Desierto de los Leones National Park

A cool, misty pine-and-oyamel forest with a haunting 17th-century Carmelite monastery at its heart — 45 minutes from Condesa and a genuine escape from the city's noise and altitude heat. The ex-convent costs a token fee (around 35 pesos, closed Mondays); the forest trails and quesadilla stands are the rest of the day. No metro gets here: it's a car, taxi or weekend-adventure bus situation.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called 'Desert of the Lions' when it's a forest?

Neither deserts nor lions: 'desierto' was the Carmelite term for a secluded retreat away from worldly life, and 'Leones' most likely comes from the León brothers, who handled the monks' legal affairs. It's actually Mexico's oldest national park, decreed in 1917.

How do I get to Desierto de los Leones without a car?

Realistically, Uber or taxi from San Ángel or Santa Fe (45-60 minutes from central neighborhoods) — and arrange or confirm your return, because cell signal in the forest is unreliable and empty cars don't cruise up there. There's no metro or Metrobús; weekend group hikes and cycling clubs are a good hack for solo travelers.

What's the monastery like?

A moody 17th-century Carmelite retreat — cloisters, secret gardens, and underground passages and hermitage chapels scattered in the woods around it. The monks chose the spot for silence and isolation, and on a misty morning it still delivers exactly that. Weekend guided tours (in Spanish) sometimes include the tunnels.

Is Desierto de los Leones worth it versus other day trips?

If you want nature and quiet rather than another ruin or magic town, absolutely — it's closer than Teotihuacán and the opposite of it in every way. Pair the morning forest-and-convent with an afternoon in San Ángel or Coyoacán on the way back and you've built a lovely low-stress day.

Is it safe to hike there?

The zones around the convent and main picnic areas are well-visited and fine, especially weekends. For deeper trails, go accompanied and stick to daylight and marked routes — isolated stretches have had incidents over the years, and mist rolls in fast. Tell someone your plan; signal is patchy.

What should I bring or wear?

Layers — it's around 3,000 meters and easily 10 degrees cooler than the city, with frequent afternoon mist and mud after rain. Real shoes, water, cash, and sunscreen for the exposed stretches. The altitude will find your lungs on any uphill; pace accordingly.

Is there food at the park?

Yes, and it's part of the ritual: weekend stalls near the convent grill quesadillas of every variety — huitlacoche, flor de calabaza — with blue-corn tortillas, plus a few rustic sit-down restaurants along the access road doing trout and conejo al mojo de ajo. Weekdays, options thin out dramatically; pack food if going midweek.

How much does it cost?

The national park itself charges little or nothing to walk in (drivers may pay a small parking/access fee), and the ex-convent runs a token entry around 35 pesos, open Tuesday-Sunday roughly 10am to 5pm. Everything is cash — bring small bills for entry, parking and quesadillas.

Nearby in Ask Mexico City

• Sud 777Restaurant10.34 km · 129 min walk
• San ÁngelNeighborhood12.67 km · 158 min walk
• Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC)Museum12.84 km · 161 min walk
• Viveros de CoyoacánPark14.99 km · 187 min walk
• Parque Hundido (Parque José Ma. Morelos y Pavón)Park15.35 km · 192 min walk