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.
Luxury hotels
Five-star and palace properties.
Rodavento Boutique Hotel & Spa
A boutique retreat built into a pine and oyamel forest above Valle de Bravo, with individual cabins and glass-walled suites set among the trees, a forest spa built into the hillside terrain, and a restaurant serving contemporary Mexican cuisine.
Hotel Avandaro Golf & Spa Resort
A resort built around an 18-hole golf course in the pine-forested Avandaro valley south of Valle de Bravo, with a spa, outdoor pool, tennis courts, and gardens across grounds distinct from the smaller lakeside boutique hotels closer to town.
Casa Limon
A five-star boutique hotel built around a garden courtyard in Malinalco, with a French-influenced Mexican restaurant, concierge and room service, and a wheelchair-accessible outdoor pool within walking distance of the town's Cuauhtinchan hilltop temple.
Fiesta Americana Hacienda Ixtapan de la Sal
A hacienda-style resort built around thermal mineral-water pools in Ixtapan de la Sal, with landscaped gardens, a spa, several restaurants, and a kids club spread across grounds distinct from the town's public balneario.
Hacienda La Skondida Hotel Resort & Spa
A converted colonial-era hacienda in San Mateo Xoloc north of Tepotzotlan, set within landscaped gardens with an outdoor pool, a full spa, and a restaurant, doubling as a wedding and event venue on weekends.
Fine dining
Michelin-starred and chef-driven restaurants.
Restaurant at Casa Limon
The garden-courtyard restaurant at Casa Limon in Malinalco serves French-influenced Mexican dishes to hotel guests and outside diners, drawing on produce grown around the property.
Restaurant at Rodavento
The forest-set restaurant at the Rodavento retreat outside Valle de Bravo serves a contemporary Mexican tasting menu built around regional produce, with seating overlooking the surrounding pine woodland.
Los Arcos, Toluca
A long-running seafood restaurant in Toluca's Plaza Sendero shopping center on Boulevard Aeropuerto Miguel Aleman, popular with business travelers and local families for coastal-style Mexican seafood dishes.
Exclusive experiences
Bespoke and once-in-a-lifetime activities.
Private Sailboat Charter, Lago de Avandaro
A private sailboat or catamaran departs from a dock near Valle de Bravo's malecon for a few hours on the Avandaro reservoir, taking in views of the surrounding pine-forested hills and the town's waterfront church.
Private Hot Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacan
A private balloon and pilot lift off before sunrise near San Juan Teotihuacan, drifting over the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Avenue of the Dead as the site opens below, followed by a champagne toast on landing.
Private Temazcal Ceremony, Malinalco
A traditional Mesoamerican steam-bath ritual led by a local temazcalero in a purpose-built dome near Malinalco, combining herbal steam, chanting, and copal incense in a private or small-group session arranged through area hotels.
Private Guided Ascent, Nevado de Toluca
A private guide and vehicle take visitors up the access road into the Nevado de Toluca (Xinantecatl) volcanic crater, with a guided hike to the crater's twin lakes, the Sun and Moon lagoons, timed for clear morning visibility.
Spas & wellness
World-class spa retreats and treatments.
Rodavento Forest Spa, Valle de Bravo
A spa built into the wooded hillside of the Rodavento retreat outside Valle de Bravo, offering massage and body treatments in pavilions set among pine and oyamel trees, paired with outdoor hydrotherapy circuits.
Spa at Hacienda La Skondida, Tepotzotlan
A spa within the restored hacienda grounds of La Skondida north of Tepotzotlan, offering massage and body treatments alongside the property's gardens and outdoor pool.
Hotel Ixtapan Spas, Ixtapan de la Sal
Three separate spa facilities at Hotel Ixtapan Spas & Resort built around the town's mineral thermal springs, combining hydrotherapy pools, massage suites, and a dedicated yoga studio adjacent to the Ixtapan Aquatic Park.
Luxury transport
Travel in style.
- Overview
- Mexico State's luxury transport centers on private drivers for the winding mountain routes between Mexico City, Valle de Bravo, and Malinalco, private transfers to and from Toluca International Airport, and arranged balloon or boat operators for Teotihuacan and Valle de Bravo's reservoir.