Reserva de la Biósfera de la Barranca de Metztitlán, Biosphere reserve in Hidalgo, Mexico
The Reserva de la Biósfera de la Barranca de Metztitlán is a large protected area in Hidalgo featuring deep canyons, desert vegetation, and varied habitats such as pine forests and oak woodlands. The landscape spans across multiple municipalities and displays canyon-like formations throughout its terrain.
The reserve was established in 2000 and protects a landscape that includes ancient cave paintings and settlements from earlier times. The town of Metztitlán, which resisted Aztec rule, lies within this protected area.
The 16th-century monastery stands in the canyon as a reminder of Spanish missionaries who worked to transform the region. The remains speak to a moment when faith and conquest came together in this landscape.
The area offers several ways to explore: hiking, mountain biking, and bird watching are available in designated zones. Allow extra time for travel since the reserve spans across multiple municipalities.
The area is home to cacti species found nowhere else in the world, growing naturally only in this region. The Metztitlán lagoon, a protected wetland, attracts water birds and wildlife, offering visitors an unexpected natural wonder.
Location: Acatlán Municipality
Location: Zacualtipan de Ángeles
Location: San Agustín Metzquititlán
Location: Metztitlán Municipality
Location: Metepec Municipality
Location: Huasca de Ocampo
Location: Eloxochitlán
Location: Atotonilco el Grande
GPS coordinates: 20.51616,-98.72609
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:04
Hidalgo state sits northeast of Mexico City, connecting volcanic landscapes with more than two thousand years of human settlement. The region extends from high-altitude pine forests to semi-arid canyons, with geological processes having created basalt columns, cave systems with thermal springs, and marble formations. Colonial monasteries from the 16th century stand alongside mining towns that emerged during the Spanish era, while the archaeological site of Tula served as the capital of the Toltec civilization that preceded the Aztec empire. Visitors can walk among the hexagonal basalt columns at Prismas Basálticos, bathe in the warm pools of Grutas de Tolantongo, or view the stone warrior statues at Atlantes de Tula. Mining towns such as Real del Monte preserve their narrow streets and historic mines, while the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, a 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage structure, carried water across distances through a series of tall arches. National parks like El Chico protect mountain forests, the Metztitlán Canyon Reserve hosts desert ecosystems, and Atezca Lake offers views of calm water surrounded by forested hills. The combination of natural variety and centuries of history makes Hidalgo a place where each visit reveals both geology and human adaptation to this demanding environment.
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
35.7 km
Monumental Clock of Pachuca
43.3 km
El Chico National Park
34.4 km
Hacienda de Santa María Regla
35.4 km
Huapalcalco
56.8 km
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Tulancingo
61.2 km
Cristo Rey de Pachuca
42.9 km
Hacienda de San Miguel Regla
37.3 km
Acosta Mine Museum
41.6 km
Municipal Hall of Pachuca de Soto
43.3 km
La Asuncion Parish, Pachuca
43.1 km
Templo y exconvento de San Agustín
26.3 km
El Santo Museum
60.3 km
Railway Museum of Tulancingo
60.4 km
Plaza Constitución
43.1 km
Antigua hacienda de Exquitlán
62.4 km
Paste Museum
42.2 km
Zona de Preservación Ecológica Cerro del Lobo
43.8 km
La Dificultad Mine Museum
41.7 km
Site Museum and Interpretation Center Mina La Difficulty
41.6 km
Edificio de las Cajas Reales
43 km
Museo de Medicina Laboral
42.2 km
Museo Casa Grande
42.3 km
San Antonio mine
32.9 km
Foro Cultural Efrén Rebolledo, Pachuca
43.2 km
Historical Data Museum
60.4 km
Real English pantheon of Monte
42.5 km
Peña del Aire
34.4 kmReviews
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