Monterrey, Mexico: Vacations and travel info

Description

Monterrey, capital of the state of Nuevo Leon, is located in the northeast of Mexico and it is the country's third largest city. Known as the city of the mountains, it is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Madre Mountains, where the famous Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Hill) is. This peak curiously has the shape of a saddle, at about 5167 ft. above the sea level, and it stands out in the Monterrey skyline. This hill has become a city symbol and can be admired from almost any spot in town. Geographically speaking, the city is excellently located, less than 140 miles from the US border.

Considered the main industrial area in Mexico, it features a high level of technological penetration in the country, since it has 10,000 different kinds of industries, among them those focused on aerospace, telecommunications, automobiles, electronics, food production, and information systems. Due to this huge concentration of industry and commerce, Fortune Magazine has named it one of the most ideal Latin American cities for doing business, with great opportunities for investors.

Also called "The Sultan of the North", this city has two airports (one for commercial flights and one for private flights), more than 35 state-of-the-art industrial zones and a convention center with the most advanced technology. All these characteristics, together with amazing residential areas for business executives and an efficient transportation system, make Monterrey a very appealing city to visit and do business in.

Monterrey is much more than business and industry. It is a thoroughly planned city with a vast offer of cultural and tourist attractions. In Monterrey and its surroundings, you can find from theme parks for families and museums to incredibly beautiful natural wonders. It is definitely a destination not only for business travelers, but also for vacationers as well.

A Lot to Discover!

The city of Monterrey is surrounded by forests and mountains, perfect for doing excursions, going camping and other activities. A perfect place for outdoor pursuits is the Cumbres National Park of Monterrey, located southeast of the city. The park is home to the Cola de Caballo Falls (Horsetail Falls) with its magnificent panoramic view. Chipinque Ecological Park provides camping spots, trails where you can practice hiking, as well as horseback riding and games for kids. A breathtaking marvel is the Garcia Caves with its formations of stalactites and stalagmites, which can be admired on your Monterrey vacations. There is also the beautiful mountain landscape at the impressive natural reserve of La Huasteca.

Another must is the Estrella (Star) Biopark, which is home to a great variety of wild animals living in a reproduction of their natural habitat. It is also possible to do some mountain biking and enjoy boat rides. These are only some of the stunning sites that you can visit on your Monterrey vacations. You can enjoy the fabulous landscapes and be in touch with nature. Undoubtedly, Monterrey offers numerous outdoor activities that will delight adults and children alike.

Education and Culture

Monterrey's labor force has mostly professional training and the city has more colleges, universities and technological institutes per capita than any other Mexican city. Among its numerous study centers, the most internationally recognized is the Monterrey Technological Institute of Superior Studies. The TEC, as it is commonly known, is an extremely prestigious institution with more than 30 campuses distributed all over Mexico and it is an example of excellence in education. It is, without a doubt, one of the biggest and most dynamic universities in Latin America.

The Macro Plaza or Great Plaza is the focal point of the city's center. Close to the Macro Plaza, there are many museums which will please culture and arts lovers. Within this extensive cultural selection, there is the Nuevo Leon's Regional Museum that offers a general outlook on the region's history; the Glass Museum, that combines history, art and science related to this fragile and delicate material; the Monterrey Museum, with more than 1,500 pieces concerning different art expressions such as sculpture, painting, drawing, graphics and photography; the Contemporary Art Museum, a forum for diverse art manifestations and a meeting point for the contemporary arts trends; and the Mexican History Museum, that exhibits in 4 different rooms a view of Mexico's history, among other related subjects. Monterrey also features some of the best theaters and auditoriums in the entire country, where every year there are shows, concerts and world-class plays.

Certainly, this city has all the necessary elements to appeal to tourists, especially those that enjoy Monterrey vacations with all the possibilities and services that big cities can offer. With first-class restaurants, modern shopping centers, plenty of museums and cultural venues, in addition to mountains, canyons and parks located in the city's surroundings, which provide visitors with fantastic opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and cave exploring, to name a few activities, Monterrey shows that it is not only a business-friendly city, but also a remarkable tourist and recreational destination, that offers the best in Mexico.