Nevado de Toluca

Xinantécatl, the Nevado de Toluca, is a dormant volcano rising to about four thousand six hundred metres, the fourth highest peak in Mexico, and it is unusual in that a road climbs almost to the crater rim, so a landscape that would normally take days of walking is a morning's drive from the capital. Inside the crater lie two lakes, named for the sun and the moon, at over four thousand two hundred metres, with ash slopes and rock towers rising around them; offerings recovered from the lake beds show they were a place of ritual long before the road. Snow falls in winter, which for many visitors from Mexico City is the entire attraction.

What you actually see

• The crater lakes - the Sun and Moon lakes inside the caldera.
• The rim walk - a circuit around the crater with long views on a clear day.
• Pico del Fraile - the highest point on the rim, a short steep scramble.
• Winter snow - the reason for the crowds from the capital.

When to go

November to April is dry and gives the clearest views, with snow most likely from December to February. Weekends after a snowfall bring heavy traffic and queues on the access road. Go early: cloud usually closes in by midday.

Honest expectations

The altitude is the real issue and it is easy to underestimate because you drive to it; arriving from sea level and walking the rim the same day causes headaches and worse. The upper road has been closed to vehicles at times, adding a long walk. Weather turns fast and people get caught in cloud and cold in ordinary clothes.

Nearby

Toluca is an hour; Valle de Bravo is an hour and a half west.