Estado de México, Mexico

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
The State of Mexico (Estado de México) is the populous central state that wraps around Mexico City on three sides, in the high volcanic heart of the country — distinct from the capital, which is its own federal entity. For travellers its great draw is Teotihuacán, the vast pyramid city of the ancient Americas, along with the lakeside resort town of Valle de Bravo, the snow-capped Nevado de Toluca volcano, colonial 'magic towns' and the highland scenery within easy reach of the capital.

Discover Estado de México

Teotihuacán, in the state's north-east about an hour from central Mexico City, is one of the great archaeological sites of the world and the highlight of any visit to the region. At its peak, around 1,500 years ago, it was one of the largest cities on earth, home to perhaps 100,000 people — and it was already an ancient, half-ruined wonder when the Aztecs found it and gave it the name meaning 'the place where the gods were created'. The vast ceremonial core, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is laid out along the two-kilometre Avenue of the Dead, anchored by two of the largest pyramids in the Americas: the immense Pyramid of the Sun and, closing the avenue, the Pyramid of the Moon, with the elaborately carved Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcóatl) and the palace complexes with their surviving murals nearby. Two on-site museums interpret the city and its art. It is a place of genuine grandeur, best visited early to beat the heat and the crowds; sunrise hot-air balloon flights over the pyramids have become a famous (if pricey) way to see it. For many travellers Teotihuacán alone justifies a trip into the State of Mexico.

Travel Types

Teotihuacán & Archaeology

The great pyramid city of Teotihuacán — the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the Avenue of the Dead — and its museums.

Valle de Bravo & Lakes

The lakeside Pueblo Mágico of Valle de Bravo for sailing and paragliding, and the nearby monarch-butterfly sanctuaries.

Toluca & the Nevado

The capital's Cosmovitral stained-glass garden and the crater lakes of the Nevado de Toluca volcano above 4,000 metres.

Colonial Towns

Tepotzotlán's viceregal church and museum, Malinalco's clifftop Aztec temple, and the rebozo market town of Tenancingo.

Frequently asked questions

No — they are two separate entities. Mexico City is its own federal entity (the capital), while the State of Mexico (Estado de México) is the surrounding state that wraps around the city on three sides. Much of the state is urban area continuous with the capital, but it is governed separately and holds its own distinct attractions, from the pyramids of Teotihuacán to the Nevado de Toluca and Valle de Bravo. Travellers usually visit its sights as day trips from Mexico City.

Teotihuacán lies about an hour north-east of central Mexico City and is easily visited on a day trip — by organised tour, by car, or by the direct buses that run from the capital's Terminal del Norte. Arrive early to beat the heat and the crowds, bring water, sun protection and good shoes, and allow a few hours to walk the Avenue of the Dead and the pyramids and to see the site museums. Sunrise hot-air balloon flights over the pyramids are a popular (if expensive) alternative way to experience the site.

Plenty. The lakeside town of Valle de Bravo, a Pueblo Mágico, is a favourite for sailing, paragliding and cobbled-street charm; the Nevado de Toluca volcano has a summit crater with two lakes reachable by road; and the capital Toluca has the spectacular Cosmovitral stained-glass garden. Add the viceregal town of Tepotzotlán, the clifftop Aztec temple at Malinalco, the weaving market of Tenancingo, and the monarch-butterfly sanctuaries near the Michoacán border (November to March), and there is far more than the pyramids.