Hiking Nevado de Toluca
Nevado de Toluca is undoubtedly one of the most popular and spectacular mountain hikes in all of Mexico. This route climbs to Pico del Fraile - the fourth highest peak in the country.
The hike circles the vast volcanic crater, with spectacular views of the lakes and surrounding area. The entire route takes place above 4,000m elevation.
Route Description
| Start | Distance | Elevation Gain | Difficulty | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevado de Toluca Camp (Raices) | 8.4km | 800m | Medium | ***** |
The route begins from the high car park next to a small campground and visitor center. There is a bathroom here and on some days you can purchase supplies, but it is not guaranteed so is best to come prepared.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
Immediately head south towards the crater and begin climbing on a slight sandy, well marked trail, heading towards the left of the crater. You will probably feel the high altitude immediately, but if you keep your pace consistent you should be able to settle into a rhythm as the gradient is not too steep.
After one kilometer you will reach a small peak on the northern edge of the crater. There are fantastic views here of the lake, and you can see where you are heading - Pico del Fraile - on the other side of the volcanic depression.
Descending into the Crater
A short descent takes you down to the smaller of the lakes, which you will pass on your left hand side, this is a relatively flat section as you cross the volcanic crater. The smaller lake is known as 'La Luna' (the moon) and is somewhat dwarfed by the much larger lake 'el sol' (the sun) which you will pass by on the descent.
La Luna Lake
After crossing a big trail you begin the main climb of the hike. It is fairly gentle for the first kilometer, although the altitude can make it seem tougher.
You will reach a false summit where there will probably be people resting, and with nice views to the south of the mountain.
Start of the main ascent to Pico del Fraile
From here the route becomes more technical and challenging. It is only 1km to the top but much of the route is on rocks and requires some scrambling and use of the hands. There is nothing particularly challenging in good weather, but be extremely cautious if there is limited visibility, as the trail is not entirely obvious and without being able to see the peak, you could easily end up in a dangerous situation.
Scrambling section begins
The last few metres to the top involve some more scrambling, and then you can rest and admire the fantastic views in all directions. It is probable that there will be some snow here adding to the high mountain feel.
Pico del Fraile
The first part of the descent requires a little bit more light scrambling, but the path soon becomes walkable.
The start of the descent
The main part of the descent is taken on a very steep scree and sand slope. It looks intimidating and you may lose grip a few times, but it's mostly like descending a sand dune, where you simply have to dig your heels in. If you do fall then it is likely to be a very soft landing.
Because there are some loose rocks in the scree, as well as some sections of scrambling, most hikers on this route wear a helmet. I recommend doing the same.
Steep sand and scree descent
After the fast scree descent, you will be back in the volcanic crater. The route follows a flat path alongside the larger lake (El Sol), with several great photo opportunities.
At the end of the lake there is a final climb up to get back out of the crater - this is not very difficult compared with the ascent up to Pico del Fraile.
Return alongside El Sol lake
The route then finishes with a nice downhill stretch back to the starting point. Although it is only a relatively short hike, the altitude and sections of scrambling mean that it can take considerably long than you would normally for a route with comparable length and elevation.
Snow is common throughout the year in places so bring warm clothes!
How to Get To Nevado de Toluca
It is a straight forward drive to Nevado de Toluca from either Toluca or Mexico City. From the latter it takes only around two hours if you manage to avoid traffic.It is paved roads as far as the village of Raices. Here you will enter the National Park and will have to pay a fee. The final road up to the starting point of the hike is mostly unpaved, but is in pretty good condition and can be driven in a normal car.
There is quite a lot of parking at the starting point, but it can still be very crowded at weekends and you may have to park a few hundred metres from the start.
By Public Transport
From Mexico City there is a bus which goes directly to Raices, at the foot of the climb. This leaves from Poniente-Observatorio bus station and departs roughly every hour (starting from 7am). The company is Autobuses Zina and Raices is just one stop on the way (it also stops in Toluca) - the final destination that will be written on the bus is Tixta-Sultepec.The bus takes around two hours to get to Raices. From there the only way to the starting point is to get a taxi or hitch a lift. You could also walk up the road to the start of the hike, which is a fairly pleasant route, but this is 9km and 600m of elevation just one way!
A popular option, particularly for trail runners, is to take a taxi to the start, and then walk back down to Raices at the end of the hike. This avoids having to schedule a time with a taxi to pick you up after finishing the circular route.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
Nevado de Toluca is one of the most spectacular national parks in Mexico. It is characterized by the vast volcanic crater in the center of the park, which today forms a picturesque lake.The hikes in the park are mostly centered around the caldera, with several different peaks. This route climbs to Pico del Fraile, the highest of the peaks, and the fourth highest peak in Mexico (behind Orizaba, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl).
Easy hiking around the crater
The national park is extremely popular with Mexicans on weekends, due to its proximity to both Toluca and Mexico City, combined with the fact that many of the walks around the crater are quite flat and so accessible for walkers of all levels. Because of this, we recommend visiting during the week if possible, there will still be people around, but it will be significantly quieter and allow you to appreciate more the peaceful surroundings.
The routes here are mostly not very technical, although you can expect some light scrambling as you ascend towards the peaks. If you just wish to walk around the lake and the crater, then the route is not technical at all.
Mexico
