With a metro population of over 3.6 million people, Monterrey, Mexico is a formidable city. Fast on the rise, with a lively pace to life, the capital of Nuevo Le?n is a fun destination to explore in a country that from Mexico City to Puebla, Baja to Yucat?n, has a slew of them.
Less than 250 kilometers from the border of Texas, Monterrey has become a popular place to party and tour for many from the U.S. With easy access to the city from a myriad of points across Mexico, a visit is a veritable no-brainer. If you need further reasons to give this potential 2020 Summer Olympic Games host some of your time, check out some of the best attractions in Monterrey.
The massive central square of Monterrey is a reflection of the city’s place between old and new Mexico. With a panoply of wonderful landmarks around the perimeter, the Macroplaza is also a busy commercial hub in a metropolis where business is king.
The Sierra Madre range renders it impossible to visit Monterrey and not notice the dramatic foothill scenery that overlooks the urban heart of the city. The views from Cerro del Topo and Cerro de la Silla, two suburban peaks that serve as Nuevo Le?n landmarks, provide photographers with a real sense of Monterrey.
While Monterrey offers all the gems of a modern metropolis, the nearby geography of the city and province was special enough to earn UNESCO Biosphere designation in 2006. As a result, there is a lot to explore outside of the city. The Parque Ecol?gico Chipinque is a mere 10 minutes from Monterrey, with superb mountain and forest vistas. The state park La Estanzuela contains a network of trails with exquisite river and forest scenery. The Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey however, takes the cake and incidentally, the UNESCO honors. The Sierra Madre Oriental swath of land south of the city is a notable biosphere reserve, with canyons, trails and desert roads to explore.
Monterrey is known as a city where people work hard and play hard. They eat well here too. If you want to experience authentic cuisine and snub your nose at the vast panoply of U.S. fast-food joints, get outside the commercial heart of the city and into the more intimate neighborhoods. There, you will discover delights like kid goat roasted over hot embers, a nod to Monterrey’s Jewish heritage. A dearth of pork in the local culinary heritage is another obvious hallmark of Monterrey’s Semitic past. Carne asada and machacado con huevo are two beefy and succulent staples. For maximum pleasure, wash them down with some tasty local cerveza.
Museo de Arte Contempor?neo de Monterrey
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Monterrey is the best of many marvelous cultural attractions in the city. Next to the immense Macroplaza, the museum’s architectural style makes a bold impression yet conveys a uniquely Mexican aesthetic at the same time. The MARCO’s permanent and temporal collections draw from the best in modern art from the country and abroad. Two other worthwile museum excursions in Monterrey are the Museum of Mexican History and the old City Hall, which chronicles the history of the city and province.
Much like many destinations across Central and South America and certainly Spain, Monterrey’s Barrio Antiguo is where the cool people hang out. People in the know and people who love live music, good beer and good food. From small intimate bars to more upscale clubs, the area that was once the original heart of the city has undergone a period of gentrification over the past several decades. As a result, a comprehensive restoration and face lift gave the barrio a necessary shot in the arm. What grunge that remains is all part of the appeal. The fact of the matter is that the Barrio Antiguo is the most cosmopolitan and hip part of Monterrey.
Check out the best possible rates on hotels across beautiful and exotic Mexico. Stay tuned as well for a future profile of Guadalajara.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Responses to this Article
Leave a Reply