Magdalena Contreras
Introduction
La Magdalena Contreras is one of Mexico City's boroughs, named after two historically important communities: La Magdalena Atlitic and Colonia Contreras. It sits at a high elevation, and its northern end is urbanized, while the rest of the borough—mountains and ravines—is designated as a conservation zone.
That split shapes the experience of visiting. Urban sprawl has put pressure on the conservation areas, and in response the borough government has begun promoting ecotourism as a way to preserve the area's forests and natural resources. Expect a quieter, higher-altitude side of the city, with the built-up north giving way to protected terrain.
Getting around
Magdalena Contreras is a borough in the southwest of Mexico City, set along the lower eastern slopes of the Sierra de las Cruces. Its northern end is urbanized, while the rest—mountains, ravines, and canyons—is a conservation zone. That geography shapes how you move around: the flat, built-up north is well served by the city's transport network, while the hilly southern reaches are harder to reach and best explored with a specific destination in mind.
Mexico City's public transport is the backbone of visitor travel here, and the borough is connected to it by Metro, Metrobús, and local buses. From central Mexico City you can reach Magdalena Contreras by Metro, Metrobús, taxi, or car.
- Metro: The fastest and cheapest way to cover the distance between the center and the borough's edge. Metro Line 3 connects Balderas station in the center to Miguel Ángel de Quevedo station, a trip of about eighteen minutes, with trains running roughly every five minutes. Fares are very low, and the system is operated by Transporte Colectivo Metro CDMX. The Metro does not run deep into Magdalena Contreras itself; it brings you to the borough's northern fringe, from which you continue by bus or taxi.
- Metrobús: The other main option. Metrobús Line 1 runs from Reforma to Dr. Gálvez, taking about thirty-five minutes, with buses every five minutes or so. Fares are in the region of one to two pesos, and the system is operated by Metrobús.
- Combining modes: One useful route pairs Metro Line 1 from Merced to Tacubaya (about fifteen minutes) with bus 1B from Base Tacubaya to Periférico–San Jerónimo, for a total journey of roughly fifty-four minutes. Local bus route 34-B runs from Av. Santa Fe–Enrique del Moral to Av. San Jerónimo–Anillo Periférico and takes about an hour and twenty minutes.
- Taxis and ride-hailing: The quickest door-to-door option, and useful for reaching parts of the borough that buses don't serve well. A taxi from central Mexico City to Magdalena Contreras takes around fifteen minutes. Operators include Seguritaxi Londres Sitio 166, Servitaxis Sitio 152, Taxi Mex, and Taxi Seguro Murano. If you drive yourself, the trip is about ten to eleven miles and takes around fifteen minutes.
- Walking: Walkability varies sharply by area. The northern, urbanized end is where the streets, services, and transport connections cluster, and it is the practical place to walk and to base yourself. Beyond that, the terrain rises into foothills, mountains, and ravines, with major elevations reaching well above three thousand metres, so the conservation zone is not walking country in the everyday sense. If you are heading into the hills, plan on a vehicle to get there and treat the walking as part of a specific outing rather than casual strolling.
Buy Metro and Metrobús fares at the station—they are inexpensive and the systems run frequently throughout the day. Use the Metro or Metrobús for the long leg into the borough's northern edge, then switch to a bus or taxi for the final stretch. Keep taxi operator names on hand if you prefer to book by phone or sitio rather than hail on the street. Plan hill and conservation-zone visits around a vehicle, not on foot. Allow extra time for bus routes, which can take well over an hour compared with a short taxi ride.
When to go
Magdalena Contreras has two distinct climates depending on where you are: the urbanized area is temperate and semi-moist, while the conservation highlands are colder and wetter. Rain is concentrated in summer, and fog is common both in summer and late in the year.
If you visit in summer, expect the year's heaviest rain, peaking in July, with showers that can arrive as hail. Fog is common in the conservation areas then, and the higher elevations are semi-cold and moist. Later in the year, fog is again common, especially in the conservation areas above the urbanized part. Snow is rare, so plan for damp, misty conditions rather than snowfall.
Three days in Magdalena Contreras
Day one: Base yourself in La Magdalena Contreras and get your bearings in the borough's historic heart, La Magdalena Atlitic, where the old village feel survives alongside the spread of Mexico City. Use the Metro and Metrobús to reach the area, and expect the journey to take time from the centre. Fares on Transporte Colectivo Metro CDMX are low, and combining Metro Line with Metrobús Line services via Balderas, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo or Dr. Gálvez on Reforma gives you several ways in. Once settled, walk the streets of Colonia Contreras and the surrounding colonias to understand how urban Magdalena Contreras sits against the Sierra de las Cruces.
- La Magdalena Atlitic
- Colonia Contreras
- Metro Line, Metrobús Line
- Balderas, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo, Dr. Gálvez, Reforma
Day two: Head for the green edge of the borough, where Magdalena Contreras meets the Sierra de las Cruces. Its ravines and wooded slopes are the reason the area feels apart from the rest of Mexico City, and the day is best spent on foot following the old paths and water channels that gave La Magdalena Atlitic its name. Expect cooler air and quieter roads than the centre. Return via the Metro or Metrobús interchanges at Tacubaya or Base Tacubaya, or along Anillo Periférico and Av. Santa Fe if you are coming from the west.
- Sierra de las Cruces
- Tacubaya, Base Tacubaya
- Anillo Periférico, Av. Santa Fe
Day three: Use the transport network to link Magdalena Contreras with the rest of the city. From the borough you can reach Merced, Tacubaya and the Reforma corridor by combining Metro and Metrobús services, with Periférico and San Jerónimo as the main road axes. Local buses and the Metro keep the day flexible, and the Metrobús along Reforma connects you back toward the centre. If you have time, follow Enrique Moral and the Anillo Periférico toward Santa Fe for a sense of how the city's western edge fits together.
- Merced, Tacubaya
- Periférico, San Jerónimo
- Enrique Moral, Anillo Periférico, Santa Fe