Metztitlan Biosphere Reserve

The Metztitlan Biosphere Reserve lies about 80-85 km northeast of Pachuca via Federal Highway 105, a drive of roughly 1.5-2 hours through Huasca de Ocampo and Atotonilco el Grande before reaching the reserve and the town of Metztitlan; a rental car is recommended since bus service reaches only the town, with a local connection needed for the canyon viewpoints and trails themselves. The reserve protects one of Mexico's largest tracts of dry tropical forest, a canyon landscape of columnar cacti and thorn scrub along the Rio Metztitlan, and is recognized as an important birdwatching site for raptors and other species that pass through or nest in the canyon. A typical day starts with an early departure from Pachuca to reach the reserve while bird activity is highest in the cooler morning hours, followed by a stop at one of the marked viewpoints overlooking the canyon and the seasonal wetlands that form near the river. From there, visitors can continue into Metztitlan town to see the sixteenth-century Ex Convento de los Santos Reyes, an Augustinian monastery overlooking the valley, before a lunch stop at a comedor in town serving regional dishes. Afternoons can include a shorter walk on one of the reserve's dry-forest trails before the drive back to Pachuca. Because the canyon holds heat, October through April brings cooler, drier conditions that are both more comfortable for hiking and better for spotting birds, while summer heat and rains make midday activity in the canyon less appealing. Given the roughly 3.5-4 hour round-trip drive, a full day should be budgeted for this trip.