Hiking Mexico City: Los Dinamos & Coconetla
La Coconetla is the principal peak of the Dinamos National Park, situated in the south of Mexico City. This hike begins from the town of La Magdalena Contreras, climbing up through the various dinamos before arriving at La Coconetla.
On the descent it follows a fun singletrack down the the Segundo Dinamo, showcasing the diversity of scenery in the national park.
It is a fairly easy hike technically, with mostly gently gradients and wide paths. There is some very minor scrambling on the descent.
| Start | Distance | Elevation Gain | Difficulty | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | 19.2km | 1,040m | Medium | **** |
Route Description
This route begins from the bus station in La Magdalena Contreras. This is situated next to the chuch and toursit market, where you can stock up on supplies. The first few hundred metres follow a road through La Magdalena to the entrance of Los Dinamos National Park.
The picturesque church in La Magdalena is the start and finish point of the walk.
After entering the park, the first part of the walk is quite flat. There are 3.5km from the park entrance to the Segundo Dinamo, which is the busiest part of the route. There are areas with restaurants and sporting activities, but it also
possible to find some peace and quiet!
There are many trails running alongside the river, you can follow the one outlined in the route, or choose another, they all meet up towards the Segundo Dinamo, and there are plenty of bridges to cross from one side of the river to the other.
Flat, wide paths follow the river on the first part of the route
As you approach the Segundo Dinamo, the route becomes more interesting. The paths narrow a little and the gradients increase. The Segundo Dinamo itself is quite a large commercial area with a car park, bars and restaurants, but it is nicely done and doesn't feel too out of place.
You roughly follow the Magdalena River until the Segundo Dinamo
At the Segundo Dinamo, cross to the right hand bank of the river and follow the cobbled path up past the restaurants. After a few hundred metres, take a right turn, continuing uphill on a quieter path.
You will pass a trout farm on your left hand side, and should be making good progress on the wide trail with gradients mostly around 10-15%.
A trout farm near the Segundo Dinamo
Continue on the trail and cross a small brook, turning slightly to the right. This is the start of the steepest section, which can also be quite muddy and challenging at certain times of the year.
The path is still wide though and you can pick a line fairly easily on rock, dirt or tree roots.
Before long the path becomes cobbled again, making grip a little bit easier. It then flattens as you near the final turn to La Coconetla.
The climb up to Coconetla is on wide paths, which are cobbled in places
At a large junction with several trails, take a sharp left and begin the final 400m of climbing to La Coconetla. This is a rocky trail, but is not too technical. The top of the climb is marked by several large
boulders on your right hand side. If you are careful you can climb these to have a nice view looking down the valley back towards La Magdalena, as well as panoramic views across to Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl.
Coconetla Summit
From La Coconetla, return 400m back down to the junction and then continue straight ahead, until you reach a cobbled road. Turn left onto the road, and follow this downhill to the Cuarto Dinamo. There are dirt paths alongside the road which are a bit easier on the knees and cut off some of the corners.
At the Cuarto Dinamo I met an official from the National Park, who recommend that I take a trail that he had just finished marking. This is the one shown in the route and is highly recommended.
On the descent the path is signed with white dots and arrows
It's a beautiful, narrow single track which runs from the Cuarto Dinamo to the Segundo Dinamo. The trail is new and so is not mapped perfectly yet, but is clearly marked with a series of white dots and arrows.
The path runs mostly on the left bank of the river and is a little bit technical in places, with some minor scrambling required. It also has some really cool bridges, made from tree trunks and other bits of wood. These can be a little bit slippery and on strange angles so take care crossing here!
A natural bridge crossing over the Magdalena River
The trail leads directly to the Segundo Dinamo, where you will pass some of the old buildings that were used to generate electricity here.
At the Segundo Dinamo you rejoin the route from earlier in the day, descending back down to the Primer Dinamo and then onto La Magdalena Contreras. This last part of the hike is a very gentle downhill gradient on soft surfaces, and so is a relaxing way to finish.
How to Get To Los Dinamos
Los Dinamos can easily be reached by car from anywhere in Mexico City. If you are driving and wish to do a shorter route, we recommend starting this hike from the Segundo Dinamo (around 4.2km into the route). It is also possible to park at the Cuarto Dinamo, but be aware that the road is quite rough cobbles around this point.Public Transport
Los Dinamos is the most simple of the National Parks around Mexico City to reach by public transport. You can simply take the metro to Copilco, and then the express bus number 126 takes you directly to La Magdalena Contreras. The bus drops you off at the bus station which is next to the church and market in the center of the town. This is where the hike starts and finishes.The bus runs roughly every ten minutes and costs six pesos (payable with the Mexico City Integrated transport card).
Los Dinamos National Park
Los Dinamos is undoubtedly one of the most popular hiking spots among Chilangos (residents of Mexico City). It consists of a mountainous park and forest which runs either side of the Magdalena river. It also backs on to two other great hiking areas: Desierto de los Leones National Park, and the Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas Totolapan.Los Dinamos is named after the various 'dynamos' which can be found along the course of the river. Four in total are named (primer, segundo, tercer and cuarto dinamo) and each one is home to several trail heads. The dynamos were previously used to generate electricity, but now consist of small campgrounds or collections of restaurants. However, some of the old industrial architecture does remain.
Remains of the Segundo Dinamo
The National Park is entered via La Magdalena Contreras, which is a pretty town, home to an impressive church and food market.
The park is fairly flat between La Magdalena and the Segundo Dinamo, with many paths on both sides of the river, as well as larger open fields where you will see people going horse riding, playing football or making barbecues.
From the Segundo Dinamo it becomes much more interesting from a hiking perspective, and many locals will drive to the Segundo or Cuarto Dinamo to begin their walks. There are several trails with differing surfaces and gradients; some are almost like cobbled roads, whiles others are tight singletrack with some technical sections. In addition to Coconetla, interesting peaks in the area include
Zazacapa and Puerta del Cielo.
A bridge near to the tercer dinamo
From the Cuarto Dinamo it is also possible to head into the Desierto de los Leones National Park (for example to Cerro de San Miguel), or towards the Cumbres de Ajusco National Park.
Los Dinamos gets very busy at weekends, particularly around the Primer and Segundo Dinamos, but it is very pleasant in the week, with a few people around, but no real crowds.
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