Toluca is the state capital of Mexico State. Located 63km south-west of Mexico City and only 30 minutes by car from its fast-growing suburb Santa Fé. Toluca is a very successful industrial centre and commercial and tourist city in Mexico.

Around and closeby
The Nevado de Toluca or Xinantécatl, that is 30km south-west of the city, is a place of much human activity. Activities include mountain biking, climbing or running at these high altitudes. There have been proposals to turn this mountain into a ski hill because of its accessibility and the low temperatures that exist on the mountain throughout the year, but recent reports on global warming have raised fears that the snow cap on the mountain will disappear completely within a few decades. It is the only volcano in Mexico that has two lagoons and can be reached by car.

Sightseeing
Some attractive tourist spots include the zócalo, also known as Plaza de los Mártires, which includes buildings such as the palace of the state government and the building of justice. To the north-east of the zócalo is the Cosmovitral, which is an arboretum where people can look at a grand variety of different vegetable species. There are many colonial-era churches in the centre of Toluca, the most famous being the Church of the Veracruz and the church of Our Lady of Carmen.

Getting there
The airport, along Highway 15 in the down town area, serves major cities such as Guadalajara and Cancún , as well as international destinations. Two kilometres south-east of the city centre lies the bus station, there are frequent buses from Querétaro,Morelia, Valle de Bravo, Malinalco, Chalma, Cuernavaca, Taxco and Ixtapan de la Sal.