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State capital in Mexico, Mexico
Photo: Alanruiz45, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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.
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A botanical garden enclosed in an art noveau-type structure of stained glass. It feels rather celestial.
Catedral de San José de Nazaret
Would you ever have guessed that Toluca has a cathedral too? This one is Neoclassical in style and was started in 1867 but not finished until the mid-20th century. If you look, you can see images of St John, St Thomas, St Peter, and St James on the front. They are in good company.
Another downtown Toluca landmark.
This former convent has a lot of ancient Egyptian exhibits and paintings from colonial to modern times.
Museo de la Acuarela
A peculiar museum dedicated to works in watercolor.
A former Franciscan monastery that now houses the Museum of Anthropology and History, Museum of Popular Cultures (handicrafts, artisanal works), and Museum of Modern Art. Adjacent is the Cineteca Mexiquense where art films are shown.
Monastical museum in a former convent.
A small university history museum.
A small art museum and bookstore that stands out with two twisting towers rising above it.
Museum of Landscape Painter Jose Maria Velasco
Intimate and approachable museum dedicated to the landscape paintings of Mexico's most famous and prolific artist of the 19th century. Most of the displayed works are smaller and less famous than those in bigger, better funded museums in Mexico City/Centro, such as the National Museum of Art (which has several galleries dedicated to the artist) and the Kalusz Museum (which has a good collection of Velasco's Valle de Mexico landscapes)..
Here is your standard zoo with representative animals like pachyderms and the cats. Plus you'll find a lake to paddle around and a chance to have pizza by the rhinos, and try out a zipline and train.
This wooded park offers a place for jogging or just experiencing some tranquility around one of the water basins with fountains.
Another greenspace with "lakes", jogging trails, and soccer fields.
Another park with woods and a lake, in case you are hankering for urban outdoor recreation.
State park type of place in the hills north of Toluca, where more rugged hiking awaits. Large park with 3 lakes, forested hills, sports fields, picnic shelters and cabins for overnight stays.
State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra
Professional symphony orchestra playing a full season of classical music from February through July.
At almost any time of the year you might be able to catch a soccer game. This stadium is home field for the Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club, commonly known as the Diablos Rojos, a top-tier professional team in the Liga MX. The stadium is one of Mexico's oldest professional football stadiums in current use, having been built in 1954. It seats 27,273 cheering fans.
Comfortable, modern cafe with good coffee and light entrees.
Artsy dining place, yet somehow economical.
Cozy restaurant serving pizza, steaks, burgers and an international menu of other dishes. Full bar preparing good cocktails which are a bit small. Lively atmosphere with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Casual contemporary restaurant specializing in the regional dishes of Sinaloa, with an emphasis on seafood. Chilorio is a classic favorite here. The restaurant serves a complete breakfast with sweet breads, hot cakes, chilaquiles and made-to-order omelettes.
Top-notch restaurant with attentive service, intimate atmosphere, outdoor tables, and excellent traditional Mexican cuisine with a smattering of international dishes.
Innovative contemporary Mexican cuisine using locally sourced organic ingredients, served in a comfortably elegant space.
Artsy restaurant in a century-old house. Serves Mexican fusion cuisine with a full bar.
Casual bar to hang out with friends.
LGBT bar with lively atmosphere, techno music.
Restaurant and pool and hard to beat location.
Suites with wifi and kitchenettes and a shared terrace. The best part is probably the downtown presence though.
The other Fiesta property in Toluca, where you can enjoy an indoor pool, gym, restaurant with breakfast buffet, wifi, and a/c.
Moderate hotel with contemporary decor and friendly service. Rooms are large, clean, spacious and well equipped with modest furnishings. Several meeting rooms are available for events. Free off-street parking is available. An on-site restaurant is in the open atrium.
Budget hotel with spacious clean rooms. Does not provide some amenities that travelers expect such as cable TV and air conditioning.
Moderate hotel with comfortable rooms. On-site parking available. On-Site restaurant serves a complete breakfast.
By train
The old intercity rail network was shut down in 1997 in a sign of the privatization mania of the time.
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).
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.
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Toluca · International · TLC
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