Written 26 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nomidm
Mexico City, Mexico38 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
This place is fantastic, not only because of the views, but also because of the nature and the surroundings. Without knowing we chose a very windy and foggy day and of course it was very cold, but it made it all more interesting. We drove from Mexico City on a Sunday and getting there took us longer than expected since some streets in Toluca City were closed. You'll go along a very nice road on the woods that takes you to the entrance of the National Park, enjoy they way, it's absolutely beautiful. Once you get to the entrance you'll have to pay a small fee. We paid 50 mxn for the three of us and to be able to get the car in. There's a parking place here where you can leave the car and start walking. If you decide to do so, just keep in mind it's a very long walk to the top, about 4 hours, and that you'll have to get back walking too. If you decide to drive, it's about 20 minutes on a gravel road, be careful and consider the people walking on the road. You'll find the camping place and a place to park your car there. It would take you about 40 minutes to hike to the craters and about an hour and a half to go down and visit both lagoons :)
To consider:
- It's cold, so bring a jacket.
- The hike up to the craters can be challenging, go at your on rhythm. Be aware of the altitud, even people living in Mexico City find it hard and get dizzy. There's no need to rush.
- There are toilets, but if you arrive late they would be crowded, so make a stop at the entrance of the park and use the toilets there.
- The earlier the better. Try to be there before 10am, especially on a Sunday.
- Bring some snacks and enough water.
Enjoy! :)
To consider:
- It's cold, so bring a jacket.
- The hike up to the craters can be challenging, go at your on rhythm. Be aware of the altitud, even people living in Mexico City find it hard and get dizzy. There's no need to rush.
- There are toilets, but if you arrive late they would be crowded, so make a stop at the entrance of the park and use the toilets there.
- The earlier the better. Try to be there before 10am, especially on a Sunday.
- Bring some snacks and enough water.
Enjoy! :)
Written 4 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
germansara95
Munich, Germany16 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
First things first: Nevado de Toluca is a great day trip to escape the business of Mexico City, I would definitely recommend it.
Difficulty:
In my opinion, it is a very light and easy hike. I would recommend though to take some altitude pills, if you struggle with heights like me. You can get them in any pharmacy here
Logistics:
I struggled to find any detailed information about this. There are two options: car or public transport. For public transport, there will be two cases.
Case 1: You are going on a weekend
1. Take the bus from Observatorio station in CDMX to Toluca (around 80 pesos)
2. Take a bus from Toluca to Raices, this is where the street to Nevado starts (40 pesos)
3. There will be vans / pick-up trucks going up the street, that will take you with them (50 pesos). However, this is only on the weekend!!!
Case 2: You are going on a week-day (there are almost no people)
Repeat steps 1 and 2 from Case 1
3. Rent a cab either from Toluca bus station (if you are with 4-5 people) or rent a cap in Raices itself that will take you up to the parking lot (400 - 500 pesos, depending on how white you look and how good your Spanish is). The drivers will then either wait for you (2-3 hours are enough) or come up to get you at an agreed time.
Walking up the street is about 17km and would take you most of your day, so do take a cab / ride or go up there with your own, rented car.
Dresscode:
dress in layers and bring sunscreen. Its gets really cold without sun and really hot as soon as the sun comes out
Difficulty:
In my opinion, it is a very light and easy hike. I would recommend though to take some altitude pills, if you struggle with heights like me. You can get them in any pharmacy here
Logistics:
I struggled to find any detailed information about this. There are two options: car or public transport. For public transport, there will be two cases.
Case 1: You are going on a weekend
1. Take the bus from Observatorio station in CDMX to Toluca (around 80 pesos)
2. Take a bus from Toluca to Raices, this is where the street to Nevado starts (40 pesos)
3. There will be vans / pick-up trucks going up the street, that will take you with them (50 pesos). However, this is only on the weekend!!!
Case 2: You are going on a week-day (there are almost no people)
Repeat steps 1 and 2 from Case 1
3. Rent a cab either from Toluca bus station (if you are with 4-5 people) or rent a cap in Raices itself that will take you up to the parking lot (400 - 500 pesos, depending on how white you look and how good your Spanish is). The drivers will then either wait for you (2-3 hours are enough) or come up to get you at an agreed time.
Walking up the street is about 17km and would take you most of your day, so do take a cab / ride or go up there with your own, rented car.
Dresscode:
dress in layers and bring sunscreen. Its gets really cold without sun and really hot as soon as the sun comes out
Written 26 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roy R
Toronto, Canada255 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
The Nevado de Toluca takes your breath away with it's beauty and the altitude of about 4,200m (at the main parking lot) that goes even higher if you decide to scale the dormant volcano.
Getting to the Nevado requires driving about 20 minutes along a rough dirt and gravel road to the gate and then another 20+ minutes (depending on your vehicle) along another rough road to the main parking lot by the trailhead.
Once at the trailhead, it is about a 2km hike to the Lagunda de la Luna, the smaller of the two lakes in the volcano crater and another km or so to the Laguna del Sol, the larger lake. The place is not busy during the week so you can experience the vast beauty of the surroundings and all its quiet natural serenity without much interruption.
At that altitude the sun is intense so sunscreen and water are highly recommended along with snacks. A leisurly trek from the trailhead around both lakes with photo and water breaks took almost 3 hours. This was in August when there is no snow on the ground.
The parking lot closes at 3pm so best to be there early (by 10am) to have enough time to explore. You can purchase water and snacks for the hike from the local snack stand at the parking lot.
Admission to the park is $40 pesos.
Getting to the Nevado requires driving about 20 minutes along a rough dirt and gravel road to the gate and then another 20+ minutes (depending on your vehicle) along another rough road to the main parking lot by the trailhead.
Once at the trailhead, it is about a 2km hike to the Lagunda de la Luna, the smaller of the two lakes in the volcano crater and another km or so to the Laguna del Sol, the larger lake. The place is not busy during the week so you can experience the vast beauty of the surroundings and all its quiet natural serenity without much interruption.
At that altitude the sun is intense so sunscreen and water are highly recommended along with snacks. A leisurly trek from the trailhead around both lakes with photo and water breaks took almost 3 hours. This was in August when there is no snow on the ground.
The parking lot closes at 3pm so best to be there early (by 10am) to have enough time to explore. You can purchase water and snacks for the hike from the local snack stand at the parking lot.
Admission to the park is $40 pesos.
Written 16 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola, quiero ir al nevado de atómica ne transporte publico, voy sola y no creo que caminar de la pista al estacionamiento sea buena idea. Leí una respuesta anterior y mi duda es, como voy del aeropuerto de México a Toluca y donde debo bajarme para tomar un taxi que me lleve al estacionamiento del lugar.
Written 26 July 2022
José Luis M
Tlalnepantla, Mexico
Hoy 27 de Mayo del 2021 ¿está abierto el nevado de Toluca?
Written 28 May 2021
Hola. Alguien sabe si ya está abierto el nevado a la fecha de hoy 15 de Febrero del 2021?
Written 15 February 2021
Hello
As date of 21 October, does anyone know if its open?
Thank you
Written 21 October 2020
Saben si ya está abierto el Nevado de Toluca y en qué horario? 16/Agosto/20
Written 16 August 2020
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