Toluca

Toluca (also Toluca de Lerdo) was a pre-Columbian cultural center and is now the capital of Mexico State. The city has several tourist attractions that are due to its great cultural and artistic heritage, some of the attractions are its traditional portals, the Cosmovitral botanical garden, the annual Alfeñique Fair on the occasion of the Day of the Dead festival and the International Festival of Toluca Cinema.

Understand
Toluca is one of the most industrialized and prosperous cities in Mexico, a city of numerous factories, hospitals, universities, athletic events, and cultural venues. Toluca is due west of Mexico City, at 2,660 m (8,700 feet) above sea level. After coming from Mexico City, you will be impressed with the clean air, but may get altitude sickness your first day there, so take it easy. Also, bring warm clothing. Nights are always cold, and there may be severe hail any time of year.

By plane


Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City is a reasonable alternative, especially for international visitors. A bus station inside airport Terminal 1 offers departures every 30 minutes for Toluca.

By train
The old intercity rail network was shut down in 1997 in a sign of the privatization mania of the time. A new commuter rail service called El Insurgente from Mexico City is under construction. The first section opened in 2023 with the full route planned to open in late 2024.



By car
The highway between Mexico City and Toluca is one of the most modern in the country (and an expensive toll road).

By bus
Toluca has one of the largest bus terminals in the country. From Mexico City you can get several lines to Toluca at the western terminal called Observatorio (at the end of the east-west subway line). Flecha Roja has regular service to the northern terminal, Autobuses del Norte, as well. Buses for Toluca depart every few minutes. Some lines (e.g., Caminante) have on board movies and frequent service between Toluca and the Mexico City Airport (Benito Juarez). From the main Toluca terminal you can go to any points west (e.g., Michoacan), south (Ixtapan de la Sal), or north (e.g., Queretaro).

Get around
Toluca has the best taxi system in the world: over 5,000 taxis for a city of about half a million. Just walk to any major street and wave at a passing taxi. The city is fairly compact, so fares are pretty cheap: M$30 will take you to most places.

See
The place to be is the Portales downtown, then you are in walking distance of many interesting parks, gardens, museums, churches, theatres, stores, restaurants, hotels and government offices.

Another interesting location is Parque Urawa and the library.

On the southwest corner of town by ITESM (Tec de Monterrey) is the Centro Cultural Mexiquense with an anthropology museum, folk arts museum, modern arts museum, and library.

UAEM (state university) related events and centers and located all over the city, though most are located in the Ciudad Universitaria and stadium on the west side.

Do
Avoid coming to Toluca on Fridays. Some guide books talk about a "quaint Indian market" but it is a flea market that clogs many streets. Also, when the afternoon comes, many Mexico City families come through Toluca to get into the countryside.

Learn
The state university (UAEM) is here with several campuses for medicine, dentistry, nursing, chemistry, humanities, engineering, business, public administration, economics, behavioral science, and neuroscience. The most prestigious private university is a Tec de Monterrey campus (ITESM). There are dozens of newer private universities, some for-profit.

Buy
Casa de las Artesanias. On the corner of Tollocan and Urawa Av. There you can get many nice hand made typical things.

Stay safe
This is one of the safer cities in Mexico, in terms of sanitation, traffic, and crime. Nevertheless, take extreme caution in the following neighborhoods (even during daytime):
 * El Seminario
 * La Unión
 * El Cóporo
 * Santa Barbara
 * La Teresona
 * Zopilocalco
 * San Miguel Apinahuizco
 * Nueva Oxtotitlán
 * Moderna de la Cruz
 * Cacalomacán
 * Capultitlán
 * Las Margaritas
 * Las Palomas

Go next
If you find Toluca too calm, take the hour bus ride to Mexico City.

If you find Toluca too traditionally Mexican, just taxi to the southeastern suburb of Metepec, and you will think you are in southern California with malls, multiplexes, big box stores, and luxury car dealerships.

If you find Toluca too stressful and modern, take a taxi or bus southwest, past the big prison, to Almoloya de Juarez. Walk around the sleepy town square and look at the church built on the grotto of water (ojo de agua). Look for the magic line in the water.

You can get out of Toluca for a daytrip to the volcano (El Nevado de Toluca) but that might trigger altitude sickness in some, or the Zacango Zoo, or the spas at Ixtapan de la Sal, or Valle de Bravo.