Parque Insurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (La Marquesa)

What it is. Officially the Parque Insurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, universally called La Marquesa: 1,760 hectares of valleys, streams and pine forest on the highway between Mexico City and Toluca. The name goes back to the colonial period —after the Conquest, Hernán Cortés granted Juana de Zúñiga permission to found a hacienda in these lands, and the marquise's title stuck to the place.

What people do here. It is the city's classic cheap day out in the open air: horse riding, quad bikes, zip lines, football on the grass, trout ponds and dozens of open-air kitchens serving quesadillas, trout and pulque. It is lively and commercial rather than wild —come for the air and the food, not for solitude.

Practical notes. It is outside the city, about an hour west by road, and at over 3,000 metres it is cold and often wet: bring layers and waterproof shoes. Weekdays are far calmer than Sundays. There is no public transport to the park itself; buses to Toluca from Observatorio pass the entrance, or drive.