↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    The stone walls and dome of the Carmelite ex-convent of Desierto de los Leones behind clipped gardens, with fir forest around it, Ciudad de México

    Photo by Rage against, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Desierto de los Leones

    Nature reserve Cuajimalpa de Morelos, Ciudad de México Municipality of Cuajimalpa de Morelos Valley of Mexico

    Mexico's first national park: fir forest above the city around a 17th-century Carmelite convent with hermitages and a whispering chapel.

    From Mexico City: 40 min by car (31 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Desierto de los Leones

    Where to stay near Desierto de los Leones

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Desierto de los Leones.

    Hotels in Desierto de los Leones Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Desierto de los Leones

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Desierto de los Leones; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Urban Orchard in Desierto de los Leones in Mexico City ★ 5.0 (9) · From US$75
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Desierto de los Leones

    • From Mexico City: about 40 min by road (~31 km)
    • Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 17 min by car to Metepec
    Rent a car at TLC Flights to TLC

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Popular tours to Desierto de los Leones

    Urban Orchard in Desierto de los Leones in Mexico City ★ 5.0 (9) 5 h From US$75
    Museum of mummies in San Angel and monastery in Desierto de los Leones forest Private tour ★ 5.0 (3) 8 h From US$389
    Discover Hiking Trails and a Convent in Desierto de los Leones ★ 5.0 (1) 7 h From US$250
    Old Monastery in Desierto de los Leones and Malinalco Magic Town Private tour 8 h From US$379

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Desierto de los Leones

    The Desierto de los Leones is a forest of fir, pine and oak in the Sierra de las Cruces, on the western edge of Mexico City in the borough of Cuajimalpa. Venustiano Carranza made it the country's first national park in November 1917, and its roughly 1,529 hectares climb to 3,790 m at Cerro San Miguel. Despite the name there is no desert and there were never lions: for the Carmelite friars, a "desert" was a place of solitude for prayer, and the "Leones" is usually traced to the León family, who handled the order's legal affairs.

    The Discalced Carmelites laid the first stone of their convent in 1605 and had it finished by 1611, with cells, a library, kitchen, laundry and cloister, and a wall some 20 km long that kept the world, and women in particular, at a distance. Damp and an earthquake ruined the first building, and in the early 18th century it was rebuilt under José Miguel de Rivera Saravia; that is the structure that stands today. The friars left in 1801, complaining of the cold, of visitors disturbing their silence and of disputes over land. During the War of Independence the building became a barracks and then stood abandoned for decades, while the woods around it were declared a forest reserve in 1876.

    Today the restored convent is the heart of a visit. You can walk its cloisters, gardens and church, grope through the dark cellar under the cloister, which was built to store water but has gathered legends of punishment cells and catacombs, and try the Capilla de los Secretos, where a whisper aimed at the curved wall carries to the far side. Eight of the original ten hermitages still stand among the trees, and the grounds hold a small museum, a restaurant and food stalls selling quesadillas and soups. Beyond the convent, marked trails, cycling routes and picnic areas spread through cool, often misty forest; after restoration work in 2023, the city's environment agency reported sightings of lynx, coyote and grey fox.

    How to get to Desierto de los Leones

    Drive from Mexico City: 40 min, 31 km

    By car or ride-hail, take the Mexico–Toluca highway west and leave it at the La Venta exit; it is about 30 minutes from downtown without traffic. By public transport, a bus leaves from outside Metro Viveros (Line 3) for the park entrance, though it only sets off once it has enough passengers. Alternatively, from Metro Barranca del Muerto (Line 7) walk to the side of Plaza Portal San Ángel, take the green route 37 bus marked San Bartolo / Academia / Tetelpan, and finish by taxi. Other buses run to Santa Rosa Xochiac or San Mateo Tlaltenango, where taxis wait to take visitors up to the entrance or the convent.

    Directions to Desierto de los Leones on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Desierto de los Leones Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Desierto de los Leones. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Desierto de los Leones

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Desierto de los Leones: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    The park is open every day 8 am to 5 pm; the ex-convent opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Sopitas · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    The convent itself, with its tunnels and gardens, takes under an hour; walking out to the hermitages takes longer. CDMX Secreta · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Hike early and in daylight: there is no phone signal on the trails. CDMX Secreta · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can visit on your own. Theatrical night tours of the convent's legends have run on Friday and Sunday evenings (250 pesos in 2023, about 1.5 hours, booked by message). Time Out México · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Warm layers, as mornings are cold and summer brings rain, plus cash for parking and food stalls. CDMX Secreta · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Mountain biking, trail running and horse riding are allowed only on the designated trails. Matador Network · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Desierto de los Leones: what to see and do

    Walk the cloisters, gardens and church of the 17th-century Carmelite convent.
    Whisper into the curved wall of the Capilla de los Secretos and hear it carry across.
    Feel your way through the dark cellar beneath the cloister.
    Hike out to some of the eight surviving hermitages in the forest.
    Climb the trails toward Cerro San Miguel for views over the Valley of Mexico on clear days.
    Join an evening legends tour at the convent.
    Eat quesadillas and soup at the stalls by the entrance, or picnic under the firs.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Desierto de los Leones

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Desierto de los Leones.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Desierto de los Leones; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TLC (Toluca): about 17 min by road to Metepec, then 31 km more to Desierto de los Leones, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 17 min by road from Metepec, the base for Desierto de los Leones.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Desierto de los Leones, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Metepec: download a map of the way to Desierto de los Leones before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to Desierto de los Leones cool

    Desierto de los Leones shares the climate of Metepec, 31 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Metepec

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Metepec

    Red Calvario chapel at the top of its long stairway, Metepec, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Metepec

    Metepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Desierto de los Leones, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Desierto de los Leones

    Near Desierto de los Leones

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Desierto de los Leones

    Nature Parks in Ciudad de México · 7 Nature Parks near Mexico City · 16 Nature Parks near Metepec · 16 Nature Parks near Toluca · 15 Nature Parks near Tepoztlán · 19 Nature Parks near Cuernavaca · 18 Nature Parks near Malinalco · 17 Nature Parks near Tepotzotlán · 11

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.