Desierto de los Leones National Park Park

Address: Desierto de los Leones National Park, Mexico City, southwest of the city’s historic center

Website: https://www.gob.mx/semarnat

Hours: Daily 5:00am-6:00pm (varies by gate)

Admission: Entry 2024: MXN 56 (~$3) for non-residents; residents often lower or free - check local signage

Desierto de los Leones National Park is a heavily forested protected area on the western edge of Mexico City in the borough of Cuajimalpa. The park contains a historic Carmelite monastery and an extensive network of trails through pine and oak woodland and has been a formal protected area since the early 20th century.

Trails inside the park offer short walks and longer hikes through dense forest, picnic clearings and viewpoints over the surrounding hills. The former Carmelite convent within the park is a fixed cultural attraction and is visited alongside the natural areas. The park is used for recreation, nature observation and outdoor activities by residents of Mexico City and the wider metropolitan area.

The convent complex was established by Carmelite friars in the colonial period and served as a religious retreat; the broader area was later set aside for conservation and public recreation and was declared a national park in 1917. Since then the park has been managed as a peri-urban protected area, with infrastructure for visitors and ongoing forest conservation work.

The park sits on the western flank of Mexico City in the Sierra de las Cruces hills, within the Cuajimalpa borough. It is on the western approaches to the capital and is accessible by road from central Mexico City, providing a green buffer between the city and higher-elevation ranges to the west.

• National park status: Declared a national park in 1917, it was among Mexico’s earliest protected areas and is a long-established recreational green space for Mexico City residents.
• Visiting tip: Weekdays and early mornings are the quietest times to visit; weekends can be busy with local families and picnickers.

What to See#

• Convent (former Carmelite monastery): A former Carmelite monastery complex founded in the colonial era that includes cloisters, a chapel and ancillary buildings and now functions as a historic focal point within the park.
• Trail network: A network of marked forest trails and picnic areas used for hiking, mountain biking and birdwatching, with routes ranging from short loops to multi-kilometer walks.

Desierto de los Leones lies about 15-20 km southwest of Mexico City’s historic center. By car take Avenida Insurgentes Sur to the Circuito Interior and follow signs southwest toward Cuajimalpa and then the park gates (Santo Tomás Ajusco, Los Cumbres, etc.). Public transport: take a bus or metro to Observatorio or Mixcoac and then a taxi or local bus toward Cuajimalpa; from there minibuses run to park entrances.

• Enter via the Santo Tomás Ajusco or Los Cumbres gates to access different trail networks - locals can advise which is less crowded that day.
• Visit on weekdays to avoid Mexico City weekend crowds; early morning is best for birdwatching and clear air.
• The park sits at high altitude; allow time to acclimatize and watch for sudden weather changes.