Toluca Travel Guide

Here is a very good mexican food, but expensive, why?, becasue you can go to a real mercado in downtown and you can eat the same half of the price. But the good news is ther if you are not mexican, better try the mexican food here, because is very cleen, and the enviorment of the restaurant is a Tradicional Mercado.

Favorite Dish: Enchiladas, Tortas ahogadas, Cemitas de Carnitas, Chalupas, Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza....

Live music on Thursay, Friday and Saturday. Lation America singer and Dance. Rock and Roll band That sings in both English and Espanol And a Trubador that has a beautiful voice and sings songs that everybody knows and joins in, and they all like to sing.As an American it was great entertainment to watch the different styles of dance and listen to them sing. Maybe in Germany is the only place similar.

Not to forget the great service and the food with a good bar selection.

Dress Code: Casual to Shirt and tie.

Toluca has over 5000 registered taxis for a population of about half a million. That is one of the best taxi ratios anywhere. I have a car and pickup at the house, but rarely take them out of the garage. Just go to any major street and you should see a little blue taxi in a minute or two. Negotiate a price before you enter, rarely will it be more than 20 pesos (unless it is in the middle of the night and you are getting out of the bus depot).

There are many fine malls in Toluca, especially upscale in Metepec, but I prefer the Gran Plaza Toluca. It is only a few blocks from downtown Portales. There are three civercafes, cinema, food court, clean bathrooms, a variety of stores from upscale clothing, to Suburbia to Gigante. The public transportation (busses and taxis) to and from is good.

It's hard to find a "bus stop" in Toluca. But if you stay here long enough, you would find there are some place gathering people waiting for buses. When there's a bus coming, you should read the "stops" in front of the bus quickly (they put all the stops on the window), then wave your hand, then, jump into the bus.

Of all the cities in Mexico, Toluca is the most obsessed with sports. Most people know about the professional soccer team, perrenial champs, but sports are big at every school. On weekends in public park you can see the autoworkers and pharmaceutical workers play in amateur leagues. Many public parks also have exercise tracks, and you will see homemakers and retired people jogging and power walking. Basketball is also popular in the parks.

Warning: if you join the locals in a pick up game of soccer or basketball, they are good and the air is thin.