Hiking Mexico City: Cerro de San Miguel

The hike to Cerro de San Miguel is situated on the southern edge of Mexico City. It is one of the most challenging routes in the area, with considerable elevation gain, although it is a fairly easy walk technically, with no equipment needed.

The walk is mostly in forest, with some views as the scenery opens up towards the top. Cultural highlights include a small hermitage at the top of the climb, and the former Carmelite Convent at the start of the route.

Route Description

Start	Distance	Elevation Gain	Difficulty	Rating
Mexico City	18.2km	940m	Medium	****

This route begins at the ex-convent in the Desierto de los Leones National Park. You could also start from La Venta, where the route finishes, which is more easily accessible by public transport (see below), this would add another 4km on to the walk, with no significant elevation gain.

The climb begins in shaded forest making for pleasant temperatures

From the ex-convent you head south, crossing over some cobbles before joining the trail on the edge of the forest. There are some information boards explaining some of the wildlife in the region. There are no jaguars or pumas here, but it is also worth keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes ('viboras cascabeles' in Spanish), which do inhabit the park.

The walk begins at an elevation of around 3,000m. At this altitude, breathing can become slightly more challenging, although it is not significantly higher than Mexico City itself, but bear in mind that you will be ascending nearly 1,000m, so it's important to pace yourself.

It is uphill pretty much all the way to the Cerro de San Miguel, with gradients that vary, but rarely get super steep. During the first two kilometres, you can take a variety of different paths running parallel to each other, which then meet up. At around 2.2km you will reach a junction next to a large horizontal log. Here the route heads to the right, before taking a sharp left 200m later. There are other route options here, but this is the recommended way up, since some of the other trails can be closed or overgrown.

A Lightly cobbled path

The trail becomes a bit narrower and more clearly defined from this point, making it difficult to get lost. It is still mostly in forest, with a soft, but grippy surface. At least this is the case in the dry season, from around November to April. If you go during summer, then expect it to be quite muddy in places since the trail is also used by mountian bikers in places, which cut it up quite badly when it is wet.

After 5.8km you will reach a false summit. This is the most technical part of the hike, with a bit of very light scrambling required to head over the rocks. Around this area you are rewarded with some of the most impressive views, as the trees open up offering vistas down toward Mexico City. A short descent then takes you down to a junction next to a small road.

The trail becomes narrower, but still not very technical

Turn left here, before joining a trail heading right uphill after around 60m. This is the final climb up to the Cerro de San Miguel, and is quite steep and rocky, but not very technical. It is only about 500m to the top of the climb, which is marked by a small hermitage, dedicated to Archangel Michael, as well as some radio towers.

The descent is on the same trail as the climb, heading back to the former convent. It is a fast descent, with few technical difficulties, and the lower part is quite popular with trail runners (as well as mountain bikers) given the soft surface and flowing nature of the trail.

The San Miguel Hermitage marks the top of the climb

You can finish the route at the former convent, which you will reach after around 13.5km. There are plenty of good food options here, and it is usually possible to get hold of an Uber or Taxi if you did not bring your own car. Our route continues for another 4.7km, heading past the convent, before looping down through the forest towards the village of La Venta.

This is a very pleasant finish to the walk, with much flatter gradients. It passes picturesque streams and impressive forests before reaching a large car park on the edge of La Venta. From here you can join the road heading through La Venta, passing by many restaurants. Our route finishes at the bus stop next to the Toluca Highway.

The colorfully decorated interior of the hermitage

How to Get To Desierto de los Leones

The Desierto de los Leones National Park is relatively easy to reach from the city. By car you can simply take the highway from Santa Fe, exiting at the junction to La Venta. Here you can either park at La Venta to begin the hike, or drive up to the former convent, where there is also plenty of parking available.

The National Park can also be reached by Uber, and depending on the time and the day it can cost anywhere from around $220 - $400 pesos. Some drivers may not know the area very well, so it is worth being clear exactly where you need to be dropped off. On the return it can be trickier (and sometimes almost impossible) to find an Uber driver willing to come and pick you up, so it's worth having a back plan just in case.

By Metro and Bus

By far the cheapest way is by public transport. Depending on where you are leaving from, this doesn't necessarily take significantly longer than by car.

The first step is to take the metro to Tacubaya. Now, if you haven't been to Tacubaya before, it can be a bit overwhelming. Regardless of which metro line you arrive on, it is easiest to take the main exit for Line 9. Then take a left and you will be greeted with rows of combis and buses. You need to find bus 110b or 110c going towards Acopilco - it is probably best to just ask someone for Acopilco and they will point you in the right direction.

Stay on the bus until the stop closest to the park - Autopista Constituyentes Y La Venta. Depending on traffic this can take as little as 30 minutes and as much as 90 minutes.

After leaving the bus you will see a footbridge in front. Take this to cross the motorway and follow the road around into La Venta. You can then either start the hike from La Venta or take a local taxi or combi to the former convent, to begin walking from there.

To return to Mexico City, after the hike, you just have to do the opposite, taking the bus from La Venta to Tacubaya metro. The hiking route here finishes at the bus stop.

Desierto de los Leones National Park

This is one of our favourite hiking areas close to Mexico City. It is generally quiet during the week, making for very pleasant walks. At the weekend it is busier, but it's still easy to get away from the crowds if you are happy to do a bit of climbing - such as on this route.

Desierto de los Leones is perhaps best known for the large Carmelite former convent, which is well worth a visit. The convent dates to the early 17th century, not too long after the Spanish conquest of the region. It was secularized in the late 19th century following Reform Laws.

You can explore the interior of the monastery, visiting churches, cloisters, monks cells and even a hairdressing room. The gardens are also very beautiful to explore, with attractive flowers, fountains and brickwork.

The former convent at Desierto de los Leones

Nearby Routes