Mexico State (Estado de México) is the country's most populous state, a horseshoe-shaped territory wrapped around Mexico City that ranges from the dense urban sprawl of the Toluca and Mexico City metropolitan zones to pine forests, volcanoes, colonial silver and monastery towns, and monarch butterfly wintering grounds. It holds more of the Teotihuacan archaeological site than Mexico City does, along with the lakeside town of Valle de Bravo, the ceramics town of Metepec, and the state capital, Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico's highest state capital.
Family activities
Engaging experiences for travellers of every age.
Parque Acuatico Ixtapan (Ixtapan de la Sal Water Park)
A large thermal-spring water park in the spa town of Ixtapan de la Sal with warm-water pools, slides, and a lazy river fed by natural hot springs, a reliable full-day outing that works well for a wide age range
Duration: Half day to full day
Teotihuacan Pyramids
The vast archaeological site's Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon give older children a hands-on, climbable introduction to pre-Hispanic history, though the extensive walking distances and midday sun make it more suitable for school-age kids than toddlers
Duration: 3-5 hours
Valle de Bravo Lake and Malecon
Valle de Bravo's reservoir lake offers boat rides, paddle boats, and lakeside walks along the town's malecon, with the colorful Pueblo Magico center nearby for ice cream stops and easy strolling
Duration: Half day
Metepec Talavera Workshops and Market
Watching artisans paint Metepec's famous 'trees of life' and colorful Talavera ceramics gives children a hands-on look at a local craft tradition, with the town's central market and plaza offering easy snack stops
Duration: 1-2 hours
Cosmovitral Botanical Garden (Toluca)
A former market building in downtown Toluca now houses a botanical garden beneath an enormous, colorful stained-glass mural, an easy, low-effort indoor-outdoor stop that works well for strollers and short attention spans alike
Duration: 1-2 hours
La Marquesa Park (near Toluca)
A pine-forested park along the Toluca-Mexico City highway with horseback riding, zip-lines, ATV rides, and trout-farm restaurants, popular with families for an active outdoor day close to both cities
Duration: Half day
Valle de Bravo Paragliding (tandem flights)
Valle de Bravo is one of Latin America's premier paragliding destinations, and licensed operators offer tandem flights suitable for older children and teens over the lake and pine-covered hills, a memorable but higher-cost splurge activity
Duration: 20-30 minutes flight, half day including transport
Toluca's Plaza de los Martires and Portales
Toluca's central plaza and its historic arcaded portales (walkways) offer a relaxed, walkable stop with ice cream vendors and street snacks, a gentle break between museum or market visits
Duration: 1 hour
Family-friendly hotels
Accommodation designed with families in mind.
Rodavento Bosque de Niebla (Valle de Bravo area)
A boutique cabin-style hotel set in a pine and cloud forest near Valle de Bravo with hiking trails and open-air common spaces, a comfortable base for families who enjoy nature-focused stays over resort-style pools
Family features: Family cabins, forest trails, on-site restaurant, spacious grounds for kids to explore
Ixtapan de la Sal spa hotels (adjoining the water park)
Several hotels sit directly adjacent to or within walking distance of Parque Acuatico Ixtapan's thermal water park, letting families split time between hotel pools and the larger park's slides and lazy river
Family features: Proximity to water park, thermal pools, family rooms, multiple dining options
Hotel Del Rey Inn (Toluca)
A centrally located, mid-range hotel in Toluca convenient for families exploring the Cosmovitral, main plaza, and nearby Metepec, with an easier base for day trips to Nevado de Toluca or Ixtapan de la Sal
Family features: Family rooms, central location, restaurant on site, easy access to day-trip destinations
Dining with kids
Eating out as a family.
Quesadillas, mixiote, and barbacoa are mild, familiar flavors that most children take to quickly in Toluca, Metepec, and Valle de Bravo restaurants
Mercados (public markets) in Toluca and Metepec offer cheap, fast comida corrida lunches with familiar options like grilled meats, rice, and beans
Restaurants across Mexico State are generally welcoming to children, and asking for a media orden (half portion) is common practice
Bottled water only for children; avoid ice from unknown sources and stick to sealed drinks or purified water at hotels and known restaurants
Pack simple snacks for day trips to Teotihuacan or Nevado de Toluca, since food options at the sites themselves can be limited to a few vendor stalls
Family travel tips
Practical advice for stress-free family trips.
Given Mexico State's Level 3 US travel advisory, plan family day trips around well-established destinations -- Teotihuacan, Valle de Bravo, Metepec, Toluca's center, and Ixtapan de la Sal -- rather than open-ended exploration of unfamiliar border municipalities near Mexico City
Use toll highways (autopistas de cuota) for family road trips between Mexico City, Toluca, and Valle de Bravo, and plan to arrive back or check into accommodation before dark
Pack warm layers even for daytime outings: Toluca's high elevation (roughly 2,680 meters) keeps mornings and evenings cool to cold year-round, which surprises many families expecting typical Mexican coastal warmth
Allow a day for children to adjust to the altitude on arrival; mild fatigue or shortness of breath in the first day or two is common and usually resolves with rest and hydration
Book day trips and transport through a hotel or reputable operator rather than arranging things independently, particularly for routes to Nevado de Toluca where the unpaved crater-rim road benefits from local knowledge
Strollers work well on Toluca's paved Cosmovitral grounds and central plaza and on Valle de Bravo's malecon, but are impractical on Metepec's and Valle de Bravo's cobblestone side streets, where a baby carrier helps
If visiting during the June-September rainy season, plan outdoor activities for the morning, since afternoon thunderstorms are a near-daily occurrence
Keep a printed or offline copy of the US Embassy Mexico City contact details and register the trip with the State Department's STEP program (or the home-country equivalent) before traveling with family