Why you should visit Toluca.
I was surprised by Toluca and blown away by its Cosmovitral. It, alone, makes Toluca a place worth visiting. Toluca is also famous for something most people wouldn’t expect: green Chorizo.
Toluca is about 70 km (45 miles) from Mexico City, a 90-minute drive. It is the capital of Mexico state and mostly known as an industrial hub. Surprisingly, Toluca is also known for its many museums – Mexico City is the only Mexican city with more museums. Of those museums, the Cosmovitral is the most visually stunning.
Note: I passed through Toluca while doing the Nevado de Toluca Tour with Vibe Adventures.
The Highlights of Toluca
The Cosmovitral
What is the Cosmovitral? The Cosmovitral is a stained glass exhibit and a botanical garden. The building, the Toluca’s former central market, was converted into an art installation featuring stained glass guided by local artist Leopoldo Flores. The walls of the building are lined by stained glass windows, the largest stained glass windows in the world according to some (it’s a disputable claim, I’ve seen other claims to the same). Whether the largest or not, they are beautiful. The theme is the universe and mankind and the windows reflect the struggle between life and death, good and evil, day and night and creation and destruction through their colours and representations
(note: the 25 peso entry fee includes a free tour at scheduled times where the guide describes the meaning of all the windows. It’s not overly long and really helps in understanding the artists’ vision. Excellent).
Within the building are gardens full of flowers, plants, a little stream and other installations aimed at showing plant life in their natural element. There’s a Japanese garden for example and another section where you’ll see giant cactus in a desert setting. The Cosmovitral is, as I say above, both a stained glass exhibit and a botanical garden..
Some photos:
I think the Cosmovitral is quite stunning and by itself makes a visit to Toluca worth doing.
A short video
Other attractions of interest in Toluca
Toluca’s center is quite nice and it’s worth taking a stroll around. It the center of it all are the Plaza de los Mártires and Los Portales de Toluca.
The Plaza de los Mártires is the main square. On one side of it you’ll see the Palacio del Gobierno, on the other the Cathedral of Toluca. Anyone expecting the typical Spanish-built Cathedral will be in for a shock – Toluca Cathedral is a neoclassical monstrosity that looks almost Northern European in design. It was built starting in 1867 and was only completed in 1978. I’ll be honest…it’s not a very pretty cathedral. But still worth a visit just because it’s so different than your typical Mexican cathedral.
Just around the corner you’ll find Los Portales de Toluca, a “U” shaped complex of buildings containing stores, all under the cover of portales (or “arcades” as some like call them). In the center of the “U” is a pretty park with a kiosque and lots of benches and trees and flowers. It all looks very pretty and modern and it seemed to be the center of life in Toluca when we were there. If you want to a uniquely Tolucan souvenir, you can buy “Moscos”, an orange liqueur. They have stores in Los Portales selling just that.
A block back to The Plaza de los Mártires is the Iglesia de Santa Veracruz, a church built by the Franciscans in the mid-1700’s. It is known for its statue of the Black Christ (Cristo Negro) that you’ll see on the main altar.
Very impressive is the Parque de la Ciencia Fundadores. It is located right across from the Cosmovitral. Considered a “lung” in the center of the city, it’s a public space with fountains, gardens, and a Planetarium.
I was very impressed by Toluca’s city center. Lots of green spaces, clean, modern…very nice.
If coming to Toluca you have to eat or buy green chorizo. Toluca is famous for it and the Chilangos (Chilangos = people from Mexico City) I was with each bought green chorizo to bring home (“my mother said if I come to Toluca I have to buy green chorizo. She would be angry if I came here and didn’t buy it”).
Why is green chorizo green? According to the internet they are cooked using green chiles and green herbs which give it a special taste.
We went to Mercado de Toluca which is a few blocks from the Cosmovitral. At the back of the market, going up to the 2nd floor, you’ll find a whole bunch of restaurants. It’s here that we stuffed our faces with green chorizo (and bought green chorizo to bring home).
Consensus on Toluca? I was impressed by what I saw. Granted we only spent a few hours…but the center is pretty and there’s lots to see. And as I say, the Cosmovitral by itself is reason enough to visit.
And don’t forget that hike to Nevado de Toluca which I link below (see the tour I took here). At 4,680 meters (15,354 feet), it is the 4th highest peak in Mexico and has 2 lakes in its crater. Incredible!
Related: Hiking Nevado de Toluca
Related: Frida Kahlo and the highlights of Coyoacán (Mexico City)
Related: What’s happened to Guanajuato?
Thanks. We will check it out next season. Have you any advice on touring Guadalajara area?
Sorry, I don’t Sheila.